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The Atlanta Falcons weren't pretty, but they got the job done yet again on the road, coming from behind, and finding a way to win. The offense looked out of sync for almost the entire game, the defense had major problems with the run and even gave up a first career touchdown pass to a brand new rookie in Kirk Cousins, but nonetheless, the Falcons found a way to win the game and got it done when it really counted. And by the way, the Atlanta Falcons are 5-0 for the first time in franchise history and they have plenty areas for improvement. They may have "sucked" as Roddy White jokingly said after the game, but they're also undefeated. A look at the Birds road win in DC………
It marks the second week the Falcons have looked less than stellar and had to make a comeback in the 4th quarter to win the game, but an ugly win beats a pretty loss, or as some call them "moral victories," every day of the week. The offense slogged around the first half, throwing a pick-six in the process, and the defense got gashed by the run and torched by a brand new rookie QB, but the Falcons buckled down when they had to. Matt Ryan led the offense to score 17 points in the 4th quarter and the defense came back from their awful blown coverage TD to Cousins to steal two interceptions in a row to close out the game. If they Falcons continue their overall subpar performances, than it'll be a cause for concern, but for now their finding ways to win, and they're only one of two teams that are undefeated, by the way.
Cam Newton almost racks up 100 yards himself and 6th round draft pick rookie steams to 114 rushing on Sunday. The Birds are doing a great job in the pass game and takeways, but are showing some weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the run game. The Falcons are currently ranked 27th against the run and will face plenty of strong running teams as the season goes along. In particular, the defensive tackles and middle linebacker play seem to be giving up large amounts of yards. Jerry, Babineaux, and Walker are excellent getting penetration against the pass, but seem to be wearing some vs. the run. Akeem Dent is having major issues at middle linebacker (more below) and that's putting more and more pressure on the outside linebackers, safeties, and cornerbacks. It should be said that the Falcons are 7th against the pass, but they need to stiffen up against the run a little bit.
Did someone say Tony Gonzalez is supposedly retiring this year? It appears that the 36 year old is on track for one of his best seasons yet. Gonzo hauled in 123 yards with a touchdown and is tied for 3rd overall with 4 touchdowns (among all wide receivers) and 15th in yards including all wide receivers (1st among tight ends). He is surely benefitting from teams trying their best to keep both Julio Jones and Roddy White in check and Koetter is happy to oblige him with the targets. Many teams have talented receiving corps, but few have the additional talent at tight end to occupy the middle with authority the way Gonzalez does. No one is surprised at what he does anymore and he's playing like he just came into the league. Looking forward, the Falcons and their fans are starting to realize how big the hole will be at TE when he leaves.
Fans and the Bird Cage faithful were ready to toss anything they could get their hands on at the TV seeing Joe Hawley, Mike Johnson, and Garrett Reynolds go out for passes, line up as a 3rd tight end, or doing anything other than blocking on the line (Reynolds illegal man downfield was an accident, but still). What in the Hades is going on here? Some thought the first pass to Joe Hawley (he's a center remember?) was just an accident, but when it happened again, it bordered somewhere in between being nauseous and bewilderment. Seeing Hawley trying to catch the ball was akin to seeing him in a tutu on a highwire.
The Falcons are struggling at fullback in losing Bradie Ewing in the first preseason game and not having Lousaka Polite active this week, but having Hawley or others go out for passes with all the talent available is just criminal. Mike Johnson has been playing a lot of 3rd tight end roles lately which brings up another point: if Tyson Clabo is needing that much extra help in blocking, why is he still in there? Every time Johnson or Hawley are in as an extra lineman, that's taking out guys like Harry Douglas, Jacquizz Rodgers, Jason Snelling, or even Kevin Cone and Drew Davis. Very, very puzzling and strange.
Another game, another big drop early in the game. The Falcons had a huge play drawn up where Ryan hit Julio Jones on a nice deep ball right at the end zone only to see him drop another big one. Fans were starting to get anxious after seeing Jones struggle the last few games, mainly with drops. Could so much talent not explode as everyone thought? The good news is that Ryan and Koetter kept feeding Jones the ball and he looked like the stud we've all come to know in the very short time he's been in red and black. He helped the offense drive down the field with excellent routes, good catches, and his signature extra effort to get more yards. He capped it off with a dazzling touchdown catch where he adjusted to a sidline pass, snagged it, and kept his feet in for the score. Great to have you back JJ!
Akeem Dent is struggling mightily at middle linebacker. There's really no other way to spin it. He looked lost, had weak instincts, overran plays, missed tackles, and was blocked with ease. Even though some are bringing up the B word already after many thought he was a big reach for the 3rd round, it may be a little premature for that. To be fair, Dent hasn't had a ton of snaps since Nolan is a fan of the big nickel and he's only a few games into his first starting year. Sean Weatherspoon didn't look that great as a rookie himself. Dent also has undergone some serious changes the last 4 years, going from a 4-3 defense under Willie Martinez as a junior at UGA to the 3-4 as a senior under Todd Grantham back to a 4-3 under Brian Van Gorder and finally to a new scheme, more of a hybrid, under Mike Nolan. He is, after all, from a Mark Richt led Georgia team well-known for under-developing their players (see that Justin Houston is top 5 in sacks and Blair Walsh is on fire in Minnesota). Also, Dimitroff did sign Lofa Tatupu in a great low-risk, potentially high-reward move before he was injured.
However, defending Dent can only go so far and he can only get so much time to improve. At what point will Mike Peterson get brought back in or Kroy Biermann get a permanent move to LB (a very popular idea here in the Cage). This much is a lock: linebacker moves to the top of the 2013 draft board.
On one hand, the Falcons have had two performances that are easy to forget, playing an opponent that is decent-to-good, but surely not great or elite. However, the Falcons have proven the last two weeks that they can find ways to win even if they're not playing their best. At some point, this will start being an issue instead of a strength, but for now, they've won two games in a row down at various points in the game.
The drops are starting to add up and it's not that big of deal just yet, but something to be looking out for moving forward. Julio dropped a potential long touchdown catch, Quizz dropped an easy screen/dump-off, and then there was Joe Hawley dropping two catches….oh wait, he's a center running passing routes like a receiver, but surely that can't be right? In all seriousness, the Falcons need to start locking up the easy catches when they get a chance and eliminate as many drops as possible.
Even though it wasn't as much as expected, there are surely some who think that the game may have been different if RG3 hadn't got injured and left the game, but just like forcing Peyton Manning into his interceptions, the Falcons defense brought the wood to him when he pulled the ball down and started to run. Also, the Birds did an excellent job keeping him hemmed up even before the injury. The Falcons defense held him to 91yards passing and only 7 yards rushing in the 3rd quarter. Overall, the Falcons defense pretty much shut down the rookie QB.
Mike Smith, Thomas Dimitroff, and Arthur Blank just keep on knocking down those walls. The newest one is getting to 5-0 for the first time in franchise history, which doesn't mean too awful much to being so early in the season, but it's been a great start to the campaign and bodes well for the Falcons and their fans going forward.
1) Opening Kickoff: what's your overall thoughts on the Falcons win?
2) How concerned over rush defense?
3) Do you think Gonzalez is rethinking his retirement after all?
4) What object were readying to throw after the Hawley passes?
5) Please explain the "Extra OL as 3rd TE" mess, if you can.
6) Is Julio back after a few missteps in games?
7) What's your thoughts on Akeem Dent, MLB overall?
8.) Are the comeback wins a sign of mettle or slowing down?
9) Are the drops starting to worry you?
10) What do you like about your 5-0 Falcons?
11) What worries you most about your 5-0 Falcons?
October 8th, 2012
10:00 pm
To paraphrase the motto of the Legion Etrangere — Sleep or Die!
G'night Cagers.
October 8th, 2012
10:02 pm
[...] News here – Atlanta Falcons: Bird Cage ← Home of UGA QB Murray, linebacker 'egged and rolled' Cancel [...]
October 8th, 2012
10:14 pm
#10. I'm still worried about this O-line. It will get us into the playoffs but how will it stand up against a good D-line or just a good aggressive defense? Carolina made them look like rookies and it was Carolina.
October 8th, 2012
10:14 pm
I know it's a little 20/20 hindsight, but (at least considering what LB's were available) there wasn't a ton to choose from in terms of LB. If firmly believe that if Mason Foster had slipped a few more picks, he'd be in a Falcons uni right now……
Akeem Dent – LB – Round 3 – 91st
KJ Wright – OLB – 6′4 – 246 – Round 4 – 99
(('11 stats – 12 starts – 65 tackles – 2 sacks – 3 passes defensed))
Colin McCarthy – LB – 6′1 – 238 – Round 4 – 109
(('11 stats – 7 starts – 68 tackles – 3 passes defensed – 1 INT))
Casey Matthews – Round 4 – 116
((3 games started in 2 years))
All guys after that either have not made any starts and most have been cut. Was it a reach? I could see it, but considering what was there around that time (at any position) , I'm not inclined to say so just yet.
I will say that if TD really did know he would let Lofton walk, than he should have moved up and snagged Foster.
Nite 'all.
October 8th, 2012
10:15 pm
#11 I mean!
October 8th, 2012
10:15 pm
RE: Dent Reach Post — I meant to include the 3rd round that was available after Dent and forgot, see for yourself………
Really gone now.
October 8th, 2012
10:49 pm
You raise some good questions D3. As far as the run defense goes, I lean on the side of optimism and believe as the season wears on, the D-line will get better as they get more time in Nolan's system. As for the main problem with the run defense (Akeem Dent), I was never high on him and as I've noted time and again, when your hopes are built around 3rd, 4th and 5th round picks, you are in trouble. (see exhibit 1; Falcons run defense).
What I would love to see (and I am no expert) is Biermann as an OLB standing next to Abraham or Edwards. then its a "take your pick as to who to block" from the outside. Biermann is clearly at his best when he's turned loose and flying around the field wreaking havoc. Then slide Nicholas to the MLB spot as he is emerging as a tackling machine. This way when Nolan wants to use his hybrid nickel package, he can only use one DT, two DE's and Biermann to rush the passer (4 guys) while either blitzing someone from the secondary or an extra LB and/or just dropping 6 in coverage.
As for throwing the ball to O-lineman, I agree, enough is enough. Besides, you can't run the same gag forever. Teams will catch on. Why aren't they using Snelling more as an extra TE if needed or at FB? What is up with the staff that they just don't use him properly. Everytime he touches the ball, he runs hard. He blocks hard. What does he have to do to get some respect from the coaching staff? Good grief.
Finally, I still think JJ's hand is still bothering him. But as Mike Smith is very tight lipped about injuries, no one is saying anything. If you watch him when the cameras cut to him on the sidelines, he is often seen holding his injured hand up as if to keep the blood from rushing down and throbbing. But he has to be out there or they double down on both Roddy and Gonzo. What I was hoping to see (or hope to see very soon) is them intentionally feature Douglass for a game. I think when that happens, teams will truly be nervous because there is no way they can game plan to double Gonzo, JJ, Douglass, and Roddy while also trying to stop Turner or Rodgers from running. Hope springs eternal.
October 9th, 2012
5:38 am
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October 9th, 2012
7:20 am
I'm not worried if DeCoud and Gonzo are not worried. I would like to see Nicholas back at full strength. PLEASE don't let Raiders be a trap game. THAT would be embarrassing. If Matty Ice 2 and Matty Ice 3 can keep it rolling … I think we'll have a nice bye week just reveling in the possibilities.
October 9th, 2012
8:25 am
Although this is a bit off-topic
Looking at ESPN just found out Texans only beat jets by 6 points and yet people talk about us only beating Washington by 7.
Honestly I wish people would realize that the only team to be considered extremely sorry is the Jags, and not only that when people know you're undefeated they're gunning for you on that lone reason.
Still though 5-0 for the first time ever that's all that matters until Sunday darn it. Then if we win all that matters is 6-0 for the first time lol until 2 weeks later.
October 9th, 2012
8:33 am
The big tests for the Falcons are Eagles, Cowboys, Giants, and Saints. I only put the Saints in the list because of the rivalry. I consider the Eagles, Cowboys, and Giants as the BIG GAMES that the Falcons seem never to win in previous years.
October 9th, 2012
8:46 am
If we beat the Eagles people will begin to give us more looks if we man-handle the Saints twice it gets better, and if we beat both Gaints and Cowboys well I'll be happy that's for sure.
October 9th, 2012
9:17 am
Thanks, D3…
1) What are your overall thoughts on the Falcons win? It was a good win, a solid road victory against a decent team. 5-0 and undefeated!
2) How concerned over rush defense? Not concerned AT ALL. We have encountered a number of good rushing teams in this early season, and the only fact I see in this game is that we allowed a 100+ yard rusher. Other than that, the Redskins offensively scored only 10 points, they had 12 first downs to our 28, they were 1 for 9 on 3rd Downs, and possessed the ball for 15 minutes less than we did. We were solid defensively.
3) Do you think Gonzalez is rethinking his retirement after all? Yes, definitely. Unless we don't win a playoff game (or we win it all), he will be a Falcon for one more year. He may postpone retirement because of the benefit to his vitamin company with all the interest in his longevity. After all, what are all the announcers on TV always saying, "Where did he find the fountain of youth?" and Tony will say, "Go to my All Pro Science website!"
4) What object were readying to throw after the Hawley passes? I wanted to throw a tube of stick 'em to Hawley for his hands. No harm, no foul on the odd play calls.
5) Please explain the "Extra OL as 3rd TE" mess, if you can. It just provides another blocker much like the jumbo package, or it gives the opposing defense the look of using an extra blocker for another propose. There is quite a bit of deception that goes on from play to play with real OCs, so who knows.
6) Is Julio back after a few missteps in games? The only thing limiting Julio in the NFL is that he is only in his second year and he needs to learn all the nuances of the WR experience, such as individual opposing player tendencies and even referee tendencies. Julio is way ahead of the curve.
7) What's your thoughts on Akeem Dent, MLB overall? Overall, I think…Is E.J. Henderson still available? I'm not happy about anything from UGA right now.
8.) Are the comeback wins a sign of mettle or slowing down? For teams with a winning record, getting "ugly" wins are a sign of mettle.
9) Are the drops starting to worry you? No, as long as they aren't coming from Roddy, and that Julio is catching most of his. Matt throws such a soft pass that the drops from Turner and Quizz are just a matter of focus. After all, the RBs are new to this passing game stuff. Harry needs to step up, though, as he doesn't get enough looks to drop even one pass.
10) What do you like about your 5-0 Falcons? The fact that they are the only sports team in town with BALLS enough to seize victory, instead of being a passive frontrunner.
11) What worries you most about your 5-0 Falcons? The fact that we may get talked about too much in the media in coming weeks and months, and it will go to our heads. Other than that, what's not to like? 5-0 BABY!!
October 9th, 2012
9:19 am
As I expected, all this downing Dent is a bunch of rambling without understanding the full situation. Stephen Nicholas was taken out part of the game with an ankle injury, which made Mike Nolan shift Dent to outside linebacker. That's not his natural position. Also, Stephen was out in the second half, which the Falcons did a better job against the run game.
Instead of head hunting the kid after only 5 games, understand that not only has he had to play a new scheme, but he has been shifted out of his natural position. At least give the. Guy a year before calling him a bust. I am not saying he is the future, but you got to give the guy a year.
Maybe these are the reasons why he looked lost.
October 9th, 2012
9:28 am
it's going to take a good while before Dent is really up to it. He's replacing a guy that was awesome against the run, so he's bound to suffer by comparison. If Clabo has a hip problem, that would explain a lot–the loss of power and flexibility would be significant. That run "D" could be a problem vs. OAK–their run game is pretty good…Overall, I'm happier than a pig in slop…..
October 9th, 2012
9:50 am
Great article D3…
Before I answer the questions, how about the Texans looking pedestrian last night? I guess they have crappy coordinators too, eh? No. Teams have bad games. It's the NFL. Yet, like the Falcons, they are 5-0.
Opening Kickoff: what's your overall thoughts on the Falcons win?
Resilient victory. The Falcons had offensive luls, but the defense held strong versus one of the most dynamic offenses in the league. Holding the Redskins to zero offensive touchdowns in the first half is no easy task. Kudos to Matt Ryan and the offense bringing things together in the 4th quarter.
2) How concerned over rush defense?
Not concerned until after the Raiders game. We went against two offenses with dynamic QBs. They improved with RG3, which shows that Mike Nolan adjusted. I. AM. NOT. WORRIED. ABOUT. THE. D!
3) Do you think Gonzalez is rethinking his retirement after all?
If they win a couple playoff games and come short of a Super Bowl title, then yes.
4) What object were readying to throw after the Hawley passes?
Nothing, because if he would have caught the passes, he would have had huge gains. DK would look like a mastermind. Execution people, execution.
5) Please explain the "Extra OL as 3rd TE" mess, if you can.
Help with pass protection, and try to change the flow of the game with different looks.
6) Is Julio back after a few missteps in games?
7) What's your thoughts on Akeem Dent, MLB overall?
Read my previous(and objective) post.
8.) Are the comeback wins a sign of mettle or slowing down?
Mettle. Teams have these games every year. I mean, look at the Texans last night. Their offense was atrocious. Washington is no scrub team. They have been in every game this year. I think people have their expectations too high, and think that every opponent is suppose to be easy. This is the NFL. There is a lot of upside to this team–arrow is pointing up.
9) Are the drops starting to worry you?
Julio needs to tighten up, but the check down drops will be addressed by DK. I am sure of it.
10) What do you like about your 5-0 Falcons?
Swarming defense, "pick your poison offense", and very fundamentally sound(fewest penalties in the league). What's not to like? Of course you can be nit picky, though. Every team can continue to improve, though–none is perfect.
11) What worries you most about your 5-0 Falcons?
I am still worried about the offensive line protection, but we will not see the true test until the Eagles game. I am also annoyed by the execution from our offense by not taking advantage of the good play calling. They are making Matt Ryan and our OC look bad. Catch the dang ball!
October 9th, 2012
10:11 am
I'd like to 2nd MIchaels notion of essentially targeting HD for a game, just to get an idea of how open/productive he can be. The key I get out of the Hawley thing is opposition manipulation – get the opposing team to NOT take Hawley for granted – thus reducing coverage on our regular playmakers. I'm hoping Tony G keeps on playing.
October 9th, 2012
10:17 am
More on Dent–this time from Pat Y
in game 2 Dent was in on only 1% of plays…vs SD it was up to 36%, vs CAR, 47% and vs WA 55%. HCMS & Co know he's not ready for the full load, plus it has a lot to do with the type of offensive attack we're facing. We're bringing the kid along patiently– but of course, we fans aren't known for our patience–but 5-0 has quite a calming effect on the fanbase….
October 9th, 2012
10:19 am
I think the most impressive thing abot the Falcons record so far is that we have 3 wins on the road. The last few years haven't been kind to us on the road. I like the aggressive playcalling on both sides of the ball, and it looks like special teams have been solid so far.
This is a really good football team. Let's beat the Raiders, have a week off, and go onward!
October 9th, 2012
10:50 am
@wings I have to disagree on not winning the big games. In 2010 and 2011 seasons we beat the eagles at home and away, we beat Peyton on monday night this year, we beat a hot detroit team last year in their house, we beat the packers in their superbowl year during the regular season even though they beat the snot out of us in the playoffs.
I think we will beat the hell out of the Eagles the Cowboys and I think the Giants and the Cards will give us a tougher game. New Orleans and everyone in our division always plays Atlanta tough.
October 9th, 2012
11:06 am
Every one is downing Dent without giving him a far shout just last year everyone was like get Dunta out of here and asking way did they resign Thomas DeCoud but now everyone is happy on what they are bringing to the table you have to give people a chance to develop in the scheme that they are playing I think he can be a decent player but in due time give hime more then 5 games into the season with only one game where he really played in to say how he is doing or did I'm just saying give people a chance before u just bash them
October 9th, 2012
11:14 am
also spoon came along to emerge as the player he is today put it took a couple of years it first year wasn't great so that being said it takes time
October 9th, 2012
11:17 am
how about the Texans looking pedestrian last night? I guess they have crappy coordinators too, eh?
Bingo. The thing about the NFL is, the other teams have mundo talent, and good coordinators too. That is what makes it so good. The days of the 49ers of the 80s are over. There is not "new" schemes, just wrinkles, but only well coached teams find what I call a winning combination, and it goes way beyond scheme.
Really, for all the consternation of the 13-3 season, BJEEESUS, we went 13-3. But yea, so "we got lucky", so, lets say we to 10-6…So I say YAY….But then what did we do?
Ahh, go 11-5,
now we are 5-0. My point, 13-3 was not fluke. we have a WINNING PROGRAM.
I know, playoffs….PLAYOFF? PLAYOFFS?
Really, every NFL teams have concerns, every team is beatable, and every team plays in peaks and Valleys. Hopefully we peak when it matters the most. Scheme Scmeme.
October 9th, 2012
11:56 am
CS…My hat's off to Coach Haslett and his staff yesterday. They did a nice job. It was very apparent what they were going to try and take away and force us to throw the ball underneath.
Well, there ya go.
October 9th, 2012
12:13 pm
Run on sentences aside, awright is correct.
The bashing on dent is FANaticism at its finest.
October 9th, 2012
12:14 pm
Over the last 2yrs VanGorder's DEF philosophy was to go all out stopping the run, and we were very successful. However, it came at the expense of our pass DEF, which routinely ranked at or near the league bottom in most categories. This yr under Nolan, our DEF philosophy has been to stop the pass, and it's come at the expense of our run DEF. Pick your poison.
If stopping the run was Nolan's main concern he would have resigned MLB CLofton. If our OFF continues to put pts on the scoreboard, teams will be less likely to rely on running the ball to stay in the gm. However, if our OFF continues to struggle with getting into the endzone early, like it has the last 2gms, teams will run the ball to control the clock and keep our OFF on the sidelines.
After watching our gm and then tuning in the the AINTS/TAINTS gm, I noticed the difference in the speed of DSproales vs JRogers. Rogers doesn't appear to be anywhere near Sproales as far as speed and quickness, but he's definitely stronger with simular running instincts and elusiveness. I don't think he's as fast as MJDrew, but again, he's just as instinctive and elusive.
I can't pinpoint why our OL is still having trouble with run blocking after doing such a great job of improving its pass blocking. With run blocking being the strengths of both RG GReynolds and LT SBaker, you'd think it would be the other way around. But last yr neither player did a good job at either, which prompted their demotions.
Personally, I think we should junk the FB position for now and go with a 1 RB set and 3 WRs. That would definitely spread the DEF and get the LBs more involved in the OFF. I also believe we're seeing the effects of not having an outstanding Probowl caliber FB like OMughelli in the backfield. Our problems running the ball started immediately after he went down for the season.
Can you imagine where we'd be if we had gone all out like the Bills to sign their FA DE, like some of our fans wanted us to do? I wonder how VanGorder and Mularkey feel after seeing their former team go 5-0 with the same starters on OFF and DEF minus MLB CLofton. I also wonder how PBoudreau feels after seeing how Hill has turned the same OL he had into a very good at protecting MRyan?
Hill accomplished the feat of successfully protecting MRyan while operating strickly in a pass 1st OFF, while Boudreau operated in what was supposed to be a run 1st OFF. Last yr we were forced to become a passing OFF under Broudreau because we couldn't run the ball.
October 9th, 2012
12:20 pm
MB — I agree with you on the parity in the NFL. That's something that took me awhile to come to the conclusion of coming from mainly a college fan growing up. The highest team is not THAT far from the bottom teams and that's why we see upsets on a weekly basis. I've come to appreciate a win anyway you can get it, but sometimes (at least in the past), the close games were self-induced.
October 9th, 2012
12:24 pm
BL — Totally concur on Dent. I tried to be as fair as possible considering I'm a GA homer. I think he' can be OK eventually with more seasoning, since he's basically a rookie out there. But he does need to improve. However, calling him a bust after a handful of games is definitely ridiculous. I posted what was available (AT ANY POSITION) when he was drafted and there are hardly any names that are making any impact whatsoever.
October 9th, 2012
12:27 pm
Glad you understand my point. It's hard to get it through thick skulls, though. Falcons were 1-2 last year in games decided by one touchdown or less. We are 3-0 so far this year. They are focused and BELIEVE in themselves.
October 9th, 2012
12:28 pm
If we HAD signed Mario W we'd be lighter in the wallet but I don't think we'd be a worse team. Would we be better at getting pressure on opposing QBs? John Abe would be eating QBs for lunch with all the attention on Williams. All speculation– but we've GOT to find a dominating force on the outside to replace Abe soon–within the next season or so, even if JA continues to play at a high level, since age is an opponent most (other than TonyG) can't defeat…..
October 9th, 2012
12:31 pm
I do not think Ken's point was we would be a worst team. It's more that he wasn't worth the massive amounts of money, and that we have our own talent here. If we would have signed Mario, we wouldn't have any cash left to resign Abraham, Decoud, Grimes, ect.
October 9th, 2012
12:37 pm
D3-As we've all recently witnessed as Falcon fans, sometimes the difference in winning and losing, and even the differences between teams, is often a matter of proper scheme, approach, and coaching, not just talent.
October 9th, 2012
12:44 pm
-Home/away alternation aside, I think the schedule has worked out favorably for the Birds. We've had two ugly games in a row, but it's good that they've been against sub-par teams whose flaws we could exploit and beat in the end. We've also had a few statement wins to give us some confidence. With the Raiders coming up, we should be able to handle them with ease and then cruise into the bye with some momentum, get Peters back, and fix our mistakes.
-Gonzo is probably gone after this year regardless of the result. He's having a great season and expressed his desire to go out on top, so another year might be tempting fate.
-The drops worry me, but I don't think it's a problem that will hang around.
-Run defense is a pretty glaring problem, considering that it's in direct contrast to our awesome pass defense. Not sure if it's a personnel problem or a scheme problem, though.
-On the plus side, the defense did shut the Redskins offense out in the first half.
-How 'bout that O-line?
October 9th, 2012
12:45 pm
WAYNESTER-If we had signed DE MWilliams, we'd not only be lighter in the wallet, we'd be lighter in talent as well. There's no way we could have signed him and resigned al of the players we resigned. In fact, JAbraham would have likely been one of the casualties of us signing MWilliams, along with CBs BGrime and DRobinson. We'd have to get rid of the big contracts, especially on DEF.
October 9th, 2012
12:57 pm
Ken — You got that right!
October 9th, 2012
1:08 pm
Hello Cage – Great to be 5-0. Team played with mettle and overcame a day where they weren't at their best. After Cousins hit Moss, I never once was worried that Rayn wouldn't drive down the field to win the game. The team definitely has a different feel and attitude that I am definitely liking. CMS gets credit for being more diverse, less predictable, and letting his guys make plays. [Though we all knew after that 1st INT he was gonna run 3 times up the middle and punt it right back to Cousins, right?].
The Cage is filled with great insight and I enjoy reading it, even if I have to scroll through the garbage sometimes. Regardless, even when you're 5-0, it's fair and prudent to express concerns that you might have. I know you're never supposed to complain, but… well that's just stupid!
We have some issues that I hope we address. Otherwise we are certainly vulnerable as the year progresses. To date, it seems we are no longer ABLE to run the ball effectively. OK, our passing game has gotten us there and I think most of us prefer putting the ball in Ryan's hands versus Turners for the most part. My concern is that the OL is an issue. When we play teams that can get after the QB and take away our passing game, our O could get completely shut down.
Add to that our inability to stop the run and I can see the Giants beating us 24-2 again.
So, I'm glad we are trying new things to help the OL, but playing Hawley and Johnson as TEs and FBs is pretty damaging statement on Clabo in my eyes. At the same time, I saw Walker, Jerry, AND Babs playing at the same time on multiple defensive plays and the Skins still running all over us. So, you can say Dent needs time and h's not a bust (fair), but it doesn't mean that WE CAN'T STOP THE RUN. So while he's figuring it out, we still have that issue.
Winning formulas are great (use high powered O to build huge lead and force oppossing team to abandon run), until it fails (oppossing D sacks QB because OL stinks and you fall behind so now oppossing O runs the ball down your throat). So far, we have been able to execute our formula or overcome when lesser teams stopped it temporarily.
But it forshadows another epic collapse in the playoffs. It's week 5 and most of us can clearly see the weaknesses on this team… and we aren't being paid the big buck that OCs and DCs get to beat us in the playoffs.
With all that said, the one factor that is different to me this year is the mettle, moxy, attitude, etc. Though others discount this factor, it has won us the last two games. As much hell as I give Smitty, he deserves the credit for this massive improvement. We'll win this week and go into the bye 6-0… just like I predicted.
October 9th, 2012
1:10 pm
BIG LOU-You nailed it, both on your previous post and your assessment on my meaning. Some of our fans have to start realizing what other teams already realize. We're an elite team, and regardless of their record, teams are going to play us tough and go all out to defeat us. Defeating us now gives the lesser teams creditability.
Nolan constructed and schemed our DEF to compete with the type of teams we'll most likely meet in the playoffs, like the Eagles, Packers, Giants, AINTS/TAINTS, Lions, which are basically passing teams. We lost DT CPeters, and we haven't missed a beat with PJerry. When Peters does return, we'll be even deeper and more talented at DT.
I don't know if you've noticed, but we've see our CBs and OLBs make more big hits and create more big plays in 5gms than former MLB CLofton made in his 4yrs here. It's really made a big differece.
October 9th, 2012
1:35 pm
Coop — How 'bout that Georgia game baby! Jesus Christ, will we ever get rid of Mark "Choke" Richt?
October 9th, 2012
1:45 pm
D3 – I would be embarassed to admit this, except I've come to expect it from Richt. When we went down 21-0, I turned the game off. I had no confidence he could lead them back.
We're stuck with him, because of the idiotic logic that he's better than what we used to have.
October 9th, 2012
1:46 pm
I've thought we were close to elite the last 3 years. I've been pushing the MR2 elite train (top 8 in league for about 3 years – although Eli had been behind MR2 until this year). I was utterly impressed with our D against Denver & SD. I suspect Nolan concluded the next two teams were rather weak on passing, and he could thus put more responsibility on Dent – who needs game time. We shall see. The one glaring failure of the season was the O line play against Carolina; and a bit of timid offense play against Washington. However, we are 5-0; but, as Matty B says – that don't mean we'll thrive in the playoffs. I see the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants games being big for us – along with the 2 NO games; that is 5 of our last 11 being good tests. I'd like to think we avoid failure. If JJ gets over his drops, we come much closer to the 35 per game threshold.
October 9th, 2012
1:47 pm
How about FFL? Not top shabby for a guy who missed the draft.
October 9th, 2012
2:03 pm
Coop — You got that right. My whole family are Dawgs and we all expected to get beat, but even I was a little shocked about getting embarrassed and humiliated on that level, but you called it, that loser mentality that many UGA fans have. "He's a good guy, He's better than before, Do you want Goff or Donnan back? Look at Tennessee?……excuse-make, excuse-make, excuse-make."
October 9th, 2012
2:10 pm
Guess i misunderstood what you meant. Obviously we didn't (and don't) have very much below the cap–my concern is for the future at DE. Even if our DC's philosophy foresees QB pressures coming from a lot of different guys(that's good) other than J Abe our Ends leave a lot to be desired(that's not good). Can we win with the guys we have now? Obviously, YES! Could our "D" be better with a realistic threat opposite Abe? Again, I say yes. Houston has the right idea (IMHO) stacking the deck with young talent in Wade's 3/4 that can make a QB wake up with cold sweats in the middle of the night….Still dreaming of fielding a dominant "Gritz Blitz" defense again….
October 9th, 2012
2:25 pm
No problem, brother. I know where you are coming from.
"Add to that our inability to stop the run and I can see the Giants beating us 24-2 again."
Actually, the Falcons were stout defending the run last year. Most teams destroyed us in the passing game–so did the Giants. I rather us have a weak run defense(which isn't really weak, by the way–it's just them HAVING to run against us every down, so the numbers will be higher), and have a great pass defense. There is a reason why all the QBs who have played against us so far has had poor ratings. As for the run defense being weak, if you remove the last two games against DYNAMIC QBs, it was doing pretty well. No offense is going to beat you with 120 yards rushing, especially when your offense averages close to 30 points a game. Point is, this team (defensively) is NOTHING like last year. That in itself will make a huge difference in the playoffs.
As for the offense, I agree. We need to establish the run. Yet, if you have noticed, we haven't been running the ball much at all. So, it's sort of a pick your poison. Do you want more touches for Turner or do you want a dink/dunk offense like the Patriots? As Big Ray stated previously in this blog, Turner is going to be our 4th quarter bruiser. As defenses wear down later in the game, he will gain more yards. Turner has scored touchdowns in the last three games IN THE SECOND HALF.
Do you notice the difference between last year and this year? Last year, teams purposely stacked the box to stop Turner from running, so Matt Ryan had to beat him with his arm. Now, they are stacking the secondary, daring us to run the ball. So far every game this season, when they do one thing, we gash them with another way. Teams are not going to shut down ATL easily. This team is not as one dimensional as last year. But, to think ATL is going to score 30 plus points against every team (even a sub-par passing defense in the NFL) is setting yourself up for disappointment.
"Winning formulas are great (use high powered O to build huge lead and force oppossing team to abandon run), until it fails (oppossing D sacks QB because OL stinks and you fall behind so now oppossing O runs the ball down your throat). So far, we have been able to execute our formula or overcome when lesser teams stopped it temporarily."
Or when players drop passes that hit their chest, which of resulted in a 1st and goal(the first drive against the Redskins with Julio Jones). So, actually, they haven't executed crap. The game plans are fine, but the players are not making the plays. The events of Sunday had nothing to do with how their defense prepared for the Falcons, the Falcons screwed themselves up with boneheaded plays. The O-line had nothing to do with the poor play Sunday.
October 9th, 2012
2:36 pm
Houston has the right idea (IMHO) stacking the deck with young talent in Wade's 3/4 that can make a QB wake up with cold sweats in the middle of the night….Still dreaming of fielding a dominant "Gritz Blitz" defense again….
Waynester, you better believe that our defense scared QBs and opposing offenses just like the Texans do, but in a different way. The Texans have a STOUT running defense, and tremendous pass rush, but their secondary is suspect. So, when they play GB, they will get torched. I am calling that game a loss already. Hold me to it.
But, the Falcons, teams have a different fear. They are afraid of interceptions. Receivers are scared to catch the ball because they know Dunta/Asante/Weatherspoon is coming to lay the wood(have you seen the dropped passes against us?). QBs are studying tape late into the night trying to figure out how Mike Nolan is disguising his blitz packages/coverages. They are an opportunistic defense. Yes, they will allow you to get yards, but they also take huge chances to get the big play. The Falcons remind me of Chicago's defense. Also, the Falcons committed three sacks Sunday. Yeah, it isn't because of the pass rush only, but that's still getting pressure.
The Texans and Falcons have different philosophy on defenses, but you better believe the league is giving them the same amount of respect overall.
October 9th, 2012
2:38 pm
Big Lou – You're right, the OL is awesome…
October 9th, 2012
3:07 pm
Let's try to have civil banter here. I never said that the O-line was perfect, and in my previous posts I even said the Eagles would be the first true test. I am saying that the O-line did a great job protecting Matt Ryan against the Redskins, and the run game was decent(we didn't run the ball much). Lack of execution and mistakes is what made the game closer than it should be.
October 9th, 2012
3:13 pm
Turner averaged 4.5 per carry last year, he is averaging 4.4. You are right about MT in the 4th quarter. On his TD, the DBs were afraid to tackle him. Read smittys QA on the other blog. We are pretty much impossible to stop if we execute. I find it very interesting that Washington took way our deep game. When teams respecting our deep game, we have them right where we want them.
October 9th, 2012
3:14 pm
Let me point of a few things when I say POOR EXECUTION:
1. Remove the pick-six from Ryan: Score would have been 24-10.
2. Remove the fumble by Ryan that lead to a field goal: Score would have been 24-7.
3. Remove the boneheaded play by the secondary against Curt Cousins: Would have been a shut out.
The Falcons also left points on the field by two dropped pass by Julio Jones(one was more PI, that wasn't called–don't blame him for that one).
Game could have easily been 31-3 if the play-makers executed their opportunities correctly–just saying.
October 9th, 2012
3:15 pm
Big Lou – I am being civil. I'm also pointing out that lining up 8 OL to keep Matt ryan clean and open holes for the run game is not what I call optimal. Hell, it sucks. There is a major issue at the RT spot, period. When you have to sacrifice a WR, TE, or RB to insert one r two more linemen to protect your QB, you got issues.
The coaching staff is doing the right thing in that they are protecting Ryan. If it take 8 linemen, then you use 8 linemen. My point is, that doesn't mean the OL doesn't have issues. It exemplifies that the OL has issues. Just like defending the run with 3 DTs and still not stopping a rookie 6th round pick. That's an issue. Oh, and Denver and KC ran fairly well against us too.
The Falcons are great, playing well, and having a wonderful season. But they have shown two vulnerabilities (IMO) that has nothing to do with execution. That's OL play and the ability to stop the run.
To me, that's concerning.

subset: commoncrawl


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About Heartlink
Alabama Hospital Association Training Center
HeartLink was formed in 1997 when the Alabama Society for Health and Education Training (AlaSHET) asked AlaHA to consider becoming an American Heart Association Training Center. A Training Center is the centralized administrative office, which allows our hospitals (and possibly other interested parties) to teach American Heart Association-approved basic and/or advanced adult and pediatric life support training courses. Formerly, these services were provided directly by the American Heart Association through its Birmingham affiliate office. However, the American Heart Association decided that by placing the Emergency Cardiovascular Care program in the community as an integral part of its day-to-day life, public awareness and education in basic and advanced life support would increase, and more lives would be saved.
The model AlaSHET envisioned is one training center office for all Alabama hospitals and possibly for others who need CPR training – such as EMT groups, firemen, industry, etc. Educators at HeartLink's 67 training sites located throughout Alabama do the actual CPR training. Training sites pay an annual fee to offset the expenses of providing this service. Training sites can also purchase CPR cards and other training materials through HeartLink.
If you are interested in becoming a training site through HeartLink, please contact Debbie Stuckey at (334) 272-8781 or email@example.com.


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- Sam Ash Gift Guides
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Strukture 6" Right Angle Pedal Jumper Cable, 3 Pack
On-Stage Classic Guitar Stand, 3 Pack
Strukture 10' Black Woven Instrument Cable
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MONO M80 Vertigo Electric Guitar Case, Black
Ernie Ball 2221 Regular Slinky Electric Guitar Strings (10-46)
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Gibson Custom ES-335 12-String Electric Guitar
Gretsch G5422DC-12 Electromatic Hollow Body 12 String Electric Guitar
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To automatically re-order this item before you run out, select the recurring order option during checkout.
A chorus of Vikings, which you will not flee from...This electric 12 string guitar is based upon the popular Hagstrom Viking DLX, possessing a Ply Maple body and top to tonally emphasize each of the octave strings, all fit together with a set maple neck for added brilliance on this 12 stringed chorale piece. Naturally, as found on each and every Hagstrom guitar is the famed H-Expander truss rod accompanied by the Resinator Fret board. As a 12 string guitar normally has a tension of over 200 lbs of pressure on the neck, the H-Expander truss rod will keep the 12-string neck straight for years to come. Due to the further unique frequencies created with the help of the Resinator fret board, the volume and tone of the octave strings are further enhanced to keep up with the naturally fuller volume of the standard strings, to allow for a lavishing and balanced 12 string sound.
|Viking DLX 12


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Contest-Winning Cajun Cabbage Recipe
- 1 pound ground turkey or beef
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon each white, black and cayenne pepper
- 4 to 6 drops hot pepper sauce
- 1 small head cabbage, chopped
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Colby cheese
- In a skillet, cook the beef, green pepper, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, rice and seasonings.
- Spread into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with the cabbage and cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 65-75 minutes or until the rice is tender. Yield: 6-8 servings.
Reviews for Contest-Winning Cajun Cabbage
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Made this with some cabbage I raised in my garden. It was very tasty. We liked the heat level but it was pretty spicy. If your family is not a fan of spicy food I think it would be delicious made without the hot sauce and cayenne. You could even substitute stewed tomatoes for the tomatoes and chilies. I froze half of my casserole after it was baked and it was just as delicious 3 months later when I took it out of the freezer, so it also makes a very good freezer meal.
We really enjoy this dish .
Very good recipe...really spices up bland cabbage. I used 14 oz. can of tomatoes with chiles and then topped the meat mixture off with one tomato sauce can of water to cook rice properly...then topped with 2 cups Mexican blend cheese.......delicious!
Excellent, very tasty and easy to make.
We really liked this, hot & spicy - very good - a keeper and will make again soon.


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Bohemian Hall Events
Rockin Saturday
Date: Saturday, May 15, 2010 - 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Jeff Young
The Jeff Young Band began in early 2003 with a jam session put together by bass player Marty. Right from that point all members agreed that the chemitsry was there for a permenant band. Turning out energetic renditions of Rock and Blues standards, the JYB has been a successful addition to manyevents throughout the Tri-State Area over the last 4 years. Playing in a multitude of clubs and private parties has given the group a wide dynamic in styles and settings.
Cool Hand Lou & The Daddy O's
Cool Hand Lou & The Downtown Daddy-O's are a blues style bar band. ... Cool Hand Lou and the Downtown Daddy- O's push the envelope with killer tune after tune.


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Drop-In Knitting group is from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Tisbury Senior Center, 34 Pine Tree Road in Vineyard Haven. Call 508-696-4205.
Sit & Get Fit exercise is from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Tisbury Senior Center, 34 Pine Tree Road. Also on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Call 508-696-4205.
Monday October 28, 2013
Fusion Half-Day Program for middle school-aged students is planned for Oct. 28 and 30, school half days, at the YMCA in Oak Bluffs. Arts and crafts, organized activities planned.
Printmaking with Nick Thayer is from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Featherstone. Cost is $45. Call 508-693-1850 or visit featherstoneart.org.
Island Food Pantry is open from 2 to 4 p.m. at the United Methodist Church (the Stone Church) on Church street in Vineyard Haven.
Alex's Place Drop-In Hours are from 2:30 to 6 p.m. at the YMCA on Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road. Visit alexsplace.net.
Monday October 28, 2013
Work Service in Zambia Meeting is at 5 p.m. at the home of Marsha Winsryg, 20 Road to Great Neck in West Tisbury.
Open Darkroom with David Welch is from 7 to 9 p.m. at Featherstone in Oak Bluffs. Cost is $10 per hour without assistance or $25 per hour with instruction.
Ghosts of Oak Bluffs walking tour begins at 8 p.m. at the Secret Garden on Circuit avenue. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children under 8. Call 774-563-0762 or 508-627-9445.


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The Kelty Impact 30 is a Great Light Adventure Backpack
Starting at around $100, the Kelty Impact 30 backpack offers comfort, durability and lots of clever storage. It's big enough for a weekend trip outdoors but compact enough to comfortably haul stuff around town.
If you're a seasoned hunter, rock climber, survivalist or ultralight camper, just move along: There are plenty of personal stowage and cargo-toting solutions out there better suited to your specialized needs. Likewise, if you're looking for a commute-optimized bag built primarily to hold a laptop, or something designer, the Kelty is not for you.
This is a bag made for light adventure, but one that will still work well in an everyday setting.Trust me: I had to wade through tons of them for close to 14 hours online in order to find the Impact 30. This bag is a high quality backpack that'll cover most situations.
Now that we've got that sorted out, let's talk basics.
Backpack capacity typically ranges between 20 and 50 liters. The Kelty is a 30-liter bag, designed to be compact enough to hold a day's worth of supplies while still being big enough to carry the necessities for an overnight trip. For most of us, a 30-liter day pack should be plenty large enough. If you were using one to commute, you could easily carry a laptop, your lunch, a change of clothes for the gym and a packable rain jacket. Head out into the woods, and it'll haul that same rain jacket, plus water, a small first-aid kit, food for the day, a base layer to fight off the chill, toilet paper (you'll want that), and any number of other small items. Because the contents of a fully loaded pack will be enough to slow you down, you'll want the pack itself to be as lightweight as possible, but not so light as to sacrifice sturdy construction.
The Impact 30 offers a good compromise between size and purpose, so it wins the nod as our favorite all-around backpack.
What do we look for in a bag?
For starters, one with wide, well-padded shoulder straps and an integrated or removable waist-belt. A sternum strap's a nice touch too — it'll keep your shoulder straps from riding down and out of place all the time.
A panel-loading pack is the way to go, designed as it is to be accessed through a U-shaped zippered enclosure on its back. Unlike top loaders, a panel loader allows for easy access to everything you're carrying, no matter if it's at the top, middle or bottom of the bag.
Finally, because you'll work up a sweat schlepping your gear around, you'll want a daypack designed to provide the maximum amount of air flow and ventilation where it comes into contact with your body. It won't keep you from becoming a sweaty mess, but you'll be a lot more comfortable than you would were the pack made without a thought to ventilation, wicking materials or air channeling.
The Kelty Impact 30 competently nails all of this.
Let's start by talking about the Impact 30's sizing, straps and fit. Kelty designed the bag to fit torsos 15.5 to 19.5 inches in length, which means it'll be a comfortable fit for most adults. Where a lot of manufacturers offer only unisex hardware these days, Kelty has continued to offer their gear for both men and women. The difference? Strap and waist belt design. A woman's body isn't built like a man's. Having separate versions of the daypack addresses that reality.
The Impact 30′s straps are sewn into an internal aluminum suspension system that features a spring-loaded mesh back panel with cushioned scapula and lumbar pads — features that are typically found in much larger and pricier multi-day or expedition backpacks. You might find the suspension system to be a pain when you're slinging the Impact 30 over one shoulder on your way through airport security, but you'll be glad it's there when you're properly strapped into both of the backpack's straps and waist belt. There's a great deal of comfort, thanks to the fact that the pack rides about a quarter inch above the mesh back panel. This offers a higher than average amount of breathability. All of this translates into Impact 30 owners being able to hoof it over hill and dale more comfortably for longer periods of time without needing a break.
This was an important point for my choosing the Impact 30 as our go-to daypack: In order to keep the weight and cost of their daypacks down, some manufactures forgo the use of an internal structure or frame. Without a frame in your pack, you'll still be able to haul what you need to from point A to point B; anyone using a book bag can attest to that. But with a framed pack, there are other considerations. How does the pack sits on your back? How much airflow is allowed between the pack and your body? How is the load balanced and distributed across your body? All these are affected by the presence of a structured frame. So, it might not be a big deal that the Kelty has an aluminum frame for folks who intend using it solely to go to and from work. In fact, the frame might prove to be more trouble than it's worth, since it won't bend or give for making maneuvering in a packed subway easier. The inflexible frame might also make it harder to stuff into a locker at the gym.
But fully loaded with heavy books, a laptop, or outdoor gear as you trek across town or head out for a day's worth of orienteering? This is where the Impact 30, with its simple light duty frame, pays off. I couldn't find anything else in the same price range or capacity that came with a structured frame as good as this one. When you factor in everything else the daypack comes equipped with, this pack is a steal.
Of course, there's no use in having a great strap and suspension system without having well-designed cargo storage. Fortunately, the Impact 30 nails that, too.
As its name suggests, this is a 30-liter pack, making it large enough to meet the needs of most users looking to carry the supplies and kit they'll need for a day's worth of adventuring. Remember the difference between panel and top loading packs? The Impact 30 is a panel loader, a feature that becomes a lot more important when you're tying to find something in your pack in wet or dirty conditions. No one wants to dig half the kit out of his backpack in the middle of a rainstorm just to find an essential piece of equipment. That's the sort of situation you can face with a top loader. It's the kind of thing you'll be able to avoid with the Impact 30. Also, the bottom 20 percent or so of the bag is designed to stow a sleeping bag, but it can be used to hold a jacket or sweater or anything else you might want quick access to.
Speaking of rain, Kelty has equipped the Impact 30 with a packable rainfly that stashes away into a compartment at the bottom of the bag.
Along with the rain cover, the exterior of the Impact 30 offers a number of other cargo features. Most of them — the load stabilizer straps, the zippered waist belt pockets, the shoulder strap pockets large enough to hold a GPS device or mobile phone, the map pocket, the compression straps and the dual water bottle stash pockets — will prove insanely useful. Others, like the pack's ice-axe or trekking pole loops, will appeal only to a small percentage of users. Inside of the Impact 30's main zippered compartment there is a pocket to slide a 100-fluid ounce hydration bladder into (as well as a central hole at the top of the pack to snake through your reservoir's feed hose). There are also two smallish, interior stash pockets at the bottom of the main compartment, a zippered pocket that's perfect for storing a passport or wallet and a single divider to help you organize the Impact 30's contents.
With nothing in it, the pack weighs three pounds. Given the strength of the Impact 30's aluminum suspension system and the fact that the bag's constructed out of 300D Polyester Velocity, 210D Polyester HD and 420D Ballistic fabrics, the heft is more than justified.
When I dove into the research for this piece, I'd never heard of Kelty. My background is with pack and gear makers that traditionally cater to law enforcement and military customers, like Blackhawk, Tactical Tailor and Maxpedition. Packs designed for recreational use were something of a mystery to me. I talked to a few friends that routinely hike, camp and travel. They told me to check out packs by Sierra Design, Patagonia, Deuter, Mountainsmith and Osprey. I also checked The North Face's latest lineup of daypacks and technical packs, but they didn't offer the right combination of capacity, features and price. I looked at the in-house bags offered by REI and Mountain Equipment Co-Op. I also looked at bags better suited for folks who were more likely to have their adventures exclusively within the city limits: Targus, Timbuk2 and the always amazing Tom Bihn. I stumbled across the Kelty Impact 30 almost by accident. At the time this story was written, there wasn't a single Amazon review for either the male or female versions of the bag. On reader request we checked out Thule, Cocoon, Mountain Hardware. All are too city oriented (all flash) or are book bags or overbuilt backpacker bags.
Editorial reviews for the bag were almost as scarce. I was only able to find one from the editors of GearGuide, a site that has plenty of reputable reviews over the past two years. I don't know the editors over there, but their work is largely thoughtful and well reasoned. GearGuide awarded the Kelty Impact 30 4.5 out of 5 stars and raved about it, saying "With the Agile Suspension System, Kelty delivers one helluva daypack. It's comfortable, stable and able to carry a surprisingly large amount of gear. Everything about the pack is well thought out, from the ventilation system to the built-in rain cover. If you're looking for a rock solid daypack to get you through a season or more of hiking, definitely give the Kelty Impact a look." I also contacted GearJunkie's Stephen Regenold to get his take on Kelty. He told me that it's a fine fine brand that he liked for its "fair price and fine performance."
While there was scant feedback on the Impact 30, the web did offer up a bounty of overwhelmingly positive reviews for a wide range of Kelty's other offerings, including backpacks, child carriers and sleeping bags. That said, happy thoughts about the rest of the company's gear doesn't mean that everything Kelty makes is going to be great and a great value, so I ordered an Impact 30, and tested it against an Osprey Manta 30, a friend's High Sierra Tech Series 59104 Lightning 30, a Deuter Trans Alpine 30 daypack purchased from Mountain Equipment Co-Op and my personal Maxpedition Falcon-II backpack.
All of the daypacks I was testing had similar weights, construction and features, with the exception of the Falcon-II: While it weighs three pounds like the Impact 30 does, it only has a 25 litre capacity. I tested each of the packs by embarking on a five mile hike through the city with a 20-pound kettlebell jammed into its main compartment along with 100 ounces of water in either a hydration bladder or bottles. The hikes took place over two days; both days reached a high temperature of 68 degrees.
Seeing as how I've been piloting a desk for a number of years now, I'm no longer in anything resembling good shape. As a result, I sweated like a pig wearing all of the daypacks. But I sweated a whole lot less across my back when I was wearing the Kelty Impact 30. This, in my opinion, was largely due to the fact that the pack's suspension frame and mesh back panel created a channel for airflow between my sweaty, out of shape body and the 23 pounds of daypack and kettlebell it was hauling around. Given that all of the packs tested boast similar features, similar build quality (except for the Falcon II, which is built like a tank), and can be found for between $100 – $160 online or in-store, the additional iota of comfort provided by the Impact 30 cinched it for me. That it also comes with a built-in rain fly and looks pretty damn sharp doesn't hurt either.
Still, the fact that the Kelty has gone largely unreviewed might make you hesitant to buy it. I can understand that, but you might want to consider the fact that while the pack is relatively unknown, the company itself has been around since the 1950s. I don't care what kind of business you're talking about — be it a deli, outdoor gear manufacturer or a dance studio — if you've survived for that long you must be doing something right.
It's also worth mentioning that the Impact 30 comes with a lifetime warranty, which puts the pack in a league with companies like REI (with their reputation for no quibble returns) and Osprey (with their All Mighty Guarantee). Send your flawed bag into Kelty and if they're not able to perform a functional repair on it, they'll replace it.
But maybe you don't want a 30-liter bag. It could be that you're looking for something a little lighter or a little more versatile. If that's the case, the Osprey Talon 22 is a great choice. For as little as $84, the Talon 22 will provide you with a hydration bladder and rain cover-compatible day pack that's large enough to cram full with all the basics you could need for a day's adventure, but light enough to be a perfect choice for jumping on your bicycle with—a notion highlighted by the fact that the Talon 22 comes with an integrated clip for securing a bike helmet to. And again, you won't be able to beat the warranty coverage.
If you're planning on getting away for more than a day, say maybe a whole weekend, or if you're carrying the kit and supplies for yourself and your child, you might want to go a little larger. The REI lookout 40, as it's name suggests, is a 40-liter daypack. It costs $100 — close to $45 cheaper than the men's iteration of the Impact 30 — and comes with some pretty sweet features like compression straps and an internal sleeve for a hydration bladder. That said, it's constructed out of PET polyester fabric. That might be tough enough to take a beating on a family road trip to Disney World, but I wouldn't bet on it standing up to much abuse in the bush. However REI's got a lifetime guarantee on all its gear, so it's no big deal if you need to return it.
But hey, maybe you're not going into the bush at all. That's cool: Not everyone digs the bugs and campfire thing. One thing that all of the bags I took out for a road test have in common is that they aren't designed specifically with office workers and city slickers in mind. For anyone who prefers his packs be a little more computer-, gadget- and museum-visit oriented, you'll want to take a serious look at Seattle's Tom Bihn. Their 26-liter Smart Alec and 19-liter Synapse are great packs designed to contend more with the daily grind than grinding your way up a gully. Both are tough as nails and full of insanely usable features.
In the end, though, the Kelty Impact 30 backpack is our ideal recommendation for people who want a good balance in their indoor and outdoor, work-and-play lives well. We'll stake our reputation on recommending it to you.
Kelty Impact 30 at Amazon
Kelty Impact 30 at Kelty
Kelty Impact 30 Review, GearGuide.info, May 20, 2012"With the Impact 30, Kelty delivers one of the most innovative daypacks we've seen in a long time. It's based on the company's Agile Suspension System which was introduced earlier this year. Whereas many companies have gone to a plastic insert for stability, Kelty built the Agile System around an hourglass shaped aluminum stay that bows away from the body and provides for substantial airflow. When others were drenched with sweat during afternoon hikes, we were perfectly cool and dry with the Impact 30. And there's more to the product than just a great suspension".


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Team Turra took over Lexington Comic and Toy Convention this past March. Thank you to everyone that braved the crowds and joined us for our panel discussion that Saturday where we showed the first draft of the Turra: Gun Angel Live Action Short Film. Star Rachel Alig, along with Marshal Pictures and myself where on hand for the festivities. This is a fun con and having Rachel at the table brought a light to our booth like none other! Be on the lookout for the DVD and news about the production of the entire feature film! Join Team Turra to keep up with us.
Join Team Turra here: Turra: Gun Angel Facebook
Check out Marshal Pictures here : Marshalpictures.com
Also, if you want to read about how we brought this awesome project to life, check out my article titled, That Life with Martheus Wade, where I go into detail about what it took for us to successfully turn a graphic novel into a crowd funding campaign and live action short. And read about the price I personally had to pay!
Read it here: That Life with Martheus Wade
This is what I have been working on for the better part of 2 years. Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa – Omega is the final graphic novel that ties up the current storyline running in the main graphic novel series. Man!! This has been an endeavor of love, right here. I have honestly worked harder on this book than I have on ANY BOOK that I have ever done. Why? Because my career started with these characters and I want to make my life's work, well, work. When this comes out, I hope you all will support it. I hope you will give it a chance like you have before. I hope… hope… hope. I'm currently wrapping up pencils on it and will be heading into final productions soon. Be on the lookout for updates.
Don't forget to check us out on Facebook at: Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa Facebook
Join Team Turra on Facebook at: Turra: Gun Angel Facebook
It has been a long time since I've had a break in order to post here. The good news is that I have been REALLY BUSY with new Toshigawa Universe stuff. The bad news is that it takes me away from informing everyone that reads this site, what I have been up to. So, here is a rundown of what we have been doing to insure new artwork, stories and books are there for you guys to enjoy. The first thing that I have been getting wrapped up is Kunoichi Hime! I'll have a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT on this coming up really soon. I can't wait to share it. Until then, know that this 6 issue mini from Action Lab will be something special. If you don't know, the book tells the story of a young Shianndrea Toshigawa (AKA: Jetta) at the age of 14 while she struggles with love, loss, ninja training and being a teenage girl. It's an awesome, lighthearted, fun tale that will give some new blood into this Universe. If you are a long time reader of the Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa and Turra: Gun Angel series of graphic novels, don't feel left out. Kunoichi Hime will fit right into the vein of stories you have come to enjoy as you will get to see these familiar characters earlier in life. You get to read about events that where only mentioned in the graphic novel series as well as see what actions formed these characters' ambitions and motivations. I am really proud of the work that Team Toshigawa/Turra has put into this book. I'm sure you will love it too.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook at:
Join Team Turra at: Turra: Gun Angel
Hey guys and girls. I have wanted to do this for some time now and with our growing inventory of prints and original artwork, I feel that now is as good of time as any. And, it's long over due. We will soon be offering prints for sale in store as well as original art and new Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa and Turra: Gun Angel books only previously sold at conventions. Hopefully we will have the new inventory available online by the end of October just in time for your holiday needs!! But that's not all. We will be rotating artwork out often. So, keep us in your bookmarks for special deals and incentives. Here is a sneak peak of some of the prints and new books we will be offering first!
You like anime? So do we and COWBOY BEBOP is our favorite. This print is 11×17 and illustrated by Martheus Wade with colors by Janet Wade. You a Cowboy Bebop fan, you need this.
They are the deadly beauties of Anime, Comic Books, Graphic Novels and Video Games and they are all here to kick ass in a frame on your wall. Of course all of these lovely ladies are led by the two baddest ninja on the block, Jetta and Turra! 11×17 Illustration and colors by Martheus Wade.
Turra is wishing you a good night. But think long and hard before you jump into be with this ninja assassin. It might be the last thing you do. 8×10 Illustrated by Martheus Wade.
We will have more art and books to announce in the coming weeks! So keep your eyes here for the deals!
Keep those pencils moving.
Hey everyone! The artwork continues! That is all!
There has been a great deal of things happening that I have to fill you guys in on. First off, sorry for the long delay between updates. Life can get away with you sometimes and this is one of those times for me. The good news is that I haven't been just sitting around. I've been working on some cool stuff!! So, here is a quick update to let you guys know where I am on all of the different projects that are currently in production.
Kunoichi Hime is looking REALLY GOOD. Our preview book that we have taken to conventions has had a great response. There are A LOT of people looking forward to this book coming out. The first issue is in the can! The second issue is in deep production. Tressa Bowling (LOI Studios and co-host of the podcast Beaucoup Pop) has completed her cover for issue 2 and its awesome. I'll preview it as soon as production on it has completed! I'm still in talks with Action Lab Entertainment to get a formal date for the Kunoichi Hime Release. Once I get that, I'll let everyone know when this book will hit the shelves! Be on the look out!
Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa – Omega is also looking awesome! I'm really proud of the work that is going into this book as we close this main Jetta story arch. I've been working on the Jetta stories my entire comic book career and this is a VERY bittersweet book for me. So, I'm trying to give you guys the best that I can to thank you for sticking with me and Jetta all these years. I am on the last chapter of pencils! Be on the look out for pre-order announcements when we get closer to release!
August 3 and 4 will see Turra: Gun Angel come to life in our live action short. Since our Indiegogo Campaign to raise funds for the short was successful, this has been the big thing that has kept me away from other projects. This is MASSIVE. If you have donated and joined Team Turra, your incentives will be shipped to you as soon as the edits are complete and we have a final copy of the short. I'm so excited to be on the set again working with Marshal Pictures and Rachel Alig to bring this story to life. Find out more info on the movie and the Turra© character at turragunangel.com!
Alright peeps! There is more to do and so little time. I'm going to put on the artist cap again and hit the drawing board. I'll see you all in the comic books.
One Tired Creator!
There is so much to update you guys on. For the last 45 days, Marshal Pictures and I have been heading up an Indiegogo Campaign to bring our favorite white clad ninja to live on the screen. We were successful! And even raised an extra $3,000. The first scene of Turra: Gun Angel will start filming this summer.
Check out the campaign and the first teaser trailer!
As part of the incentives, donors will get a 12 page comic of the opening scene as well with artwork provided by me. Here are a few preview pages from the book.
Martheus Wade and Director Greg Gray also sat down and answered questions about the movie live! You can view the recorded broadcast here.
We also kicked this entire campaign off at the Lexington Comic and Toy Con this past April. If you didn't see us there, here are some shots from that con as well. It's quickly becoming our favorite convention to set up at. Power Rangers!! Turra!! Comics!! How can you go wrong?
We can't thank everyone that supported this effort enough! Because of you, our dream of seeing Turra on the big screen is a reality! Please continue to follow this journey at www.turragunangel.com. Also, we will be back to updating here as well with artwork sneak peaks from both Turra: Gun Angel and Jetta: Omega!
And now, we leave you with a word from Turra star Rachel Alig.
Marshal Pictures and MAW Productions are teaming up to bring the comic book character Turra : Gun Angel to a screen near you!
Turra has been raised as a ninja assassin and is burnt out on the endless training and constant killing. She leaves Japan to become a bounty hunter in America.
After the particularly brazen extraction of a target from a night club, Turra is visited by an elder member of the Japanese Mafia who offers her a job she can't refuse.
Being Turra, however, she does refuse and she soon lands in the middle of Yakuza Civil War!
Without that particularly brazen extraction of the target – a network hacker employed by some very bad people – the proverbial ball of violence cannot get rolling. That opening scene contains the inciting event for the whole enchilada.
That's where we need you!! Pledge to our indiegogo campaign and help us spread the word!!
To do that opening scene right, it is gonna cost some money. Blank firing guns, squib hits, real flash grenades (well, almost real), the people to make it safe and the insurance to cover it all ain't cheap!
The good news is, Marshal Pictures owns almost all of the necessary production equipment and works with many talented people in the Mid-South who are willing to work for a greatly reduced day rate – some times as reduced as a grilled cheese sandwich – on a cool project like this.
Therefore, all the money donated (after incentive expenses and indiegogo's cut) will go straight to buying the fun stuff like blank-firing guns and the not-so-fun stuff like insurance. If we have any left over we'll probably buy some grilled cheese sandwiches.
If, by the gods of Veronica Mars, we get overfunded, we're going to shoot more of the movie!
So are we all take and no give? Heck no! We have some booty kickin' incentives to show our appreciation for your generous support. Please have a look!
No cheese? No bread? You can still help if you want to. Just tweet, text or otherwise communicate something nice about the production. indiegogo.com even has tools to make that easier.
Literally no cheese and no bread? Then you can't have any grilled cheese sandwiches!
**Please note: The opening scene takes place in an upscale gentleman's club. There will not be any nudity, but you still must be 18 or older to participate in the production day and after party. Thank you!
Just in time for Valentines day, I'm selling some of my original art for a very low price! Ranging from 11×17 artwork as well as Star War sketch cards, this is a great gift for your special loved one. Check below for that perfect piece for you. If you are interested, contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com and let me know. You can also send payment via Paypal to firstname.lastname@example.com to reserve your favorite piece. All pieces are on a first come, first served bases.
Darth Vader vs Ole Starstone
11X17 Original Page
Wonder Woman
11X17 Original Page
Pencil, Ink, Copic Warm and Cool Grey
Turra: Bombs and Betrayal
11X17 Original Page
Pencil and Ink
Jetta Crucible
11X17 Original Page
Pencil and Ink
Jetta: Full Circle
11X17 Original Page
Pencil and Ink
Star Wars Sketch Cards: Empire Strikes Back
Official Lucas Films Cards
Pencil, Ink, Copic Marker
$30.00 (Each)
Star Wars Galaxy Sketch Cards: Darth Maul
Official Lucas Films Cards
Pencil, Ink, Copic Marker


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After exclusively breaking their joyful baby news with "Extra" on Tuesday, "Extra" lifestyle correspondent Hilaria Baldwin and husband Alec Baldwin talked with AJ Calloway about whether they are going to find out the sex of the baby, Alec's sympathy pregnancy symptoms and Hilaria's cravings.
The pair also joked about Alec having sympathy symptoms. "My boobs hurt," the "30 Rock" star quipped. "My boobs are killing me, so sore. My jeans don't fit. My pants, I can't buckle them."
"Extra" lifestyle correspondent Hilaria Baldwin exclusively confirmed that she and husband Alec Baldwin are expecting their first child together!
The happy couple sat down with "Extra's" AJ Calloway on Tuesday for their only TV interview to reveal the news. Hilaria gushed, "We're having a baby! It was a surprise, a wonderful surprise."
The "30 Rock" star laughed, "There's a scream I heard, which is a scream normally reserved if there's a spider in the house, not exaggerating. Normally, I will be reading a book. We're in the country, it's quiet, some time to really relax and unwind and sometimes, once a month, you hear 'Ahhh, Alec, Alec!' I come upstairs, and there's a spider on the wall. So then I hear that scream again, but it was not a spider."
"Extra" special correspondent Hilaria Baldwin has the inside track on all the latest trends in holiday attire.
If you want to look and feel 10 years younger, try these magic foods, presented by Hilaria Baldwin and anti-aging expert Dr. Perricone.
These important foods can decrease the risk of cancer, detox your body and stabilize your blood sugar.
Watch the video to find out more!
"Extra" has partnered with top companies to donate a variety of goods to Hurricane Sandy victims living in The Rockaways. Host Maria Menounos and the "Extra" staff helped organize the relief effort, which includes businesses like Dunkin' Donuts, Subway and CVS.
Get more "Extra" Scoop headlines for Monday, November!
J.J. Abrams Shoots Down 'Star Wars' Rumors -- MTV
Woman Allegedly Threatened by General David Petraeus' Mistress is Identified -- NY Post
Hilaria and Alec Baldwin Lead Soul Cycle Benefit for Hurricane Sandy Victims -- Daily Mail
Holly Madison Enjoys Babymoon at Disneyland -- Us Weekly
Watch the interview!
"Rise of the Guardians" opens November 21!
Watch the interviews!


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Witnesses to the World
- From October 5, 2012 at 7:00pm until October 7, 2012 at 11:30am
Location: Grace Bible Church, 6626 Village Way, Berne, IN 46711
Grace Bible Church invites everyone to "Witnesses to the World," a weekend celebration of the Great Commission, on October 5-7, 2012. Featured speaker, Dr. J. Ronald Blue currently serves as chair of the World Missions and Intercultural Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. Dr. Blue is a former missionary to Guatemala and president of CAM International. During this missions emphasis weekend, Dr. Blue will be joined by missionaries Dr. Ken and Alice Cole and Catherine Butler, along with John French and representatives from the Crossing Educational Center. Please join Grace Bible for the main sessions on Friday, October 5th at 7:00 p.m., Saturday at 6:00 p.m., and Sunday morning at 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. Additional activities will be held for various age groups. For more information, please call Grace Bible Church at (260) 589-2687. The public is invited to attend this inspirational weekend celebrating the Great Commission.
For more information, contact:
- Grace Bible Church
- E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Phone Number: (260)589-2687
- Website: www.gracebibleberne.com


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"agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you."In response, Wired has posted How to Download Your Instagram Photos and Kill Your Account. Previously.
I've DEFAMED Blu Inc Media & Female Magazine. My tweets on their HR Policies are untrue. I retract those words & hereby apologize.Responses from other Malaysian Twitter users, mostly on Fahmi's side, have been interesting.


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Monday, 18 Oct 2010 08:59 AM
By Kathleen Parker
© 2014 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, 24 Sep 2014 11:00 AM
Speed and red light cameras are becoming increasingly prevalent as reflected by the bulging coffers of participating tow . . .
Wednesday, 17 Sep 2014 09:32 AM
As a South Carolinian, it befalls me to examine the peculiarities afflicting our former governor and now-Congressman Mar . . .
Monday, 16 Jun 2014 13:33 PM
About that stunning defeat. Conventional Wisdom, that self-righteous propagandist, has it that Republican House Majority . . .
No liberal radio show has ever made it, because they are stupid. People love...
Long overdue, can't say I wish him well....
Just another example of the lawless obongo regime. Lois Lerner goes free.
Your perpetual state of socialist bliss is possible due to the
Ohhhhh but of course allow a man whose whole career has been hatred, race...
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text: Several shots were fired at a Fayetteville house of worship early Tuesday, according to police. Fayette County sheriff's deputies responded at the Ismaili Jamatkhana on Flatt Creek Trail just after 2 a.m. Farida Nurani, a volunteer with the house of prayer, says the bullets pierced four separate windows in the back. She says extra security measures are now in place. "It's a senseless act. I don't know what it means, but it's just -- we're just taking some extra steps to be careful," said Nurani. Fayette County Sheriff Barry Babb said that authorities canvassed a neighborhood that is behind the building."It could be a random act of violence. It could be a hate crime, but we're not confirming or denying that at this time," said Babb.The sheriff said that the house of prayer has been at the location for five years without any problems. He says this appears to be an isolated incident. The representative from the house of prayer described the four bullet holes as an act of vandalism. Anyone with information on the case is urged to call the Fayette County Sheriff's Office at (770)461-6353.