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Check out our Texans 2012 Season Bingo Card/Drinking Game.
"I've said this many times and I think we can win any week right now and that's very encouraging. I love the way our players came in here today. It was different than it has been. It's almost like they would've loved to have gone right back to work tomorrow on next year. That's important because I feel like they think they belong now...I think they're excited about the future and excited about the team."
That's a quote from Texans head coach Gary Kubiak in his press conference following the final game of the season. Reading between the lines (hell, reading the
lines themselves), you can sense the confidence in Gary Kubiak's words.
We can win any week right now. Those are the words of a coach who has that twinkle in his eye, that cautious excitement that he is presiding over the foundation of the future envy of head coaches and general managers leaguewide. I think many Texan fans and league experts would agree with Kubiak's assessment were he using the words above to describe his team looking forward to 2012.
There's only one problem — that quote is from January 4, 2010. That was the day after the Texans wrapped up a 9-7 season in 2009 with a four-game winning streak and a victory over the New England Patriots.
And we all know what that cockeyed optimism coming off 2009 led to in 2010 — a horribly disappointing 6-10 record (including a 1-8 stretch after a 4-2 start), a "highlight" reel consisting of several near comebacks and numerous shots of the back of Kareem Jackson's jersey, and a defense that was so historically bad that its coordinator was spotted in a bar across the street from the team hotel in Denver in Week 16 at about two in the morning the night before the game. Witness!
Indeed, the Texans followed up their then-best 2009 season with the most disappointing season in franchise history. So when Gary Kubiak says things like the following the day after their new best season ended in 2011, with a 10-6 record and a playoff loss in Baltimore...
"I've never been around a group of guys who talk more positive about each other, about their teammates, how good a locker room we had, what type of football team we had, how they can't wait to go back and play with that group of guys."
...Why should we believe him this time?
In trying to predict the future for any entity — an athlete, a team, an actor, a musician, a share of stock — that just reached its new apex, the question you have to ask yourself is this:
Aberration or trend?
The graveyard is full of knee-jerk overreactions doused in delusions of grandeur for what wound up being a one-hit wonder. For every Star Wars fan who predicted Mark Hamill would be the breakout star after the first movie in the trilogy, there's a gloating Harrison Ford fan cackling in his face (possibly wearing a Chewbacca T-shirt, and definitely not in the presence of a woman).
From Notre Dame inking Charlie Weis to a disastrous ten-year extension seven games (and a 5-2 record) into his tenure as Fighting Irish head coach to Daryl Morey praying he got this Jeremy Lin thing right ($25 million over three years, or a million for each game Lin has started in the NBA), every evaluation or prediction made on a limited sample size boils down to that question:
Aberration or trend?
Depending on how you identify an "aberration candidate" in the NFL, the assessment process can be chilling if you're a fan of the Houston Texans. Consider this: Over the last eight seasons, 29 teams have gone from 7-9 or worse one season to 10-6 or better the following season. In other words, these teams have not just made a three-game improvement, they've also jumped figurative "tax brackets," from also-ran to likely playoff team.
In 26 of those instances, the team in question backslid to 9-7 or worse the season after its year of double-digit wins. That's 89.6 percent. In other words, for every team that turns rapid one season ascension into a trend, there are nine who turn out to be fool's gold.
Aberrations 26, Trends 3.
Heading into 2012, three teams qualify under this definition: the Lions, the 49ers and the Texans. If we believe the historical math I've outlined above to be an accurate predictor of the future, then we are closer to seeing all three of those teams regress than we are to seeing only two of them do so. And even assuming only two of these teams go backwards, it's only slightly less harrowing for Texans fans.
In short, this is some scary shit.
So the only question you undoubtedly should care about is "Why will the Houston Texans not be one of the carcasses littering Aberration Avenue?"
Well, here are a few reasons:
1. The transformation of the defense. Last season at this time, the hope was that the team would be able to parlay a ton of new defensive personnel and the addition of Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator into moderate improvement on defense, enough to win three or four more games. Well, the Texans got that and then some as their defense underwent the most rapid transformation in style and swagger since the slow-footed brawler Rocky Balboa went to Apollo Creed's gym in Compton for like two months and emerged as the Italian version of Sugar Ray Leonard in Rocky III. The Texans went from last in the league in defense in 2010 all the way up to third in 2011, and the defense was so good that the Texans were able to get by with a third-string quarterback (T.J. Yates) for the final six games of the season.
2. Culture change. For years, the talk around the league was that the Texans were, at best, a "finesse" team and, at worst, "soft." When asked about it publicly, the players would bristle. Former right tackle Eric Winston got so worked up one time on the radio, I half expected him to throw on a Lambda Lambda Lambda sweater and give the Louis Skolnick "If any of you have ever felt picked on, left out, spit on, put down, come on down here with me!" speech from Revenge of the Nerds. Well, those days are over. Between the viciousness of the defense and an offense that was actually called "dirty" by a few teams last season (Looking at you, Jacksonville! You big babies!), the days of the S-word are long gone.
3. Solid architecture and foundation. Perhaps the biggest indicator that the Texans are a team that's built to trend in the years to come is the slew of personnel decisions that they've had to make and that face them in the next 12 months. For the first time in their history this past offseason, the Texans' roster was the one getting raided in free agency. Why? Well, because they finally have guys worth signing, guys that other teams want! So it was adios to Mario Williams, Joel Dreessen, Jason Allen and Mike Brisiel in free agency, Eric Winston was waived and DeMeco Ryans was traded for middling draft picks. More important, the Texans locked up tailback Arian Foster and center Chris Myers with big contracts, and in early August did the same with left tackle Duane Brown before he hit the free agent market in 2013.
In the era of the salary cap, every NFL team has ten to 12 players that they're able to fiscally build around. The Texans have already committed to the next few years with Foster, Myers, Brown, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels, Johnathan Joseph, Danieal Manning and Antonio Smith. When re-up time comes, they will presumably find room for Matt Schaub, Brian Cushing and J.J. Watt. Outside linebacker Connor Barwin's situation appears a little stickier, what with only one superb season under his belt (aberration or trend?) and serious depth at his position (Brooks Reed, rookie Whitney Mercilus). We shall see.
4. Quarterback "gauntlet" in 2012. Many fans point to the star quarterbacks on the Texans schedule as a possible reason for regression in 2012, and certainly the list is impressive: Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford, Jay Cutler, Joe Flacco. To me, it's not so much the presence of the star quarterbacks on the schedule that is troubling, it's when and where the Texans play them: Four of them are on the road, and three of them are prime-time games (including the Thanksgiving Day game with the Lions). However, here's the good news! Keep in mind that the Texans have eight games with teams that will start a rookie or second-year quarterback: Andrew Luck (twice), Blaine Gabbert (twice), Jake Locker (twice), Ryan Tannehill and Christian Ponder. For Wade Phillips, that's like the Rodeo Cook-off lineup of quarterbacks; the big man has to be licking his chops!
So with 10-6 as the new bar around here, the goal is obviously to take things to the next level, which means 11-5 or possibly 12-4 as a reasonable "ceiling" on the 2012 season. Can they do it? Let's delve further, shall we?
The Pendergast Method
Now it's time to dust off our little friend I like to call the Pendergast Method. Typically, having your last name in front of any "method" is a good thing. It means that you've either created something incredibly smart ("Class, open your books to page 213, today we will be discussing the Pendergast Method of extracting polynomials.") or you've created a new way for your partner to achieve orgasm ("She loves it when I go all Pendergast Method on her.")
Well, the Pendergast Method is both of those things!
It's smart in that it applies practical knowledge and probability trends to place all 16 Texans regular-season games in figurative buckets with the sole purpose of arriving at an accurate prediction of won-loss record for the upcoming season. It's orgasmic in that last season it arrived at a 10-6 prediction for the Texans, which proved to be correct, and who doesn't achieve orgasm when they get a prediction like that right?
The aforementioned "buckets" in which we place the games go as follows:
Must wins: These are games that, to have any chance of making the playoffs, the Texans have to cash in on. Worst case, you can have one mulligan. (It's the NFL. Bad weeks happen. That needs to be factored in.) But lose two of these games, and you're probably not a double-digit-win team.
Coin flippers: Games that could go either way and will likely be played within one score. To make the playoffs, the Texans need to win more of these games than they lose.
Steals: Road games in which the Texans will likely be an underdog of five points or more against teams that they've historically struggled with, match up poorly with or that they have to play in a hostile environment in potentially adverse conditions. If you're going to be a playoff team, as a rule, none of your home games can qualify for this category, and you probably need to win at least one of these along the way. Also, if you're a really good team, you probably have very few "Steal" games on your schedule, and to that end, the Texans have just one on their entire 2012 slate, according to me.
So where do the games on the 2012 slate stack up when we start applying the Pendergast Method? Well, let's take a look:
Must wins, 7: vs Miami, at Jacksonville, vs Tennessee, vs Buffalo, vs Jacksonville, vs Indianapolis, vs Minnesota
Coin flippers, 8: at Denver, at New York, vs Green Bay, vs Baltimore, at Chicago, at Detroit, at Tennessee, at Indianapolis
Steals, 1: at New England
In the event that this is your first season employing the Pendergast Method, I always like to go through the full disclosure of the previous season's results, and as you'll see, largely because of injuries and a late-season swoon, the game-to-game results were all over the board. All was well that ended well, as my 10-6 prediction was correct, but truthfully, if Matt Schaub had stayed healthy, the Pendergast Method would probably have undersold the Texans in 2011.
Here are 2011's Pendergast Method designations:
2011 Must wins, 7: vs Oakland, vs Jacksonville, vs Cleveland, @ Jacksonville, @ Cincinnati, vs Carolina, vs Tennessee
2011 Coin flippers, 6: vs Indianapolis, @ Miami, vs Pittsburgh, @ Tennessee, @ Tampa Bay, vs Atlanta
2011 Steals, 3: @ New Orleans, @ Baltimore, @ Indianapolis
So in a season where they needed to win six of seven "Must wins," split six "Coin flippers" and steal one win, the Texans went as follows:
2011 Must wins: 4-3
2011 Coin flippers: 6-0
2011 Steals: 0-3
This is the classic ledger of a team whose nucleus is just beginning to taste success for the first time collectively, or, in the case of the Texans, for the first time in franchise history. They lost a few games they shouldn't have (although to be fair, two of the "Must win" losses were post-Schaub injury), they couldn't get over the hump against good teams on the road (couldn't in the playoffs, either), but they took care of business in all of the 50-50 games.
By the way, a 2012 regular season with this exact same profile — 4-3 in "Must wins," undefeated in "Coin flippers" and winless in "Steals" — would mean 12-4 for the Texans.
And Gary Kubiak would take that in a nanosecond.
Onward and upward...
Sunday, September 9 — vs Miami
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: There's an episode of The Office in Season 4 when Michael Scott, in order to prove his survival skills to his fellow employees, decides to head into the wilderness with no supplies and wearing only his business suit. On several levels, Michael was ill-equipped to deal with the dearth of accommodations that such a voluntary plight entailed, and by about four hours in, he had his suit pants wrapped around his head like a bandanna and was eating poisonous mushrooms. I bring this up because Dolphin rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill will be making his first start on the road, against the No. 2 defense in the league, with Davone Bess as his No. 1 wide receiver. Ryan Tannehill is heading for a "Michael Scott in the woods" moment folks, and not even Dwight Shrute can save Tannehill for what Wade Phillips is going to have for him.
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: While Tannehill may lack experience and may lack offensive weapons, one thing he does have is a smoking hot wife. Viewers of the Texas-Texas A&M game last Thanksgiving will remember the gorgeous Lauren Tannehill, who was shown so many times during the game that she was trending on Twitter ahead of #Turkey, #pilgrims and #NdamaukongSuhIsAnAssholeBecause. The only thing I can think of is maybe Lauren Tannehill does one of those slow strolls along the sideline in a bikini while her husband is on the field, and the Texans defense all get distracted at the same time while the Dolphins score points. Kind of like Miss Elizabeth did to Andre the Giant and Ted DiBiase in the main event at Summerslam 1988. Exact same thing.
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Texans 7 1/2
PREDICTION: Texans 27, Dolphins 10
Sunday, September 16 — at Jacksonville
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: You can tell a lot by a man's hair. Go back and think about all the great leaders at the quarterback position in NFL history and ask yourself, "Has there ever been a quarterback who has been able to consistently lead a team above mediocrity who had flowing locks?" I'm not talking about Kenny Stabler's greasy truck-stop mullet; I'm talking Vidal Sassoon-type shit. The answer is no.** Well, Jacksonville quarterback Blaine Gabbert has flowing locks. Flowing, goddamned blond locks. On September 16, Antonio Smith and J.J. Watt will stomp him into the turf. How's that for solid analysis?
**The closest thing to "Yes" for the flowing-locks question would be Tom Brady, but since winning three Super Bowls, Brady's life is one big heat check now. I'm pretty sure by 2014, Brady will be running out of the tunnel to "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," wearing rainbow spandex and waving one of those rhythmic gymnastic streamers, just because he can. And guess what? He'll still win 13 games, go to the Super Bowl and bang Gisele that night. HE. DOESN'T. COUNT.
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: As of this writing, here's what we know:
Despite his girlish do, Gabbert has actually looked reasonably competent in the preseason. Now when Wade Phillips dials up a blitz or 50 in Week 2, will that matter? Time will tell.
The Jags made major upgrades to their receiving corps, drafting Justin Blackmon and signing free agent Laurent Robinson. Will that be enough to scare the Texans? Probably not, but weaponwise, compared to Tannehill, Gabbert has the keys to the fucking Death Star. (Robinson, by the way, is the early favorite for "secondary receiver most likely to scorch Kareem Jackson for 137 yards and two touchdowns.")
Assuming he ever returns from his holdout, Maurice Jones-Drew always gives the Texans trouble, and if there's one Achilles heel with this Texans defense, it's defending the run between the tackles. If the Jags get a lead, they might be able to burn some clock with MJD.
The new Jags owner, Shahid Khan, has a fabulous heel wrestling manager mustache to go along with his equally fabulous heel wrestling manager name. This has to count for something.
All that said...
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Texans -5 1/2
PREDICTION: Texans 23, Jaguars 16
Sunday, September 23 — at Denver
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: There was a feeling last season (and, frankly, this coming season) that the Texans won the AFC South by default. For more than a decade, the division had been ruled by Peyton Manning, and Manning in particular had ruled the Texans, losing to them just twice in nine seasons. Is Manning now in a Denver Bronco uniform? Yes. But I have to imagine that the Texans, now equipped to take out a decade's worth of frustration on Manning, would like to make a statement that they would have won the division in 2011 even if Manning had been healthy (which they might very well have).
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: The Broncos have an absolutely brutal slate of games early in the season, including Pittsburgh at home in Week 1 (Welcome back, Peyton!) and a road trip to Atlanta in Week 2. There's an outside chance that the Broncos start out the season 0-2, and a really good chance the Texans start out 2-0. You see where I'm going with this? Football homeostasis, my friends. Texans 2-1 and Broncos 1-2 sounds more logical than Texans 3-0 and Broncos 0-3.
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Pick 'em
PREDICTION: Broncos 24, Texans 21
Sunday, September 30 — vs Tennessee
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: Did I say that the Broncos have a tough early-season schedule? Well, the Titans are saying, "Really, Sean? REALLY?" Tennessee starts off the 2012 campaign with a home game against New England (loss), a road trip to San Diego (loss), and another home game versus Detroit (loss). That's 0-3, and unlike Denver, which at least has Manning to lean on during the rough times, the Titans will be starting Jake Locker against that gauntlet of a schedule, which is like trying to win Dancing with the Stars with a clubfoot.
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: Wow, let me just say as an aside, on a non-Titans-related note, that it is really hard to find reasons for the Texans to lose some of these games. This is a damn good football team we have, Houston. So my reasons for losing are likely to get weirder and weirder as we go along. So back to the Titans...how do the Texans lose a home game to a Jake Locker-led team? Well, they lose if Jake Locker is kidnapped by terrorists, that's how.
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Texans 7 1/2
PREDICTION: Texans 27, Titans 17
Monday, October 8 — at New York Jets
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: Entering "LIST" mode again. Engaged. FIRE!:
1. This is a team that willfully created a quarterback controversy this offseason by bringing in Tim Tebow. Only the Jets would knowingly create potential locker-room strife by bringing in a God-fearing quarterback with a cult following to compete with their womanizing incumbent quarterback. Oh, and did I mention that Tebow can't throw? This is like a pit bull owner with a one-room apartment happily buying a cat — a cat that misses the litter box by five yards every time it poops.
2. And as long as we're on Tebow — highly overrated, spastically energetic, on a path for an assistant coaching job by age 28...wouldn't Tebow have made the perfect Duke point guard?
3. This is a team that had enough training-camp brawls to justify bringing in Dana White as their next general manager.
4. There's a 50-50 chance Antonio Cromartie will have tired legs from impregnating somebody 24 hours before the game. (Hell, at this point, if I were an opposing wide receiver, I'd be afraid of him impregnating me just by breathing on me or something.)
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: This is the first of several "prime time" games the Texans will play in 2012. It's amazing — for a team that played one game outside of a Sunday afternoon in 2011, the Texans play five this season. If the Texans were a Hooters waitress, they just got moved from the Tuesday and Wednesday lunchtime shift ("C" team at best) to happy hours and nights Thursday through Sunday ("Lauren Tannehill" team, baby!)! Playing on the prime-time stage on the road in New York, this may feel a little "new" to these Texans.
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Pick 'em
PREDICTION: Texans 19, Jets 16
Sunday, October 14 — vs Green Bay
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: The Texans match up fairly well with the Packers, or as well as you can match up with a team that went 15-1 last season. The Packers don't run the ball all that well (that's good), the Packers were a terrible defensive unit last season (although they've made some improvements — Anthony Hargrove, Jerel Worthy), and on a Sunday night, Texan fans should be able to go beer for beer, cheese curd for cheese curd with the fatties who fly in from Green Bay.
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: Nightmare scenario — Texan fans sell their tickets to Packer fans, resulting in a muted home-field advantage (think Pittsburgh game last season), Aaron Rodgers picks away at whatever scab he can find in the Texans secondary (Kareem?) with Greg Jennings or Jordy Nelson, and Matt Schaub throws three picks. This is entirely feasible. (Pretend I used font size 72 on "entirely" there.)
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Packers -2
PREDICTION: Packers 31, Texans 24
Sunday, October 21 — vs Baltimore
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: Because they have to beat Baltimore eventually, right? Hell, for a non-AFC South team, it feels like they play the Ravens every year. Frankly, most years it's felt like the Texans were the Ravens' homecoming game (0-6 all-time versus Baltimore). I think the playoff game gives the Texans a measure of confidence, along with the fact that they're playing a team who viewed Jacoby Jones as a major upgrade at receiver. The time is now.
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: Green Bay hangover, cumulative effect of fifth straight "high intensity" game (one division game, a Peyton game and two prime timers before this), the ethereal powers of Joe Flacco's unibrow. Plenty of reasons.
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Texans -3
PREDICTION: Ravens 20, Texans 17
Sunday, October 28 — BYE WEEK
BYE WEEK PREDICTION: Connor Barwin, Brooks Reed, Shaun Cody and Antonio Smith go somewhere in Barwin's Prius. Pictures get tweeted. This is the biggest lock of my entire column.
Sunday, November 4 — vs Buffalo
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: This game will be played in Week 9, so by then the Bills will have realized that their investment in Mario Williams is the worst guarantee of $50 million in history not involving the name "Lenny Dykstra."
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: Mario Williams typically gets his sacks in bunches. For example, in 2010, Mario had five of his 8.5 sacks in two games. In 2008, he had 12 sacks on the season, and nine of them came in four games. Also, he had nine games that season with no sacks. Mario is like a lunar eclipse — he shows up once every year or so, and when he does, everybody makes a big fucking deal out of it. As lucky as Mario has been (he's pocketed about $75 million in his career before getting one dime in game checks in 2012), his three-sack outburst will come against his former team on his personal "judgment day" (his words, not mine).
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Texans -7 1/2
PREDICTION: Texans 34, Bills 20
Sunday, November 11 — at Chicago
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: Best sources for entertaining low-speed chase footage:
Any evening news telecast in Los Angeles
Random episodes of Cops
Jay Cutler running for his life against any defense ranked in the upper half of the NFL
The Texans are one of those defenses that could send Jay Cutler to the bench by the fourth quarter debilitated, with that look on his face like he's been sitting at the DMV for three hours.
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: Sunday night in November, this baby has a chance to be frigid. If this turns into an "elements" game, with a gassed-up-on-Old Style crowd, this thing could definitely go sideways on the Texans.
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Bears -2
PREDICTION: Texans 24, Bears 23
Sunday, November 18 —
vs Jacksonville
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: Blaine Gabbert. That is all.
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: Perhaps some caper where the heel wrestling manager/Jags owner Shahid Khan hatches a diabolical plot to lock Connor Barwin, Shaun Cody, Brooks Reed and Antonio Smith in Barwin's Prius for four hours, while slipping roofies in the Gatorade of the Texans' entire offensive line. Seriously, I have no idea how the Texans lose this game.
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Texans -10 1/2
PREDICTION: Texans 33, Jaguars 17
Thursday, November 22 — at Detroit
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: There's a decent chance that a half dozen or so Lions will be arrested the night before the game.
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: There's a decent chance that the arrests could involve the Lions' assaulting members of the Texans.
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Lions -2 1/2
PREDICTION: Texans 23, Lions 17
Sunday, December 2 — at Tennessee
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: Jake Locker. That is all.
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: Two reasons — first, this is a classic "sandwich" game, meaning this is a crappy opponent plunked down right in between two highly anticipated big-time opponents. Second, the Texans have never come close to going undefeated in the division. They will lose an AFC South game, and Locker or no Locker, at Tennessee is the best shot at that.
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Texans -3
PREDICTION: Titans 19, Texans 17
Monday, December 10 —
at New England
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: By December, this has a chance to be touted as a "preview of the AFC Championship Game." The Texans are one of the few teams in the league that can get into a shootout with the Patriots and still win. And frankly, if it's a tight defensive game, the Texans would be even more comfortable.
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: Look at the Patriots — Tom Brady has a Brazilian supermodel wife, head coach Bill Belichick is a home-wrecking machine, owner Robert Kraft has a 32-year-old girlfriend who would fit perfectly in Cinemax softcore porn, and then there's Gronk. I mean, good lord, GRONK! Yeah, the Texans aren't quite ready for this stage yet.
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Patriots -6 1/2
PREDICTION: Patriots 27, Texans 21
Sunday, December 16 — vs Indianapolis
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: The Colts are a team that's in rebuild mode, albeit an accelerated rebuild mode with Andrew Luck as the precocious quarterback of the future. Hard to believe that when the Colts made this trip last season, Kerry Collins was their starting quarterback. (Somewhere, he just fumbled again. He might be grocery shopping, but he just dropped something. Guaranteed.)
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: In a weird quirk in the 2012 schedule, the Texans don't catch the Colts until Weeks 15 and 17, meaning that Luck (who already looks fantastic in the preseason) will have 13 games under his belt. Delightful.
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Texans -9 1/2
PREDICTION: Texans 24, Colts 14
Sunday, December 23 — vs Minnesota
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: It seems like in every game, the Texans either face one of the marquee quarterbacks in the league or they face a green, raw rookie or second-year guy. So here comes Christian Ponder, this week's serving of Filet-O-QB. Dinner is served, Messrs. Barwin and Cushing!
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: Andre Johnson and Arian Foster get stuck in line Christmas shopping at the Galleria? I have no idea.
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Texans -10
PREDICTION: Texans 38, Vikings 17
Sunday, December 30 —
at Indianapolis
WHY THE TEXANS WILL WIN: These two teams will have played two weeks ago, so pretty much the same reasons apply.
WHY THE TEXANS WILL LOSE: Two things: First, the Texans have never won in Indianapolis, and if they didn't win in Indy last year, when the Colts were the worst team in the league, then frankly, there's no such thing as an automatic win there. Second, there's an outside chance the Texans may be resting guys in Week 17, like last season, when we saw Jake Delhomme almost become the first 65-year-old to engineer a fourth-quarter comeback in league history.
SPREAD IF THEY PLAYED TONIGHT: Texans -5 1/2
PREDICTION: Texans 21, Colts 20
MUST WIN (7) — vs Miami, at Jacksonville, vs Tennessee, vs Buffalo, vs Jacksonville, vs Indianapolis, vs Minnesota
Like last year, I have the Texans clean-sweeping the must-win category, and frankly, given the quality of quarterbacks they play in the coin flipper and steal games, 6-1 might be the minimum requirement to have a shot at a first-round bye.
COIN FLIPPERS (8) — at Denver, at New York, vs Green Bay, vs Baltimore, at Chicago, at Detroit, at Tennessee, at Indianapolis
I have them 4-4 in these coin flipper games, including a road loss in the division to Tennessee. It's too soon to say this team is good enough to avoid a bad loss or two, so on the road in the division is a pretty good place to predict that.
STEALS (1): at New England
So, tack on the loss to New England and look at where we are! 11-5 and AFC South champions for a second year in a row! Movin' on up!
And, dare I say, a trend.
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DENVER BRONCOS UNDER 8 1/2 wins (+140) — We all know why Denver is being mentioned as one of those teams on the short list to win the Super Bowl this season — Peyton Manning. Of course, a season win total of 8 1/2 (even with OVER juice of -170) is not a "Super Bowl contender" number. Vegas knows the deal, and the deal is this — subtract Manning from the equation for a second, and examine what he is walking into. Based on their record last season, you might say, "It's already an 8-8 team, Sean!" In record, you're right, but look at the season point differential of -81. That's much closer to Jacksonville (-86) and Cleveland (-89) than it is to the remaining playoff teams. When the Broncos lost in 2011, they lost huge; when they won, they generally needed a heavy dosage of luck to eke out close wins. Point being, Peyton Manning is walking into something much closer to a 5-11 team than an 8-8 team. Add into that equation an unfortunate first-place schedule (six 2011 playoff teams and two division games in the first eight games), and I LOVE the value of the Broncos under at +140.
TENNESSEE TITANS UNDER 7 1/2 wins (-145) — Tough-schedule victim number two, only the Titans are having to attack their slate with a second-year quarterback (Jake Locker) with virtually no starting experience. Trips to San Diego, Houston and Green Bay along with home games against New England, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Houston, and the Jets. Add to that four division games against Indy and Jacksonville where they might be losing the quarterback battle, and it's bad.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ers UNDER 9 1/2 wins (+120) — As mentioned earlier in this piece, historical data over the last eight years tells us two of the Lions, Texans and Niners (teams with six wins or less in 2010 and ten wins or more in 2011) are going to backslide. I'll take the Niners as the candidate I'm most sure of. Yes, Jim Harbaugh has one of the best defenses in football. But I still don't totally trust Alex Smith, and the Niners turned the ball over only ten times all last season. TEN TIMES. Stat geeks will tell you that turnovers are as much luck as skill (especially fumbles) and they tend to even out over time. I'll bank on that 49er turnover number going up in 2012.
BUFFALO BILLS UNDER 7 1/2 wins (+175) — So from Week 9 on last year, from about the time quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick inked a huge $59 million contract extension, the Bills went 1-8 and were outscored by a margin of 287-135. They went out this offseason and gave Mario Williams, the ultimate when it comes to hiding behind hollow sack numbers, almost $100 million over six years. So NOW this is a .500 team? Or better? I'm not buying it, and as long as Vegas is going to put juice of -230 on the over, I'll gladly take the value of +175 that a team with Fitzpatrick at quarterback and Williams as the cornerstone piece will be sub-.500.


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0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Stopped caring a while ago
Aye. Fast forward to June and hopefully some big, measured changes.
Nah fast forward to the day after our last game of the season, he'll be gone
Burnley (a) oBrighton (h) 3Stoke (a) 1City (h) 0Shite (h) 0Swans (a) 0Newcastle (h) 1Hudds (a) 1Southampton (h) 3West Ham (a) 1Everton 44 points BFS 44 pints Currently on 34 pointsNeed ~ 37/39/40 to surviveI've been a bit optimistic and have us on 46/49 end of season in 8th, right behind 7th but miles off 6th.What're you saying?
I can't rmember what thread I said it in, but this team is so fragile at the back, and capable of going long stretches without even a shot on target. Plus we can't win away from home.Don't really see us getting more then 42-44 Points.Newcastle and Southampton will be tough games at home as well as they will be battling relegation.
In fairness apart from like 6 clubs, who isnt fighting relegation?
Glad its not just me.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Blogs decry illegal immigrant release
Conservatives in the blogosphere are up in arms over the government's mass release of illegal immigrants ahead of the sequester, with critics charging it is President Barack Obama's attempt to pressure Republicans to cave on the automatic cuts set to kick in Friday.
Hot Air's Allahphundit wondered how "derelict" Obama would be willing to be in trying to strong-arm Republicans into reaching a deal.
Story Continued Below
( PHOTOS: 20 quotes on immigration reform)
"This makes me more enthusiastic about the sequester, just because now I'm curious to see how derelict he's willing to be in his duties to in the name of putting political pressure on the GOP. Next up: Suspending TSA checkpoints at America's airports, maybe?" the conservative blogger quipped. "Where else is he going to find two percent savings in three-plus trillion in spending?"
The criticism came after the U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement said Tuesday that ICE had released an unknown number of detainees.
Breitbart News editor-at-large Ben Shapiro wrote, "These illegal immigrants will likely disappear from the law enforcement map. This is Barack Obama's way of blackmailing the American people into supporting his calls for tax increases."
Even on the left, liberal blogger The Daily Kos's Keith Pickering called the release "clearly a shot across the bow" at the GOP.
"In what is clearly a shot across the bow at Republican obstructionism on the sequester, the Federal government today released hundreds of detained immigrants as a 'cost saving' measure," Pickering wrote.
He added: "You can bet that if the sequester happens, those hundreds will turn into thousands. And you can bet that Republican activists are going to be calling their congresscritters in record numbers demanding that the GOP actually — govern the darned country for a change. Obama to GOP: Check. Your move."
In a post dubbed "Never Let a Sequester Go to Waste," The National Review Online contibutor Mark Krikorian — also the executive director for the Center of Immigration Studies — called the administration's action "a great political move."
"This is a great political move on the part of the White House: They can say to Republicans, 'Look, the scary sequester is forcing us to release illegal aliens!" while also throwing a bone to Obama's leftist supporters who feel "deep resentment over deportations,'" Krikorian wrote.
The Right Scoop posted an unattributed commentary that called the release "unbelievable."
"This is unbelievable. The sequester hasn't even kicked in and already the Obama admin is releasing hundreds of illegals from local jails and they plan on releasing thousands more, all because of the 2% sequester," wrote The Right Scoop. "It's really just unbelievable what this president gets away with. I bet he could order the deaths of the first born and the media would just ignore it. Ugh."


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Emerson Process Management's Rosemount 2160 IEC 62591 Vibrating Liquid Level Switch
Rosemount 2160 IEC 62591 vibrating fork liquid level switch has advanced broadcasting functions, wireless network redundancy, and 1-second update rates. It also features improved diagnostic capabilities. Typical applications for the level device include overfill protection, high- and low-level alarms, pump control (limit detection), pump protection and empty pipe detection


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Afro Caribbean Culture, Fun, Festivals & Food
Let me take you to a tasty authentic Afro / Caribbean restaurant to enjoy music, delicious cuisine and to enjoy our British Afro / Caribbean culture, you do not have to be Afro-Caribbean to enjoy the experience, all Nationalities are welcome.
Family bookings available, large parties or we can just set it up and arrange transport to and from your accommodation.
Live entertainment on the following dates (subject to early bookings & min age 12 - and to be accompanied by adults)
If you are not in the UK on these dates, do not worry, we will arrange another venue for live entertainment.
29th April
13th May
10th June
24th June
8th July
22nd July
5th August
19th August
9th September
23rd September
7th October
28th October
11th November
A British Afro / Caribbean experience you will never forget! I will fill your day with fun, laughter and entertainment and at the end of the night, your own private driver will get you back to your hotel safely.


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Smog Check
Smog Check Program
Consumer Assistance Program
The Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) offers two options to help California consumers whose vehicles fail their biennial (every other year) smog check.
Repair Assistance
Qualified motorists can receive up to $500 in emissions-related repairs through CAP's Repair Assistance Program.
Vehicle Retirement
The Vehicle Retirement Program is available to motorists who want to voluntarily retire their vehicle rather than repair it. Eligible consumers can receive $1000 in exchange for their vehicle.
Gold Shield Program
The Gold Shield Program is designed to make the Smog Check Program more convenient for motorists. It allows a licensed Smog Check station, which meets higher performance standards, to provide a variety of inspection and repair services to California motorists. In addition to its regular smog check inspection and repair services, Gold Shield stations can inspect and certify Directed Vehicles as indicated on the DMV renewal notice, issue certificates to Gross Polluters, and perform state subsidized repairs.
BAR's Enforcement team investigates general auto repair complaints and ensures that shops comply with Smog Check statutes. Each year BAR handles more than 14,800 complaints relating to auto repair and/or Smog Check inspections. BAR staff checks out every complaint and negotiates with the shop on the consumer's behalf to achieve a mutual agreeable resolution. The bulk of complaints are resolved by mediation. Each year BAR returns over $6.3 million to California consumers in the form of direct refunds, rework, or adjustments.
Directed Vehicles
In order to comply with state law, the California Department of Consumer Affairs/Bureau of Automotive Repair (DCA/BAR) directs a portion of the vehicles registered in Enhanced Smog Check Areas to Test-Only or Gold Shield stations. Enhanced Areas are those parts of the state with "serious", "severe", or "extreme" ozone pollution problems. Test-Only facilities are licensed Smog Check stations that, by law, are only allowed sell gas caps or to test cars; they cannot repair them. Directed Vehicles may receive their initial inspections at Gold Shield stations. Any needed repairs must be performed at a Smog Check station designated either as a Test-Repair or Gold Shield station.
Fleet Operations
Government Fleets: Federal, State, County, City, and Special District agencies are required to participate in the Smog Check Program. The Federal Clean Air Act and the California Health and Safety Code, Section 44019, mandates that all affected vehicles receive a smog check inspection. These requirements include vehicles classified as emergency equipment. For a description of an affected vehicle see the "Information Sheet" in the Resources column to the right. Smog testing of vehicles owned by the Federal Government are addressed in ET Blast # 10641. For testing vehicles owned by Military Personnel refer to ET Blast # 10661.
Consumer Resource & Referral Guide
Directory of State Agencies
Directory of Federal Agencies
Return to DCA Home Page


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BUICK LESABRE SERIES 700 Drive - Aluminum Street Sign - ENS1100134
Regular price
Sign Information
- Size: 10x14 inches; 12x18 inches
- Comes with rounded corners and pre-drilled for easy hanging.
- Our signs are made from premium materials - proudly USA-made!
- Great Gift Idea - Our custom-made signs are a one of a kind gift.
- ***Colors may vary slightly from one computer screen to the next but the image should be very close.
BUICK LESABRE SERIES 700 Drive - Aluminum Street Sign - ENS1100134
Our signs combine both quality and function, thus making them perfect to add as a unique touch to your home decor. You can also display the signs in your bar, pub, tavern, restaurant, college dorm and countless other places.
It comes in a variety of colors and sizes, and the text can be customized as per your requirements.
High-quality aluminum and inks - no cheap plastic! These signs are proudly made in the USA! Comes with rounded corners and pre-drilled for easy hanging. Lightweight, yet sturdy, and easy to install.
The Lizton Sign Shop specializes in quality personalized custom aluminum signs for any occasion and location.
The Buick LeSabre is a full-size car made by General Motors from 1959-2005. For many years, the LeSabre was considered as a full-size car, carrying the lowest base price in the Buick lineup. Prior to 1959, this position had been retained by the full-size Buick Special model (1936–58); in 1959 the LeSabre replaced the Special, a nameplate that was reintroduced in 1961 for Buick's line of compact cars. The name originated with the 1951 GM Le Sabre show car designed by Harley Earl; that car is often mistakenly attributed to the Buick division, but in fact it was presented as a GM vehicle without reference to a specific GM division. Buick closely related their 1956-1957 models to the GM LeSabre by replicating the top section of the rear wing into their design. The word LeSabre is French for sabre.
**General Motors Trademarks used under license to The Lizton Sign Shop. All images, information and product designs are licensed property and any attempt to duplicate or copy will result in prosecution and fines.


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Pondering another set of guild loot rules
Actually, pondering a particular rule. Now as I – and just about every other blogger that's discussed making guilds work – have noted, deciding who gets what loot from a drop is probably THE biggest cause of guild drama. Again repeating myself, pretty much every rule can be scammed and will be disliked by someone. They all have their flaws and weaknesses. And as long as the guild TRUSTS that the rules will be consistently and equitably applied, they'll generally accept them despite all the problems.
Which means the following is not a magic bullet.
I've recommended some rules before – and bluntly they're for major guilds who want to deal with the large amount of paperwork. I thought of a small, different variation I'd like to bring to the table for general consideration. I suspect it's not new, just that it may be something that works.
The bag of loot drops, and some of it is Really Good Stuff – the type of stuff that causes the problem. The plan:
Everybody rolls;
High roller gets three choices:
Pick an item
Pick a person who can pick an item
Once the high roller is done, the second highest roller goes – UNLESS he (or she) was 'picked' by the first roller.
If the group's been gone through once and there is still loot, run through a second time, same rules. After that, if you still have stuff it's probable that nobody wants any. Vend it, disenchant it for the magic supplies, whatever. I'd still recommend following the order. Three passes should get everything gone. Heck, for most raids on which I've participated two will probably do it. There've been rare exceptions – when every SINGLE item is designated for a particular class and you've only got one of that class. As I said, "exception".
is it perfect? heh – absolutely not. Is it fast and simple? actually, yes. Would it work? I think so.
Feel free to use – or modify – to your heart's (and guild's) content.
Have fun.


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Tigerstripe FAQ
< To: Tigerstripe
Welcome to the official Tigerstripe FAQ.
Tigerstripe Overview
Tigerstripe Workbench provides an integrated Model-Driven Engineering framework allowing users to create/edit/maintain models across large teams, configure transformations to code, documentation or specifications and integrate it in a continuous build environment.
What is the relationship with Tigerstripe Software?
This is the open-source incarnation of Tigerstripe Workbench as it was distributed by ex-Tigerstripe Software. In January'07 the source code for Tigerstripe was cleaned up and contributed to the Tigerstripe Eclipse Project as a sub-project of the Eclipse Technology Project.
What's up with version numbers?
The last non-open source version of Tigerstripe Workbench was released as v2.2.4 on http://www.tigerstripedev.net. This was a stop gap release for existing users of Tigerstripe until the first open-source releases were made available. Additionally, following Eclipse Guidelines, Tigerstripe release numbering needs to comply with Eclipse rules. In particular, during the incubation period only 0.xx versions can be released.
So, although the contributed code remains the same, the first open-source build (Incubation 0.1) corresponds to a bugfix release for the last non-open release (v2.2.4). ==What is


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Joslin Vision NetworkTM (JVN)
It used to be that the only way an eye doctor could check for problems at the back of your eye was to first put in drops that enlarge (dilate) the pupil.
Now with the proven retinal imaging device and clinical service developed at Joslin Diabetes Center, we can now just as accurately—and more quickly and comfortably—image your eye's retina without drops.
The whole examination takes about 10 minutes. Because there is no need to dilate your pupils, there is no recovery time from drops. There's no lingering irritation. You can drive yourself home.
This new way of photographing the retina, called the Joslin Vision NetworkTM (JVN), makes it more convenient and comfortable to have your annual eye exam, which is critical to preserving your vision.
The Joslin Vision Network was developed at Joslin Diabetes Center by a team of researchers and clinicians led by Lloyd M. Aiello, M.D.
A digital camera takes video pictures of the back of the eye, which show up right on a screen where you can see them. The images are then sent to the Joslin Diabetes Center's Reading and Evaluation Center for diagnosis by an eye specialist, who is trained to pick up even slight changes.
Click here to download "The Eyes Have It", an excerpt from Joslin Magazine, and read more about the Joslin Vision Network.
Page last updated: November 07, 2019


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Applying is easy and you can get started online.
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Find classes and events that enrich your faith and strengthen your congregation.
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Your support ensures that future church leaders can pursue their call to ministry today.
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Posted by awinebrennerpal001 on Friday, June 06, 2014 12:25 AM
Yes, Contextual Learning is still hiring for a student position: Cross-Cultural Education Support Staff! The purpose of this position is to provide communications and administrative support to "Pray and Break Bread," an urban and multicultural immersion program funded by Bethlehem Lutheran Church and hosted by Cross-Cultural Education at the office of Contextual Learning. The purpose of this position is also to learn on topics of interfaith dialogue, multicultural literacy, and social justice.
Duties and responsibilities include:
Desired education and experience includes:
All students are welcome to apply, but preference will be given to those who belong to marginalized or under-represented groups at Luther Seminary.
This position would begin in early June and continue until approximately May 15 2015 at an average of approximately 8 hours per week. The student would be compensated at Luther Seminary's student worker pay rate.
Interviews are going quickly! For more information and to apply, please click here as soon as possible: http://www.luthersem.edu/employment/student_work.aspx#job_1399
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Real talk, this that Evil Red Flame
I know you done downloaded that Red Flame
Y'all got that Blue Flame and shit
Niggas like me, I feel like I'm Reggie Miller
Came straight from the 3-point, my nigga I'm Miller
Came straight from that iso, niggas can't stop me
It's Lil B for Lil Boss bitch
Check me out
[Verse 1]
Westside gangstas, Eastside mobsters
Southside hustlers, Northside ballers
Trapping to the block and I'm working like a stripper
Swag to the tips so they call me Reggie Miller
Call me Reggie Miller, cell phone off the Richter
10 hoes calling, 20 hoes texting
Jump to the dirty, swag too early
Purchase everything and I might just buy some bitches
Young Based God got 10, going for 30
30 on my dick cause my bitch call me in early
Hoes love me cause I never come dirty
Bitch I'm off the scale and I dunk like James Worthy
Reggie Miller
Westside gangstas, Eastside mobsters
Southside hustlers, Northside ballers
Trapping to the block and I'm working like a stripper
Swag to the tips so they call me Reggie Miller
[Verse 2]
When I was traded for the team, niggas hated on that
I understand it, shoot my life away
Black and Yellow was the clothes that I wore
The games on my back standing from the 3-point
My teeth messed up as well, I'm paid as well
Light-skinned? Nah, a little dark on tv like Bob Barker
Love is lost sometimes nigga, ask Tony Parker
And I'm a righteous man
Live a private life, but on the court
Nigga, it's my game
Niggas underestimated the God
That's when the prophet is born, sleeping in the sky
You can never forget about me
A permanent scar, fly away because I'm closer to Mars
Even if it's a dream , I stay surrounded by stars
Lil Boss Reggie Miller
Evil Red Flame, my nigga
You know what the fuck it is
Realest niggas alive, you feel me
[Verse 3]
Championship, niggas training for weeks
Blood sweat and tears, my emotions ears
Roll with the Colts, still a leader
But I can listen, that makes me superior
Niggas think if you box me out
That I'll be farther from the post
Nigga take notes: supreme
What do I do? Trade cards and pitches
Based World like a gift from forbidden scriptures
Niggas don't wanna let me teach
Cause I fill the world with positive, I layup and curl
Iso forward with mercy
Slow motion is better than no emotion
Reggie Miller in the Fortress
Lil B for Lil Boss
Brang-dang, I'm pacing like a Pacer
My heart is racing - Reggie Miller to the death
I'm iller, Lil B, that nigga
This likely an army
[Hook x2]


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Denver's Union Station project adds six new food outlets
The last eight retail and restaurant tenants have been announced for the refurbished Denver Union Station, due to open in July.
Along with the Tattered Cover Book Store's second downtown location and the florist Bloom are six food and beverage outlets, announced March 13 by Larimer Associates. Among them:
Milkbox Ice Creamery: Located inside the train station's old barbershop, Milkbox Ice Creamery will serve 16 flavors from Little Man Ice Cream. Customers will find bistro table seating with a terrazzo floor, subway tile and the original mirrors.
Eatmore Burgers and Brats: Eatmore will sell craft burgers, brats and fries in a contemporary space.
Pigtrain Coffee: The Mile High City's family-owned Novo Coffee will serve locally-roasted coffees and pastries in a room with a steampunk vibe and butcher-block tables.
The Cooper Lounge: This high-end bar on Union Station's second floor will overlook the Great Hall. It is billed as having a Hollywood vibe, craft cocktails and a large beverage list.
The Terminal Bar: Housed on the east side of the Great Hall, the Terminal Bar will feature Union Station's original ticket windows and an outdoor patio overlooking Wynkoop Street. Lots of Colorado craft beers and a big wine list. (Denver's original Terminal Bar, a legendary dive, sat at the intersection of Wazee and 17th Street until Jax Fish House replaced it in 1996.)
The restaurants will be part of a high-flying dining scene at the historic station. Also on board is another outlet for Snooze, the breakfast-lunch spot; The Kitchen Next Door, Mercantile Dining and Provision (courtesy of Fruition's Alex Seidel) and Stoic and Genuine Fish, a seafood restaurant operated by Jennifer Jasinski and Beth Gruitch (Rioja, Euclid Hall, Bistro Vendome.)


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ABOUT THE CLUB The Fairview Curling Club has been a fixture in the community for over 80 years. We are part of the Peace Curling Association, the Alberta Curling Federation, and the Canada Curling Association. That means our curlers have the chance to compete in club events, regionals, and even at the Brier or Scotties!
10317, 109 Street, P.O. Box 812, Fairview, Alberta, T0H 1L0
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A hummingbird is etched
at the nape of my neck
below a storm of hair
between a shiver of shoulders.
She hovers like a tiny moon
sipping cruets of honeysuckle.
My thoughts are a cutlass of emotion,
a chisel of shame or the begging
tongue of a starving feral.
Outside pink berries perch on pale slopes
inside a harvest of Robin's eggs,
cached safe from the graze of sharp
teeth slicing through a sky blue dress.
My apple heart harbors man
whose anger is a ligature winding.
Its beat is the warm river of release
or a bleed across across a torn canvas


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When her best friend Heather calls in the middle of the night, Becca assumes it's the usual drama. Wrong. Heather's parents have been arrested as dissidents – and Becca's mother, the dystopian regime's most infamous torturer, has already executed them for their crimes against the state.
To stop Heather from getting herself killed trying to prove her parents' innocence, Becca hunts for proof of their guilt. She doesn't expect to find evidence that leaves her questioning everything she thought she knew about the dissidents… and about her mother.
When she risks her life to save a dissident, she learns her mother isn't the only one with secrets – and the plot she uncovers will threaten the lives of the people she loves most. For Becca, it's no longer just a choice between risking execution and ignoring the regime's crimes; she has to decide whose life to save and whose to sacrifice.
It's easy to be a hero when you can save the world, but what about when all you can do is choose how you live in it? THE TORTURER'S DAUGHTER is a story about ordinary teenage life amidst the realities of living under an oppressive regime… and the extraordinary courage it takes to do what's right in a world gone wrong.
What they're saying about it:
"Cannon is a top-notch writer. Her dystopian world is horrifyingly real, and the plot is fast-paced and keeps the reader guessing."
"This is a 'coming of age' tale with a vengeance. Beautifully told, it explores the gamut of emotions Becca experiences as she starts to catch horrifying glimpses behind the masks of her world and the people she loves."
"Cannon masterfully wraps up the intrigue in the psychological ups and downs of the protagonist, Becca. While there is action that keeps this plot taut, there is also a lot of interior back and forth Becca goes through as she tries to figure out what her options are in a world where nothing makes sense. Even the antagonists (and I won't say who they are) are sympathetic and well thought-out. At the end of this book, you'll find yourself asking if the bad guys really were bad guys. A great statement on society wrapped up as a thrilling YA read."


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I got 12/60 on my latest test I want to go over it to figure out what I did wrong and why and how to improve. I was looking if there is anything specific, any pattern to this. When I review my tests I just see all sorts of problems, I forget formulae, I forget basic math, I mess up signs, I run out of time and can't finish the test. Things like that, I don't have an answer key for this test is there any way I can go over it on here and someone else can tell me why I am messing up so much?
There 10 questions and I could probably type them up in under 30 minutes, and another 30 for my work.
Anyways here is the first one. I am supposed to find the derivative of $\log 3 (x+ \sqrt {(x^2-1})$. I then set the problem up as $1/u \ln 3 (1+1/2(x^2-1)^{-1/2}2x)$; this is wrong, completely wrong.
Next questions is let $f(x) = (\cos x)^x$ and find the derivative. I couldn't even do this on the test, I forgot how to get the derivative of a variable that is an exponent, I knew what to do I just couldn't make sense of how to do and I have scrawled down about 30 attempts at nothing.
Doing this now I think what I need to do is rewrite the problem as $e^{\ln u^x}$ and then solve it from there. I could be wrong though.
3) I am supposed to solve this word problem.
A particle moves along a real axis and its location, $s$, is given by $s=t^3-12t^2+36t$ ($s$=feet)
a) find the acceleration at $t=2$ seconds
For this I know that I need to get the derivative and put in $2$ for $t$. Pretty simple, I makes the problem $3t^2-24t+36=0$; I think I forgot to do this one, not sure what happened but this is all I have written down, not sure why. I would plug in $2$ and get $0$, oh I guess I did have the answer written down. It was probably just wrong.
b) When is the particle moving in the positive direction?
I know for this I need to find the critical numbers and test points around them to see where they are increasing or decreasing. I have positive from $5$ to $\infty$.
c) What is the total distance traveled in the first $6$ seconds?
I have written down $39$ ft.
I am not sure what the rules on this are so I will not post anymore questions under this topic unless I know it is okay to. I would like to transcribe the whole test if that is possible.


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Selection of proper truck tire gives a comfortable ride and reduces the wear and tear on the tire drive mechanism, brakes and suspension parts. Car Tyre Shop Near Me in Soweto many factors determine the selection of suitable type of tire. These include the terrain where the truck is mostly driven, the climatic conditions, normal driving speed and the full load that is expected to be carried in the truck. Three major tire companies who design and manufacture truck tire for wide range of applications on different and difficult terrains are Mickey Thomson, Super Swamper and Pro com.
Mickey Thomson Truck tireMickey Thomson truck tire manufactured by Mickey Thomson Tire Company was founded in the year 1963. Design, development production and distribution of tire and wheel for all applications are the main business of the company. Main focus of the company is to design and produce innovative tread patterns and tire compounds to build the best performance tires in the world, New Car Tyres both for on-road and off-road applications. The company has two locations in the United States, one in Ohio and the other in California. Cooper Tire & Rubber Company which is also in tire business having the head quarters at Ohio, USA acquired Mickey Thomson in the year 2003. The combined strength has further helped to consolidate the position of Mickey Thomson in the tire industry as a significant global player. The company's major brand name is "Baja" and the specific products under this brand are named on the basis of the type of the tire, such as Baja claw non radial, radial Baja claw, Baja belted and Baja radial MTZ.
PRO Com truck tirePro com tire are manufactured by Pro Competition Tire Company located at Ohio, USA. This Company is owned by Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, which also owns the Mickey Thomson tires. Cooper tire is a global Company with manufacturing facilities in three continents and the sales and distribution network all around the world. Pro com tire are molded with the superior quality rubber compounds, Buy 4 Tires Deals steel and polyester cords in state of the art production facilities. These reliable and long lasting truck tires are supported by warranty. The pro com tire brand carry the general name pro com and the specific products under this name are branded based on the application of the tire. The specific brands are ProComp All Terrain, ProComp Mud Terrain, ProComp X-Terrain and Procomp Xtreme A/T.
Car Tyre Shop Near Me in Soweto ?
Truck tire blowout, often caused by defective tires, is a very serious road hazard that often results in collisions with injuries and fatalities. We have all probably seen the remnants of a blown truck tire scattered across a highway, and many of us had to do some skillful maneuvering to avoid running over these "road gators" (as they are called) or to avoid them hitting our vehicles after the car in front of us has run over them.Debris littering the highways causes over 25,000 accidents and at least 100 deaths each year in the United States and Canada. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that blown tire pieces are the number one road debris.Importance of Proper InflationStudies have shown that most tire and scrap rubber debris on the roadways is caused by under-inflation of tires, which makes the tire susceptible to cuts and flats. When a truck tire comes apart, it can often cause a failure in the other tires, either from a puncture from the debris or from other tires having to carry a disproportionate share of the load, which causes overheating and tire failure.Alignment also needs to be checked on a regular basis. A truck driver, while inspecting his truck, should be on the lookout for wheel problems and tire injuries. Rubbing your hand along the tread and sidewalls to feel for problems like flat spots, cuts, shoulder wear, bulges, sidewall damage, etc. is a good way to check for obvious problems. These simple and quick checks can help you avoid, or at least minimize the number of, catastrophic accidents.All drivers should stop immediately once a tire problem is detected. Even continuing on to the nearest rest stop or weigh station can be disastrous. Tires driven with improper air pressure will eventually come apart, and the results can be deadly.Maintaining proper air pressure in all tires is absolutely imperative while driving your truck across the nation's highways. Ensuring your tires are properly inflated just may save your life and the lives of those traveling beside you.
Shopping For Car Tyres Online
A wheel chock is a safety device that is intended to prevent a truck or other vehicle from accidental movement. If you're wondering what can happen to make a truck move, just ask the person who was run over by a runaway rolling auto or truck. It probably wasn't chocked. You can see a wheel chock in all sorts of environments including residential, construction, utility, industrial, mining and even aviation. We're just going to address the uses in residential/utility and industrial settings.Potential for an AccidentThere are all kinds of accidents that can make a truck move accidentally, some at the fault of human error and some because of the force of gravity. Some of the causes of accidental movement of a truck include:• Put truck or vehicle in Park. • Put on the Parking brake. • Place wheel chocks on each side of tire - and both tires if you're on a grade.That is the basics of remembering to put a wheel chock in place, so when you're in the business of delivery or maintenance and you must stop your truck frequently, put on the chocks!
Car tires check is an imperative part of automotive inspection in ensuring your safety on the road. Basically for tires, the most common thing to do is to always make sure the tires have adequate and proper amount of air pressure. The tire pressure must be checked when the tire is cold as pressure is affected by temperature. The air temperature inside the tire is increased while driving and causes the tire to expand. A low tire pressure is more dangerous than a little higher pressure because the former makes the tire more susceptible to wear thus presenting the need for replacement. Additionally, when the tire is soft, the car uses more fuel.
The wheels and the tires too should be well balanced. A common procedure is to rotate the tires on a regular basis for an even wearing and to maximize the usability of the tires. If you notice that there is vibration when you are steering the vehicle's wheel while driving, it is an indication that the wheels and tires needs balancing. balancing is especially essential when the tire is new. Not only is steering affected by unbalanced tires and wheels but also the suspension system of the vehicle.
Tires have a certain amount of load that it can carry. When you put too much stuff in the vehicle, it also affects the condition of the tire. When there is excessive load in the car, the tire is possible to come off the rim when the car tries to turn in the road corner. Each vehicle has its appropriate type of tire to be used so depending on the possible loading on that particular vehicle.


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- 7-8 fish pieces. ( Trout, Mackarel, Catfish or Tilapia)
- 1 big lemon-sized tamarind
- ½ cup chopped shallots or onions
- ¼ cup finely sliced garlic
- 3 teaspoon red chilli pwd
- ½ teaspoon turmeric pwd
- 10-12 curry leaves
- ¼ cup grated coconut
- 3 tablespoon Idhayam sesame oil/gingely oil.
- salt to taste
- ¼ th of Vadagam or 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and 1/4 tsp vendhayam/methi seeds/fenugreek.
- Clean the fish pieces . Apply half of the turmeric powder and a little salt. Rub and keep aside for 5 minutes. Wash the pieces again and set aside.
- Grind the coconut to a fine paste.
- Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add the Thallipu/seasoning and let them splutter. Add the chopped onions, garlic and curry leaves and fry on medium heat till the onions turn transparent.
- Now add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt and fry for few seconds. Add the tamarind extract and coconut paste. Bring it to boil. Let this simmer for about 15 minutes or until the raw smell goes.
- Now carefully place the fish pieces and cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
Tips: Meen Kuzhambu/Fish Curry tastes best the next day when the fish pieces are soaked in the tamarind and spices.
Typically Meen Kuzhambu would have fish cut in not so small pieces as they would break and become mushy. Fish can be of your choice as long as it is fresh. Stir gently while cooking so you don't break the fish. Adding the fish pieces should be done towards the end of cooking of the Kuzhambu. Cooking further for five minutes on medium heat should suffice. Never over cook fish. I have used trout in the above recipe.


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Welcome to Lexington Public Schools
Lexington and the Lexington Public Schools are committed to providing quality of life and education to our growing and diverse population. We respect and celebrate the opportunities and are encouraged by the good things that are happening. Our mission statement is, "To develop capable and responsible lifelong learners. With the cooperation of family, school and community, we will prepare students for the global challenges and the opportunities of the future."
CIP Parent Survey
2019-20 School Year Calendar
On December 10, 2018, the school board approved the 2019-20 school year calendar. Click on the image below to download a printable copy of the calendar. Translated versions of this calendar can be found on the School Year Calendar page.
School Communications Parent Consent
As school leaders, we know you understand the value and importance of school-to-home communications. Whether those communications are via text, phone call, email or social media, they are powerful tools for ensuring a strong school community, involving parents in their child's learning, alerting parents of changes in the school calendar, or notifying families when there are critical incidents at school, such as weather-related closings, evacuations or lockdowns.
Under a federal law originally designed to protect consumers from telemarketers, we have to get your permission to send non-emergency messages to a mobile phone by voice call or SMS text. InfoCenter is a free web and mobile app that gives you access to school notifications of all types (text messages, voice, email) inside a single inbox. You can also change your contact preferences and adjust contact numbers in the web app, available from any Internet-enabled device.
The easiest way is to visit the SchoolMessenger InfoCenter website at https://schoolmessenger.com/start. Create an account by clicking "Sign Up" on the top right menu, using the email address that you have provided to the school. Then you can choose how you want to be contacted based on the category of message (from emergencies to school activities) and provide contact permission. You will also be able to listen to and read messages from the school for the previous 30 days so you don't miss a thing, including alerts, notifications and attachments. You can also sign back in to change your preferences at any time.
School Messenger Texting Available
Starting November 20, 2015, Lexington Public Schools will start sending automated text messages regarding your student's weather related delays or cancellations and emergencies.
PowerSchool Single Sign On
Lexington Public Schools will be updating our PowerSchool Student Information System Parent Portal to a single sign on program effective November 20, 2015. This will allow parents/guardians with more than one child to access all of their child(ren)'s information at one time with one login and password. Both Parents can have their own account but each account will need a separate email address. You will be able to view all your child(ren)'s up to the minute attendance, grades, assignments, school bulletins, and messages from teachers.
Letters were mailed to each student's parent/guardian with step-by-step instructions on how to set up your parent account. If you should have questions, please contact your child(ren)'s school building.
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MD College and Career-Ready Standards
College and Career-Ready Standards and Frameworks
- English Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Literacy in History/Social Studies
- Literacy in Science & Technical Subjects
- Braille
Units of Study aligned to the Standards
Schools across the State in 2013-14 have implemented Maryland's College and Career-Ready Standards. These standards incorporate the Common Core State Standards. Maryland was one of the first states to adopt the standards in English Language Arts/Literacy and mathematics. The Maryland State Board of Education adopted the standards by unanimous vote in June 2010.
The Common Core State Standards initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governor's Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. These rigorous education standards establish a set of shared goals and expectations for what students should understand and be able to do in grades K-12 in order to be prepared for success in college and the workplace. The standards are research and evidence based and internationally benchmarked. They have been voluntarily adopted by a total of 45 states and the District of Columbia. Maryland calls these standards the Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards. Maryland also added Pre-K standards.
The frameworks that follow are the result of this work. It is important to view these frameworks in color. The Common Core State Standards appear in black and the Essential Skills and Knowledge added by Maryland educators appear in red. These draft frameworks were introduced to teachers and administrators at the Educator Effectiveness Academies.
Common Core State Standards Initiative
Teaching and Learning the New College and Career-Ready Standards
FAQS and PRESS RELEASE
- State Board adopts Common Core State Standards- June 2010
- Top 10 Things Parents Need to Know about the Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards
The Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Assessments: Preparing Our Graduates for the World that Awaits Them
Maryland College and Career Readiness Conferences
Educators Effectiveness Academies
Maryland Content Standards
Though the new Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards cover English Language Arts, Mathematics and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects, Maryland has also previously developed standards for the following content areas. These standards define what students should know and be able to do at each grade level and align state standards and state assessments. The standards documents are formatted so that each begins with content standards or broad, measurable statements about what students should know and be able to do. Indicator statements provide the next level of specificity and begin to narrow the focus for teachers. Finally, the objectives provide teachers with very clear information about what specific learning should occur.
In June 2013 the Maryland State Board of Education adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Content Standards
- English Language Arts/Literacy
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies
- Disciplinary Literacy
- English for Speakers of Other Languages
- Environmental Education
- Fine Arts
- Health
- Personal Financial Literacy Education
- Physical Education
- School Library Media
- Technology Education
- Technology Literacy for Students
- World Languages


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Thai Olieng Powder Mixed from Pantainorasingh. Thai Coffee Powder is used to made traditional Thai iced coffee, known as "Olieng". Serve with or without cream. This Thai Coffee is very rich with unique aroma. Preparation direction is on the package, so you can easily prepare it at home. Tea filter is required for preparation. Ingredients : coffee, corn, soybean, sesame seed. Net Weight 16.0 oz. Product of Thailand.
Copyright © 2004 - 2019 GroceryThai.com


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Spain's olive oil country.
Olive oil
Virgin olive oil is a vital ingredient in Spanish cuisine and the Mediterranean diet. Healthy and delicious, this is a treat for the palate that we suggest you try in the olive-growing regions themselves. You will find out about the production process and a whole culture focusing on the olive. Sample this gastronomy and you are sure to want to take Spanish extra virgin olive oil back home with you.
Spain is the world's biggest virgin olive oil producer and proof of its quality is the existence of a total of 27 Designations of Origin. The majority are in Andalusia (12) and Catalonia (5). Here we recommend these regions to enjoy olive oil in the very place it is produced.
Jaén, Andalusia's olive grove
Andalusia is a region of olive groves. This is especially true of the province of Jaén. You will see this from the moment you arrive – everything here revolves around olive oil. Come and sample the local gastronomy and explore the Olive Route in the Sierra Mágina Mountains, where there are huge olive groves set around the Sierra Mágina Nature Reserve. You will visit towns and villages that reflect olive growing culture, through the unusual architecture of their farmhouses, and in their traditions and crafts. You will have the chance to visit "almazaras" (mills where olives are crushed), take part in tasting sessions and discover the whole virgin olive oil production process at the Olive Culture Museum, just 8 kilometres from Baeza and less than 20 from Úbeda, towns whose Renaissance monuments have the UNESCO World Heritage designation.
The Olive Route in the province of Jaén takes in many small towns and villages. For example: Cambil, with its ancient olive trees; Jimena, with a huge valley of olive groves that stretches from the Sierra Mágina Mountains to the banks of the Guadalquivir; arid Cabra del Santo Cristo, the olive grove of the desert. To find out more and design the best route for you, we would recommend you contact the tourist offices in Jaén.
Another interesting option is to do the "Vía Verde del Aceite" (Olive Oil Greenway) by bike or on foot. It runs for 60 kilometres from the north of the city of Jaén, through the surrounding mountains, crossing many different olive groves.
Monumental olive groves in Cordoba
Cordoba , also in Andalusia, is another of the main olive oil producing areas in Spain, with many towns and villages dependent on the olive. Many of these organise breakfasts and tasting sessions featuring virgin olive oil, and there are guided visits to places like Hornachuelos, Montoro and Adamuz, close to the city of Cordoba and the Cardeña-Montoro and Hornachuelos Nature Reserves, home to more than 100,000 hectares of olive groves. Furthermore, the province of Cordoba has many ancient olive trees in places such as Almedinilla, Baena, Luque, Montilla, Priego de Córdoba and Lucena. In fact, the "Priego de Córdoba" Protected Designation of Origin area covers 29,628 hectares and includes the municipalities of Almedinilla, Carcabuey, Fuente Tójar and Priego de Córdoba, in the heart of the Sierras Subbéticas Nature Reserve. At Cordoba's tourist offices you can get information on the many mills and bottling plants open to the public, and the activities available.
Olive oil in Catalonia
Catalonia is the second Spanish region in number of designations of origin. These are to be found mainly in the Costa Brava, Costa Dorada and Lleida areas. In the first of these, special mention should be made of towns and villages such as Cabanes, Pau, Toroella de Montgrí, Ventalló and Vilafant. For its part, the Costa Dorada has Reus, a historic capital for olive oil production, and places such as Cambrils, Horta de Sant Joan, with an ancient olive tree, the El Priorat area and Ribera del Ebro, all in the province of Tarragona. Here you will find cooperatives that offer guided tours to show you how olive oil is produced first hand. In the province of Lleida, we would suggest visits to the regions of Les Garrigues, El Segrià and L'Urgell. A few places not to be missed are: the Oilve Oil Eco-museum, in Pobla de Cèrvoles; the Castelldans Olive Oil Museum; and the Olive Oil Theme Park in Les Borges Blanques which has 54 ancient olive trees.
Besides tasting sessions and guided tours of olive groves and mills, in Catalonia between November and January there are many olive oil-related fiestas in places such as Reus, Castelldans, Espolla and Les Borges Blanques. In any of these, and indeed throughout Catalonia, you can savour some "Pan Tomaca" (tomato bread), a simple recipe of Catalonian gastronomy which gets its unique flavour from virgin olive oil.
Andalusia and Catalonia are the main olive oil producing regions in Spain, but there are many more. For example, the region of Castile-La Mancha has four designations of origin, and the mountains in Toledo province are home to huge olive groves that are open for visits. You will also find top quality virgin olive oil with designation of origin certification in Aragón, the Balearic Islands, Extremadura, Navarre and La Rioja. If you like taking souvenirs back from you holidays, try some extra virgin olive oil and you will feel like you are back in Spain at every meal.
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Demonstration of radioactive decay using pennies
This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Reviewed Teaching Collection
This activity has received positive reviews in a peer review process involving five review categories. The five categories included in the process are
- Scientific Accuracy
- Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
- Pedagogic Effectiveness
- Robustness (usability and dependability of all components)
- Completeness of the ActivitySheet web page
For more information about the peer review process itself, please see https://serc.carleton.edu/teachearth/activity_review.html.
This page first made public: Feb 25, 2006
Learning Goals
- to illustrate the exponential nature of radioactive decay
- to demonstrate the concept of half-life
- to establish the randomness of radioactive decay
- to illustrate the concept that quantity determines the number of isotopes that decay
Context for Use
Description and Teaching Materials
In a large class, give each student a penny. Have the class stand up. Tell them that they will be flipping the penny (you will tell them when); each time they flip one half life will have passed. If their penny lands on heads, they are radioactive and have decayed and they should sit; if their penny lands on tails, they have not decayed and may remain standing. After each "half life", count the people remaining standing and plot it on a piece of graph paper (Acrobat (PDF) 42kB Jun21 04) on the overhead. After about 3 or 4 "half-lives" ask students to predict what's going to happen to the numbers of remaining parent isotopes. Continue the experiment until only one or 2 people are left (usually 6-7 "half-lives").
This can set up a good discussion of what is happening to the number of students still standing (i.e., that the number of isotopes decayed is determined by the initial quantity) and can lead into a discussion of exponential decay, half-life and various other concepts involved in radioactive decay.
Some questions to get the students started thinking about these concepts:
- (After two or three "half-lives") What is happening to the number of students standing? Do the same number of students sit down each time we flip the coins?
- About how many students would have had to sit down if we started with twice as many students? What about if we only had half as many in this class? What does that tell you about how the quantity of "radioactive isotopes" affects the number that decay?
- Can you predict which of you is going to be the first to sit down? Why or why not?
- How is radioactive decay sort of like gambling or playing the lottery?
Teaching Notes and Tips
- If you have a student response system, a quick quiz with questions that cover these four concepts is an easy way to determine the students' understanding.
- Having students work through a short problem (in groups or on their own) that applies these concepts in a geologic context -- a problem where they have to read a graph or calculate how many isotopes are left after x half-lives -- can also provide a quick check.
- A short written quiz might also be a way to assess comprehension.
References and Resources
- Science Net Link's Isotopes of Pennies (more info)


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Well its official. I have been blogging for a year now.
When I started this blog I had no idea of what to expect. I started out with few goals and not much planning. All I wanted was a place to talk about a game I really enjoy. I never expected that my blog would evolve the way it has. I didn't set out to be a Moonkin Expert. In fact most of the things I have posted I did as a part of my own learning process. It makes me very happy to know that I have been of some help to my readers.
Many thanks are owed to Phae and the other bloggers that have given me a lot of encouragement and advice.
My final thanks goes out to my readers. I would still blog even if no one read it, but having readers makes it so much more satisfying.
I don't know where things are going to go from here. Content wise it will be much the same, but hopefully it will be formatted better. Believe it or not I do spell check. Damn thing doesn't always work though. I also hope to shorten my posts but make them more frequent. I also hope to separate topics more. I hope to separate the personal content from the News and Analysis. Technically, I am thinking about going self hosted. I really like the way the Wordpress blogs look, and would like to have more control over my blog. However, I am not at all good with HTML and I am not sure I can manage a site on my own. Obviously you will know if I make a change.
If you ever have questions, comments or criticisms please send them my way. I am always happy to hear from you.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
9 comments:
- Matticus said...
Happy bloggy birthday!
So now that you're a year wiser, doesn't that mean the namw should be white matter?
- September 6, 2008 at 10:23 PM
- Phaelia said...
Happy blogday to you!
Happy blogday to you!
You look like an oversized chicken from out of space with laser beam pew pew....
And you've done a great job here, too!
- September 6, 2008 at 10:39 PM
- Eglador said...
Happy Blogbirthday... Blogday... whatever.
- September 7, 2008 at 5:27 AM
- Softi said...
Happy 1st Blogversary!
Been a pleasure reading your blog. :)
- September 7, 2008 at 6:35 AM
- gnomeaggedon said...
Happy Blogday!
- September 8, 2008 at 2:22 AM
Wow, a year already! Happy Blogday to my fav bunch of feathers. Kepp dropping in for that cuppa,
<3 Lots
- September 8, 2008 at 8:48 AM
Oops, now I'll never hear the end of the type :p
- September 8, 2008 at 8:50 AM
A full year. Solid. I've been enjoying your blog for about 4 months now. Good luck on another year or more!
- September 8, 2008 at 10:25 AM
- Bell said...
Happy Blogday!
- September 8, 2008 at 10:47 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Jones keys Orioles' decisive rally at The Trop
ST. PETERSBURG -- The Orioles said throughout Spring Training they weren't concerned with outside expectations, projections or what national pundits thought of their incredible 2012 season. There was no need for manager Buck Showalter's crew to come out and make public statements or quote those who chalked up last year as a fluke for motivational fodder. In fact, there was no need for talking at all.
Instead, the Orioles -- proudly wearing T-shirts reading "To be continued" all Spring Training -- went out and proved it on Tuesday, rallying for a five-run seventh inning and using some solid pitching to make a strong season-opening statement with a 7-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Opening Day victory, in front of an announced sellout crowd of 34,078 at Tropicana Field, gave the Orioles their 10th win in the last 13 season openers.
"We know what's going on in the clubhouse," said Orioles starter Jason Hammel, who fired six strong innings to pick up the win. "For all the things that happened outside the clubhouse, we come out; we barely changed the team this year. Same lineup, except for a couple of guys.
"It's something we're proud of. We're going to continue to play hard. It was [No.] 1 of 162. We'll come back tomorrow and continue to do it. We're just having fun, and really, we have our own expectations."
While much was made this winter about the Orioles' decision not to acquire a true middle-of-the-order bat, the trio of Matt Wieters, Adam Jones and Chris Davis -- a group the organization hoped would continue to get better -- looked plenty potent, combining to go 6-for-12 with three doubles, two homers and all seven RBIs.
"We feel that in-house, we have the same ability to do what we did last year," said Davis, whose three-run homer capped a barrage of two-out runs off Rays reliever Jake McGee. "We have the same group of guys. We have the experience that we didn't have last year. We're very confident with the group that we have, not to mention the fact that we have good chemistry here. That goes a long way in this game."
Using the pass-the-baton approach that Showalter endorses, Davis watched from the on-deck circle as Rays manager Joe Maddon issued an intentional walk to Wieters, who had already doubled and hit a two-run homer off Tampa Bay ace David Price.
"You never want to be the guy [behind] the guy getting walks," said Jones, who got the seventh-inning scoring started by sending an 0-2 pitch into left-center-field field for a go-ahead two-run double. "It's like saying, 'All right; we think you're an easier out than this guy.' So you take it upon yourself to go out and get a big knock. And [Davis] went out there, first pitch, and tomahawked a 98-mph fastball at his neck. That's C.D."
The gutsy effort started with Hammel, who was making his first Opening Day start and held his own against Price, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner. Working with a two-run lead from the moment he stepped on the mound, thanks to Wieters' homer, Hammel battled all afternoon and allowed three runs on three hits and a walk.
"He wasn't really locating like I've seen him in the past," Wieters said of Hammel when told the right-hander said he felt like he 'did nothing' in the win. "It just shows what kind of competitor he is. He knew he didn't have his best stuff today, but he went out and gave us a chance to win, which is all you can ask of the starting pitching."
Hammel and Price both exited after six innings, with the Orioles tagging Price for two runs but missing a chance to capitalize despite accumulating seven baserunners after Wieters' homer. The O's were able to run up the left-hander's pitch count -- Wieters worked a 13-pitch walk in the third -- and chase Price after 100 pitches to set the stage for McGee.
The Orioles' bullpen, an impressive group largely intact from last season, made the lead built against McGee hold up. Lefty Troy Patton recorded an out in the seventh before Showalter played matchups and countered pinch-hitter Shelley Duncan with right-hander Darren O'Day. O'Day surrendered an earned run on a groundout in the eighth and went 1 2/3 innings before handing the ball to closer Jim Johnson, who earned the save.
Brian Roberts and Nolan Reimold, who both missed significant time last year with injuries, had two hits apiece, and the organization remains hopeful that high-profile offseason acquisitions weren't necessary due to the talent of those already wearing orange and black.
"Obviously, they could have easily gone out and tried to fill spots that haven't been necessarily occupied every day in the last year or two," said Roberts, who hasn't played a full season since 2009. "They held tight and they believed in us as players, and I think that is encouraging as well as gives you a lot of confidence to go out there and play."
"It's something we looked at," Showalter said of adding a middle-of-the-order bat this winter, "but you look at the number of guys who missed time last year. If we can just keep our people on the field, we feel like we can be competitive. But we have a lot of bridges to cross. Today starts a long journey together, and I'm as curious as everybody else to see where it takes us."


text:
Dr. Rakesh K. Pai reviews medical content for Healthwise, a nonprofit organization with a mission to help people make better health decisions.
Dr. Pai is in practice with the Saint Alphonsus Medical Group in Boise, Idaho.
MD: University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, 1998
Residency in Internal Medicine, University of Chicago Hospitals, Chicago, IL, 1998–2001
Fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, 2001–2004
Research Fellowship in Cardiac Electrophysiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 2004–2005
Clinical Fellowship in Cardiac Electrophysiology, University of Utah Health Sciences, Salt Lake City, UT, 2005–2007
American Board of Internal Medicine
Cardiovascular Disease, American Board of Internal Medicine
Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology, American Board of Internal Medicine
Dr. Pai reported no financial conflicts.
Healthwise Staff
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


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Conor Dignam (pictured) will lead new media company running Screen International, Broadcast and shots.
Top Right Group today announced that it has agreed an approach from Conor Dignam, MD of EMAP's Media brands, to run Broadcast, Screen International and shots - the market leading brands for the film, television and advertising industries - as a separate entity.
Trading as Media Business Insight Limited (MBI), the company will develop an independent business strategy and investment plan.
Conor Dignam, CEO of Media Business Insight, said: "I joined EMAP as Editor of Broadcast in 2002 and have led the media brands for over three years so am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to take Broadcast, Screen and shots to an independent future.
"Our plans to further develop the brands' potential include several event launches next year as well as a focus on growing our subscribers and building up our data products. This is a really exciting opportunity and I'm looking forward to getting started."
Natasha Christie-Miller, CEO of Emap, said: "This is a great opportunity for Broadcast, Screen International and shots to carve out their own successful future under Conor's leadership. No further Emap restructure or portfolio change is anticipated.
"Emap is transforming into a subscriber-led, content-driven and customer-obsessed multi-channel media business. Our strategy remains to focus our investments on brands that have a high growth potential, in scale industries where we are or can be the number one. We are investing particularly heavily in our brands serving the retail, fashion, construction, health and architecture sectors where we are already seeing fast, sustainable return."
Wendy Mitchell, editor of Screen International, added: "This is great news for Screen. It has been great to work with Conor as MD of EMAP's Media titles, and it's exciting to see Screen be a part of this new venture he is leading."
No staffing changes will be made at Screen, and the brand will continue to operate with business as usual.