text:
UCLA's quarterback clearly has the talent to succeed as an NFL starter. The question is whether or not he can avoid enough mistakes to become a superstar.
15 Oct 2007
compiled by Doug Farrar
Each Sunday, the FO staff sends around e-mails to each other, both during and after the games. It lets us share ideas for columns and comments, and get an idea of how teams that we can't watch are playing. Be aware that the material in this roundtable might seem a bit disjointed and un-edited. It also might still show up later in the week in other columns, or in comments in PFP 2008. Games are chosen based on our own personal viewing preferences, and are going to reflect the teams we support and the cities where we live.
David Lewin: Carson Palmer is not the same player since that knee injury. He is still quite productive, but he doesn't step into his throws with the same authority anymore (understandably). The sky used to be the limit for Palmer, but right now I think his ceiling is very good.
Doug Farrar: Not sure I agree with the Palmer assessment, only because he did so well last season (the first after the injury), and Cincinnati's defense and rushing attack have fallen apart. It's tough to know where the team's overall horribleness ends and any issues with Palmer begin. You put that much responsibility on just about any quarterback and you're going to see a decline in efficiency.
Ryan Wilson: I agree with Doug on Carson Palmer. He was punch-drunk by the end of today's game, and things got so bad that Marvin Lewis took tackle Levi Jones out of the game. I'd argue that he looked better last year than he had prior to the injury. Palmer was never a threat to run, but he was on target last year (he ranked fourth in 2006 DPAR), and made better decisions with the ball. This year, the offensive line is injury-plagued and in shambles. That Palmer looks a little gun-shy is understandable.
Stuart Fraser: I get the impression he doesn't really trust either a) His pass protection or b) Any of the assorted personnel who've been swept up to be his third receiver. I'm kind of expecting an uptick from the Bengals on Chris Henry's return.
Vince Verhei: There was only one thing wrong with Carson Palmer today, and it was Jared Allen. Levi Jones started at tackle for the Bengals, and it was clear from the get-go that he couldn't handle Allen. The Bengals tried helping out with tight ends and fullbacks, but Allen just twisted inside and got to Palmer instead. Forget about having time to make his reads, Palmer didn't have time to finish his dropback. Cincinnati finally benched Jones and moved Andrew Whitworth over from guard to tackle just before halftime. Allen was much quieter in the second half, but the damage had been done by then. Officially, Allen finished with 2 1/2 sacks and a forced fumble, but he actually had an even bigger impact than that. It astounds me that Cincinnati, which has a top-five quarterback and a top-five starting wide receiver duo, is such a horrible team otherwise.
Aaron Schatz:The one good thing for Cincinnati today -- and the one bad thing for the Kansas City defense -- was Ty Law. Man, is he done. Every time I saw Houshmandzadeh catch a pass, it was against Law, with Patrick Surtain covering Ocho Cinco, and both of Palmer's interceptions came on passes to 85.
Vince Verhei: I think we can formally write off Week 1 as an anomaly for the Jacksonville defense. They gave up 282 rushing yards against Tennessee, and a total of just 200 in the four games since. As long as they have Stroud and Henderson in the middle, and their linebackers and safeties make their tackles, they're going to be just fine. And of course, it helps when Maurice Jones-Drew looks like, well, like Maurice Jones-Drew.
Houston's clearly a lot better than they were last year, but they're stuck in the league's best division, and Matt Schaub is playing without his biggest weapon in Andre Johnson.
Bill Barnwell:The highlight of this game was Cleveland running back Jason Wright spearing the ref during a touchdown celebration, knocking him down. Fortunately, Wright was celebrating by himself, so he did not receive the penalty for celebrating into the ref.
Doug Farrar: This Cleveland team officially has my interest. I know that they put up 40-plus points on horrible defenses like Cincinnati and Miami, and I know that the Patriots said that they didn't like their own energy in the second half of their 34-17 win over the Browns, in which Cleveland scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, but they also put up 27 points on Baltimore's defense and barely lost to a Raiders team that has obviously improved (though we don't yet know how much). They got killed by the Steelers, but that was against what might be the NFL's best defense when Charlie Frye looked like Matt Saracen in the Friday Night Lights pilot. At 3-3, I think they're interesting.
Stuart Fraser: Cleveland is the one AFC North team I'm still not quite sure what to expect from each week (my NFL-watching plan is every AFC North game eventually and anything else I can stay awake for.) DVOA thinks Cleveland is less erratic than Pittsburgh (DVOA thinks everyone is less erratic than Pittsburgh), but I think that's caused by three stellar performances and Arizona, as opposed to Cleveland who've (I guess) put up more numerically similar performances in different ways. Part of me hasn't adjusted to the concept of Derek Anderson being a legitimate starting quarterback (I don't think Cleveland has, either, and it gives them an interesting Brees/Rivers style decision to make soonish).
Doug Farrar: And as for Miami ... whoa. Didn't Bill Simmons used to have a "Guys who would trade themselves in Madden" list? And is there any doubt that Ronnie Brown would be No. 1 on that list right now?
Vince Verhei: Adrian Peterson is going to win the Rookie of the Year award, and he's going to deserve it, but in ten years we might look back at Joe Thomas as the best player in the 2007 draft. He's already achieved "taken for granted" status, where you stop watching him because you just assume he's going to take care of his man. Cleveland was 31st in Adjusted Line Yards in 2006; they were 13th coming into this weekend, first on runs to left end, eighth on runs to left tackle.
It must be hard to be a Dolphins fan right now. With the obvious exception of Ronnie Brown, what is there about this team to get excited about? A bunch of old guys on defense who can't stop anyone? More passes falling incomplete because Chris Chambers can't get separation? A quarterback who has served as a backup to names like Gus Frerotte, Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington? A coach who has done little interesting on or off the field? What's the upside of this team?
Aaron Schatz: The Ted Ginn thing really looks awful in retrospect. I know wide receivers often take two or three years to develop in the NFL but the guy is hardly even on the field. Honestly, solar eclipses take place more often than Ted Ginn appearances at wide receiver.
Mike Tanier: This dovetails a bit with what I tried to say below about the Bears. A game plan can just be too fussy when a team tries to "get the playmakers involved" instead of, you know, running the ball and passing from the pocket. Early on in this game, I was impressed by the Redskins play-calling, because they were using a lot of screens and misdirection to move the ball. Jason Campbell was doing a good job escaping the rush and delivering short passes in space. Then, late in the third quarter, the Redskins tried that end-around to Santana Moss, he fumbled, and suddenly the Packers had the lead.
I love gadget plays as seasoning for an offense that can do the other things. As the basis of an offense, it is very risk-heavy. That's why I don't like the Bears logic that says that the key is to give Hester eight touches per game on non-returns. That's why I don't like the Redskins offense when Al Saunders gets too happy with his crazy stuff. That's probably why I should have been more of a Saints skeptic early in the year.
I will throw one other thing out there about the Skins. FOX showed some NASCAR racers hanging around the sidelines. I don't know if they were members of Gibbs Racing or not, because I am, you know, from the North, employed, and own shirts with collars, but there they were.
Here in Philly, everyone is obsessed with the Andy Reid "family distraction" story (I hear he will resign any second now), and there's a degree to which I am sure it is true that Andy is distracted by his family problems. I am sure most coaches are. I am distracted when my kids have the flu, for goodness sake. But then there is the distraction of a second job, that is every bit as lucrative and high profile as your first job. That's Gibbs' NASCAR distraction. That isn't like a family distraction, even a severe one. No other NFL coach is going to put his football team on hold to go take care of his other sports team. Dan Snyder seems OK with Gibbs serving two masters, and lord knows he has enough assistants to delegate to. But racecar drivers on the sidelines? Isn't that taking things a bit too far?
Vince Verhei: You know what makes that even weirder? I just watched the America's Game show on the 1991 Redskins. They had a playoff game against Jerry Glanville's Atlanta Falcons. Gibbs and Charles Mann couldn't believe the Falcons would allow M.C. Hammer on the sidelines. This offended them, because it meant the Falcons were not taking them seriously. So, when it comes to Gibbs, rappers on the sideline are no good, racecar drivers on the sideline are apparently just fine.
Brett Favre set the career interception record today, but virtually all of those have been due to bad decisions. Today I saw one that looked like the result of failing arm strength. Favre had James Jones wide-open downfield, but his pass (admittedly under heavy pressure) came up short and hung in the air forever, and Sean Taylor had all day to run under it and haul it in. Green Bay's corners, obviously, are really good. Charles Woodson had one pass defensed and an interception. Al Harris had two passes defensed. Washington wide receivers, meanwhile, caught a total of four passes for 60 yards.
Stuart Fraser: Kyle Boller is in at quarterback for the Ravens. Anybody know what's going on there? Oh, in other STL-BAL news, Gus Frerotte got sacked about five seconds after the snap on consecutive plays. Throw it away, Gus. Throw it away.
Doug Farrar: The Boller start was a pregame decision, nothing to do with in-game injury. Steve McNair missed practices with a stiff back this week.
Aaron Schatz: Every time I looked up at this game, Gus Frerotte was eating grass. The only reason why Ray Lewis did not hit Frerotte more often is that another Baltimore player usually smashed Frerotte into the ground first, and Lewis would just hit empty space. The Rams are without four of their five best offensive players, and the fifth is gimpy. So much for "FO projections always underestimate the Rams." Yikes.
Stuart Fraser: Speaking of quarterbacks who shouldn't be in the game, Frerotte has now thrown back-to-back interceptions to go with his back-to-back sacks. The first of these was tipped and not entirely his fault, the second was the least excusable pass I've seen thrown this year, which is saying something. To borrow a classic announcer standby, it was thrown to where only the cornerback could catch it. I should mention that Frerotte could have had a touchdown pass after the fumble recovery (mentioned below) but for his receiver (Marques Hagans) dropping a ball that hit him pretty much in the facemask.
The Rams are getting a lot of pressure from the right side of their line. This may have something to do with the sheer number of injuries Baltimore have here. Boller has been doing good work scrambling and throwing away but he was inevitably going to be sacked. Naturally, he fumbled and the Rams recovered, advancing the ball to the Ravens' 16. After two runs to nowhere (well, +2, -4) and a dropped pass, Wilkins misses the field goal. I can see why this team is 0-5.
St. Louis is getting better -- Frerotte is beginning to find receivers. Hagans has stopped dropping passes, and the final drive of the half actually went somewhere. Not far enough to actually score any points before the clock ran out, you understand (though they'd just about gotten into long field goal range when the time ran out), but this is the Rams playing the Ravens. One step at a time.
Did I say the Rams were making progress? Sorry, I meant, "Brief flash of competence to be revealed later as probably a fluke." Neither of these teams are great at protecting the quarterback today -- the left side of the Ravens' line is getting caved in a lot -- but the Rams are substantially worse and compound this by their lack of a running game. In addition, the receivers can't get open reliably, and of course there are the four interceptions and a fumble to consider. Of course now I say this they're putting together something of a drive, converting two third-and-longs (this drive eventually made it to the red zone, where it was turned over on downs).
Frerotte charitably throws his fifth interception of the game just to make Tony Romo feel better. To some extent it's unreasonable to expect much from a backup quarterback who rarely has much time to throw, but on the other hand I think when you set a team record for interceptions you're probably doing something wrong (letting the ball fly instead of eating it and being sacked, mostly, in Frerotte's case). Of course when he does get hit he ends up in a crumpled heap, which is why the Rams are finishing this game with the emergency quarterback in. I would like to clarify that when I picked the Rams to exceed their PFP projection, I meant the projected number of losses.
One thing the Rams did do well is keep the opposing tight end quiet, of which I am glad because I can't spell "Sypniewski."
Bill Barnwell: The most surprising part of this game was Chicago's offensive line against the Minnesota defensive front that's declared jihad on rushers for two years now. I know Olin Kreutz is good, but he and Roberto Garza were clearing swaths of space up front for Cedric Benson to run into. They were running a sweep with Kreutz and Garza pulling right where they were not only blocking defensive linemen, but getting to the second level and blocking guys nine or ten yards upfield.
In my entry for "ugliest throw of the year," Tarvaris Jackson had a pass he threw across his body whilst running backwards to no one on a third-and-10. This was less professional quarterbacking than it was ... performance art.
Adam Archuleta has not looked like the worst safety in football this year, but his flaws are still pretty apparent. He took a really ugly route to the football on Troy Williamson's touchdown and got stuck in no man's land; too close to develop an angle to chase Williamson down, and too far to get there before or at the same time as the ball.
Mike Tanier: I picked the Bears in this game. I clearly underestimated the entire Vikings running game. Adrian Peterson is one of the best young running backs I have ever seen, but give kudos to that offensive line, which we all know contains some really good players. The Vikings can churn out 10-yard gains on second-and-8 with no problem. And give Brad Childress credit: After taking Peterson out of the game plan two weeks ago, he very creatively got him the ball on screens, shotgun sweeps, and other oddball plays.
That being said, the Vikings still have almost no passing game (the bomb to Williamson was sweet, but it was one play). The receiving corps drops a lot of passes and doesn't help Tarvaris much.
Aaron Schatz: I realize we don't like to print profanity on the site, but can we nickname Adrian Peterson "F#@kin' A?" I think at least five times today, I looked up at the television showing the Vikings game and said, "My god, Adrian Peterson is F#@KING AWESOME."
He is the prototypical running back. He is fast. He is agile. He lowers his shoulder and hits defenders. He pushes forward for extra yardage. I can't tell you if he pass blocks well, I haven't seen enough of that. I've only seen one negative -- it was either McCormick or Barnwell who said this, I'm not sure which, but his upright running style probably causes him to be more injury-prone, and that sort of thing also generally leads to more fumbles. Otherwise, the guy is just a total stud. STUD.
Bill Barnwell: What separates Peterson from guys who are just fast (Michael Bennett, I'm looking at you) is how he knows how to use his legs and moves to set up opportunities to use his speed. He does a great job of subtly creating lanes for his blockers and then immediately playing off them once they're ready, and if it's a one-on-one situation, creating the slightest hesitation to give himself space to blow by a guy. He made Lance Briggs, not exactly the slowest linebacker in football, look positively stupid on a play where he froze him by running towards the crowded middle of the field, waited for Briggs' hips to begin to transfer, and then made his cutback way before Briggs could respond, leaving himself an open field to run into.
David Lewin: I think Brad Childress did a brutal job with the Vikings offense in this game. The Bears could not handle Adrian Peterson, who was running like a man possessed, yet Childress stubbornly stuck to his game plan to give Taylor the bulk of the carries and use Peterson mostly on third downs. This game could have been blown wide-open if Childress was willing to ride Peterson instead of using him as a change of pace.
Mike Tanier: I don't know. They ran the ball 42 times. Taylor ran 22, Peterson 20. They combined for 307 yards, most of them Peterson. Maybe the split should have been 17-25 or even 12-30, but I am not sure you want Peterson running 30 or more times. I like the fact that Childress committed heavily to the run. If you are going to do that, you should split the carries up.
Devin Hester caught a touchdown pass in this game. I heard talking heads two weeks ago talking about how getting Hester involved in the offense should be Ron Turner's top priority. That's bull. His top priority should be getting a quarterback to deliver the ball and developing an overall gameplan that works, not designing trickery so his kick returner can score touchdowns. That being said, sending Hester deep a few times per game can't hurt, can it?
Vince Verhei: Note to everybody: Don't kick to Devin Hester. It doesn't work. Just stop it. (Although the Bears were lucky the refs missed Obafemi Ayanbadejo's block in the back.)
In the long run, I think Hester's offensive score may be an even bigger play. He didn't just run up the field as fast as he could, he ran an out-and-up that left Dwight Smith with no chance to cover him. I'm not sure if the coverage on the play was man or zone, but Hester was definitely Smith's responsibility either way. With that play, Hester became something more than a gimmick on offense. Now, when Hester lines up in the slot, teams can't just put their safety on him and feel comfortable. He's going to require extra attention. This could open things for the other receivers, the running game, the whole offense.
Aaron Schatz: Mike Hall, the guy who won a job at ESPN on that show "Dream Job," was the FOX sideline reporter for the Bears-Vikings game. Remember when we ran reviews of that show because we were desperate for off-season content in the spring of 2004? Wacky.
Hester is amazing, but people can overstate this fact. At one point FOX put up a graphic that said, "Berrian touchdown (set up by Devin Hester's 23-yard kickoff return.)" Guys, that's an average kickoff return. It's nothing special.
Vince Verhei: The concerns I've heard and read about the Bears' defensive line look justified. On Adrian Peterson's second touchdown, everyone's going to rave about the sick cutback Peterson made about 10 yards downfield, but they should note that the entire left side of the Vikings' line just overwhelmed the Bears, clearing a hole that wasn't just a yard wide, it was three yards downfield. Peterson ran through the giant chasm, slipped one tackle, made one cut and was gone.
Mike Tanier: The Vikings line looked very good the whole game. Their receivers, besides Williamson on that bomb, looked terrible.
The thing with Hester is this: He can be an asset if he really becomes an integrated part of the offense. That play was a step in the right direction. If I see him run some little 10-yard outs and catch passes, so much the better. If the plan is to make him a fly-pattern-and-reverse guy, opponents will get wise fast, and then he's probably just going to take touches away from a better all-around receiver.
Doug Farrar: Memo to Rich Eisen: The "Cameron Frye imitates Sloane Peterson's dad" thing you do every time Adrian Peterson does something incredible is over and done. He's going to do many incredible things. Please put it away before it becomes your "Boo-ya!" and we all hate you for it.
Vince Verhei: Note to Doug: Thank you for explaining why Eisen does this. I never got the reference before. I'm not sure if that makes it any less annoying though.
Mike Tanier: Messy, semi-fulfilling win for my mighty Birds against the Jets in their strange, dark blue uniforms. A few notes:
Aaron Schatz: I don't understand the fourth down fade to Coles either, and I think if you go back into last year's Audibles you will find a game where I wrote "Mangini made the right decision to go for it on fourth down, but a terrible play call by calling for a difficult pass." Or I wrote something close to that ... the point is, this seems to be a running theme with Mangini. Try a sneak, Eric.
Doug Farrar: As an amateur AFL historian, I loved the New York Titans throwback unis. All that was missing was a brief biography of owner Harry Wismer, and a re-enactment of the team hemorrhaging cash while Wismer gives blocks of tickets to legendary restaurateur Toots Shor.
Sean McCormick: I would be remiss if I didn't comment on those throwbacks the Jets were wearing, which looked very sharp. If only they had brought some game to go along with the blue and gold.
The theory that Chad Pennington is single-handedly holding back the running game took a hit today. On a day when the windy conditions made it even easier for the safeties to play up, Thomas Jones ripped the Eagles apart in the first half. The Jets were only gaining 10-plus yards on two percent of their carries, but Jones went for ten or more on each of his first four carries. Clearly the Jets coaching staff saw something on film, because Jones was very successful with one-cut runs.
On the other hand, the presence of a running game did nothing for Pennington, who may have played his worst game of the season. The one thing that Pennington has done well is convert third downs, but he really struggled at it today. Jim Johnson brought a lot of heat on third down, disguising his blitzes until the protection was set and then flooding the opposite side, and the approach worked.
The Jets defense has been a bend-and-then-break unit this season that lets teams march down the field in long time-consuming drives rather than surrendering big plays. But last week, Plaxico Burress beat them for a 48-yard touchdown, and this week, Kevin Curtis beat Andre Dyson for a 70-yard score. The defense then reverted back to its Death By Chinese Water Torture form for the rest of the game, which worked better than it should have because David Akers struggled to make field goals. But as the season wears on and the team continues to need to blitz to stop the run and blitz to pressure the passer, these sorts of big plays figure to happen more often.
Bill Barnwell: The Eagles holder (Rocca? Tanier?) did a great job on their first field goal, otherwise David Akers would have missed three. I'm not sure if he's really cursed by the Meadowlands, but boy, he doesn't seem to like them. That's my favorite Wrens album, too.
Doug Farrar: It took one offensive series by Tampa Bay to discern why the Titans have the NFL's best pass defense, according to DVOA, despite the loss of Pacman Jones. Tennessee's front four has an incredible ability to bring consistent pressure without help, and that obviously changes the entire defensive landscape. No, it doesn't help the Bucs that second-time starter Donald Penn is in there for Luke Petitgout at left tackle, but the way Kyle Vanden Bosch is playing at right end, I don't think it would matter. The right side with Vanden Bosch and Albert Haynesworth is amazing, and left end Travis LaBoy de-cleated Jeff Garcia on Tampa Bay's first drive. The question will be whether Garcia can use the quick pass to turn the Titans' own aggressiveness against them. You'll also be seeing Cortland Finnegan's hit on Graham all over the highlights -- boy, this team can unload. And Garcia is having some early success with short stuff, but the Titans' defense is so fast, it almost takes his mobility out of the equation.
Interesting (and partially humorous) play on Tennessee's second drive. Vince Young takes the snap, finds pressure and no open men, and starts to run right. Tampa Bay rookie defensive end Gaines Adams shoots past one block and spins out of another, clogs up Young's escape route, and Young runs right into LenDale White in the backfield. That wasn't a sack, obviously -- won't even be classified as a pressure -- but that play had a lot to do with the fact that Adams is starting to find his feet in the NFL. Very impressive.
Garcia did get a couple of long throws off -- a 39-yarder to Michael Clayton in the second quarter that led to a Tampa Bay field goal, and the 69-yard touchdown bomb to Joey Galloway in the third quarter. He's still an impressive quarterback -- smart, tough, efficient. He's been the difference in this game between two very strong defenses. Vince Young, on the other hand ... he was overthrowing everyone high early on, the pick he threw to Philip Buchanon was just goofy, and when he finally did start to get things going in the third quarter on running plays and short passes, he injured a quadriceps muscle, leading to the emergence of Kerry Collins.
Collins drives the Titans downfield late in the fourth quarter and gets a huge break when a potentially incredible end zone interception by Ronde Barber is just out of bounds when Barber hits the turf. He's getting a lot of time in the pocket, as the Buccaneers defense seems worn out by the time of possession discrepancy in the third quarter. Collins converts a third-and-15 in the red zone, and LenDale White runs in the tying touchdown from two yards out with less than two minutes left. That's Tennessee's first red zone trip of the game. On Tampa Bay's following drive, Garcia shows tremendous elusiveness on three straight completed passes, getting his team down the field, and Matt Bryant kicks a game-winning 43-yard field goal with 16 seconds left. I'll just say how impressed I am with Jeff Garcia's ability to efficiently make things happen in situations where improvisation is necessary.
Russell Levine: Garcia is worth his weight in gold. The offensive line isn't all that great, and they're starting a rookie no-name at left tackle, but he constantly avoids sacks and is never afraid to throw the ball away. He has yet to throw an interception on the year.
Mike Tanier: "Garcia is worth his weight in gold." I'm sorry. Am I being baited?
Aaron Schatz: I would like to hear somebody with a theory on why Garcia didn't work out in Cleveland or Detroit -- I mean, his DVOA was worse than Kelly Holcomb's in Cleveland and worse than Joey Harrington's in Detroit -- but he has worked out well in Tampa Bay. (We know why it worked out well in Philadelphia. It starts with "Brian" and ends with "Westbrook.")
Russell Levine: Tampa Bay's inability to run the ball nearly cost them the game. There's a reason why Earnest Graham is a street free agent. Tampa couldn't grind the clock at all in the second half, and their defense wore out. I would expect the Bucs to take one more run at trading for an established back before the deadline. The inability to run at all really hurts them, especially given that they nearly always play close games. Tampa Bay's defensive line couldn't get any pass rush at all on the game-tying drive for Tennessee. Kerry Collins, aside from a couple "Kerry Collins" moments, really played well. He picked up a number of third-and-long situations and the one touchdown drive was masterful. Tampa Bay looked like they might lose in regulation after Tennessee tied things. Two quick incompletions left them in third-and-long and the Titans still had two timeouts. But Garcia scrambled and found Ike Hilliard for 28 yards, eventually leading to the winning field goal.
The officiating was really dodgy in this game. Tennessee had to challenge two balls that were ruled Ronde Barber interceptions even though both were obvious incompletions. There was also a really strange "in the grasp" call on a play when Collins basically just tossed the ball on the turf. They also missed an obvious grounding call on Garcia on a play when he was wrapped up and just flipped the ball forward but it fell at least two yards short of the line of scrimmage.
Vince Verhei: I can't say much that hasn't already been said, but I can say this: LenDale White had 25 rushes for Tennessee, and none of them gained more than five yards.
Michael David Smith: Tim Rattay and Vinny Testaverde don't look as bad as I figured quarterbacks who just joined their teams this week would look. They're far from perfect, but they don't look horribly out of place.
Doug Farrar: Testaverde actually looked very good on the 65-yard touchdown to Steve Smith, and DeAngelo Williams broke a 75-yard run. The Cardinals will have to win with running and defense -- good thing they've now got a head coach who understands those concepts. Rattay's 50 percent completion rate and three picks don't exactly speak well. Arizona was just completely off today -- turnovers and penalties killed them.
Bill Moore: This game was much closer than the final score would suggest. The Dallas front seven (and often eight) had the most success at getting to Brady than any team so far. They did an excellent job of disguising who was coming at him. Matt Light was sick and therefore the Pats had a rotating set of offensive linemen (Nick Kazur rotated between left and right tackle positions), which may have something to do with it. However, part of getting to Tom Brady was using Roy Williams as a rusher. That left the Cowboys' subpar secondary without much help, and consequently, New England converted 11 of 17 third downs, and most of that was through the air.
Dallas also focused on making sure Randy Moss didn't beat them. He almost did. Brady missed an open Moss on a number of bomb passes -- overthrowing him each time. Moss also had two touchdowns taken back -- one for dropping the ball upon hitting the ground and one for a weak (and unnecessary) offensive pass interference. So instead of Moss beating them, Welker and Stallworth did. Welker had a career game (124 yards and two touchdowns), and Stallworth had his first real team contribution (136 yards, one touchdown). And yes, they are both on my fantasy team.
Michael David Smith: The NFL really needs to change the replay review force-out rule. It didn't matter because the Cowboys scored on the next play anyway, but they did get screwed when the Terrell Owens catch was overturned.
Doug Farrar: Well, I'll be happy to add to what is obviously going to be a "Crappy Officiating Section" in this week's Audibles by mentioning it looked as if Dallas free safety Pat Watkins got completely and utterly hosed on a pass interference call in the third quarter when Randy Moss ran into him in the end zone. That moved the ball from the Dallas 16-yard line to the 1-yard line, and Brady threw a touchdown pass on the next play.
Bill Moore: The Patriots lost two offensive weapons during the game. Ben Watson left with only one catch after a lower leg injury, and Sammy Morris left after an ineffective start with a chest injury (Lawrence Maroney was inactive again). After Morris went out the Patriots threw 12 times of the next 15 plays. Faulk picked it up in the fourth quarter. Dallas' first three drives were three-and-outs. I'll be interested in seeing Romo's DVOA from this game. His line of 18-of-29 for 199 yards, two touchdowns and one interception (thrown late in the game and down two touchdowns) seems OK, but in reality he only had two good drives the whole game.
In charting, we track "Wow" plays -- something Bill Simmons thought up. I have seen few "Wow" plays this year, but there was one today. Marion Barber was stuffed in the backfield at his own one-yard line, knocked back into the end zone, but continued running, evaded approximately three tackles while in the end zone and ran to the 12-yard line. How he wasn't tackled in the end zone, I have no idea.
Vince Verhei: I spent nearly seven hours in a bar watching football today, and for nearly all seven hours it was almost depressingly quiet in there (largely because the Seahawks were playing tonight, no doubt). That run was the only exception. Everyone was shouting and hollering. That was the most exciting two-yard gain of all time. Then it was over, and everyone went back to sipping their beer and checking their fantasy scores.
Bill Moore: Final observation, Rodney Harrison is not good in coverage. No one knows exactly where I live, right?!?
Sean McCormick: If there is a chink in the armor of the Patriots, it is the triangle between the two interior linebackers and Rodney Harrison. Dallas did an excellent job of forcing Harrison into single coverage against either Jason Witten or Patrick Crayton, and they exploited the matchup with regularity. It's not much of a chink when the offense is putting up 40 points, but I'm sure that Peyton Manning and Dallas Clark were taking notes.
Tony Romo really played a good game. He didn't force throws into coverage (or when he did, he put the ball where only the receiver could get it, as he did on his second touchdown toss to Crayton), and he never looked confused by what New England was up to. If Dallas could have somehow figured out how to get out of the gate faster, they would have been in this game until the end.
Aaron Schatz: Rodney Harrison was just brutal at the end of the second half. Just brutal. The Cowboys clearly saw something on film that said, "Rodney Harrison hits hard but he can't cover man-to-man anymore," and they went after him with passes to Jason Witten. Then they went after him when he was playing zone, and completed those passes too.
Just a reminder to all the crowing Patriots fans: The Colts are also playing historically well this year, and Baltimore and Pittsburgh are fairly good. This team is not done being tested, and they are not guaranteed the Lombardi Trophy, no matter how well they've played in the first six weeks.
Doug Farrar: First of all, it's good to see that the San Diego offense has come around, and interesting to see the Tomlinson-Turner productivity from last week reversed back in LT's favor. I'm not dismissing the Chargers' offensive resurgence at all. However, what the heck has happened to the Raiders' run defense? They were 16th in DVOA against the run last year, and they're dead last by a huge margin this year with basically the same personnel.
Vince Verhei: My first guess about Oakland's defense would have been advancing age, but Warren Sapp is the only starter on the front seven who's over 30.
Aaron Schatz: Attention female readers, particularly female readers in San Diego: Please note that it is important to pull your shirt down before you stand up to applaud all LaDainian Tomlinson touchdowns, lest you show an entire sports bar your ass. This is even more important when he scores four.
Doug Farrar: Seattle's offense, so ineffective last week against the Steelers, was without its top two receivers (Deion Branch and D.J. Hackett), tight end Marcus Pollard was hobbled in practice, and longtime fullback Mack Strong retired this week, leaving the Seahawks Strong-less for the first time since 1992. They're facing a defense with only one sack, but the New Orleans defense is pretty good against the run. Of course, the Saints get their second sack of the season on Seattle's first possession (gotta love that #$%^&* offensive line), and long snapper Boone Stutz, who was signed this week, hurled a bad snap on the opening punt which the Saints took in for a touchdown.
Then, the "eye-in-the-sky" camera malfunctions, falls out of the air and reportedly almost kills Matt Hasselbeck, leading to a 10-minute TV game delay, as I wonder if it's possible for right guard Chris Gray to be allowed to fling the camera at enemy defenders by the cable just to make things even.
Aaaaaand ... of course, New Orleans' first offensive play consists of Reggie Bush's longest NFL run, right up the middle, which is the one place he wasn't supposed to be able to run. I think it's nice that the Saints are finally looking decent, but it'd be preferable if the Seahawks weren't the facilitators of their 2007 breakout. Seattle's third offensive drive starts efficiently, but Matt Hasselbeck gets off two bad throws to Bobby Engram and Ben Obomanu, and then tries to hit Nate Burleson in the end zone with Mike McKenzie all over him, for a drive-ender. One thing about Seattle's defense -- you can't usually try delay plays on them. Either go right up the middle or use misdirection, because they pursue like crazy. However, the Saints are putting Jammal Brown right on Lofa Tatupu, which frees those lanes up the middle.
Michael David Smith: The Seahawks are having all kinds of problems with the long snap this year. I wish I had something intelligent to say about that, but I must confess that I really know nothing about how to improve your long-snapping situation, or about who the good free agent long-snappers are.
Doug Farrar: The Seahawks actually had a good one, the French-Canadian Jean-Phillipe Darche, who was last seen in Kansas City after a few injuries paved his way out of Seattle.
Eric Johnson's second quarter touchdown personifies what drives me completely nuts about Seattle's defensive game-planning. They send Julian Peterson (who can cover tight ends very well) in on a blitz, and they have Leroy Hill (who, as I've written before, has a great forward gear and no reverse whatsoever) on Johnson. If you're not going to use Hill for the two things he can do -- run-stopping and pass pressure -- why bother keeping him on the roster? Speaking of "I can't wait to see his DVOA," Matt Hasselbeck has looked abysmal through the first half. On the defensive side of the ball, the Seahawks are leaving a hole in the middle of their Cover-2 the size of Pork Chop Womack's butt, and Reggie Bush is looking like Adrian Peterson. I think I'll check back in when they resemble a football team.
Sean Payton does the icing-the-kicker-timeout thing at the end of the first half, though Josh Brown didn't actually get the first attempt off beforehand (making it more of a legitimate icing). Brown makes the 52-yarder, and we all once again wonder why the NFL needs to wait until the owner's meetings to change this rule.
Michael David Smith: Seneca Wallace could be a great NFL receiver. What in the world is Mike Holmgren doing keeping him at backup quarterback?
Doug Farrar: It does speak to the state of modern NFL quarterbacking that it would be difficult for the Seahawks to sign a backup as good as Wallace, who is a league average quarterback, but could be a wonderful receiver. Receivers are simply easier to find.
Interesting thing about the Seahawks over the last two games is that they've been very consistent in their inconsistency. In both games, they started out extremely slow due to a complete inability to run the ball and Hasselbeck's subsequent desire to do too much. Both games featured some really weird time-related issues at the end of the first half (Holmgren's refusal to use his timeouts against the Steelers, and the play call to Ben Obomanu on the low-percentage sideline pass with time running out and timeouts left instead of a better field position play against the Saints), and both games saw an almost complete lack of Seattle offense in the third quarter because the Seattle defense couldn't get the enemy offense off the field.
Hasselbeck's upswing in rating, and Seattle's late "scoring surge," came against New Orleans' "Out of the Office" defense when they were way up in the fourth quarter. Holmgren called a third-down fullback draw, the play they run that almost never works, when they were close to a scoring drive very late in the game, to at least make the score respectable. Mike Holmgren has not done well at all this season. Seahawks, America has your number, and if you want to save your season, you'd best figure out some productive alternatives.
Aaron Schatz: What the hell is Mike Holmgren doing with that last third down play call? Running Leonard Weaver right into the line with 1:40 left, down by 11, on third down, with no timeouts? What, he thought they were going to fool the Saints? Honestly, maybe they did think they would fool the Saints. They did it on an earlier Weaver draw, catching the Saints with a big hole where Josh Bullocks was blitzing. But still, trying the fullback run again is fine if they have a timeout left in case it doesn't work, or it is first down and they can stop the clock with a spike. But they get no yards, they have to hurry up the fourth down pass that means the game -- I mean seriously, what the hell?
Ben Riley: Let me explain. For the past three years, a little demon inside of Mike Holmgren's head has pushed the "hopeless draw-to-fullback-on-third-and-long" button in situations like tonight. Some people thought -- nay, hoped -- that Holmgren's demon was slayed the day Mack Strong announced his retirement. Obviously, he's alive and well.
Aaron Schatz: Yeah, but with 1:40 left and no timeouts? I think that Holmgren's "fullback draw" demon and Holmgren's "crappy clock management" demon got together and had an evil love child.
Ben Riley:But really, it's time to acknowledge that the Seahawks aren't very good. The pass rush was non-existent, the secondary made scrubs like David Patten and Billy Miller look like Pro Bowlers, and Matt Hasselbeck inexplicably decided to heave a pass to Bullocks to kill any hopes of a comeback. Oh, and Shaun Alexander is still a corpse. The Seahawks may still make the playoffs because the NFC West remains a joke, but there will be no Romo-botch to save them this year. The decline begins now.
Doug Farrar: Ben's right. The Saints met a team that allowed them to reverse all their negative trends in one fell swoop. They had one sack through the first four games, and five in this one. Drew Brees had thrown nine picks this season, and he threw none in this game, primarily because he didn't really see any pressure. Reggie Bush had his breakout game as a running back, and an offense that had scored the third-fewest points per game this season (behind only the 49ers and Rams) didn't seem to have any trouble tonight. When you allow two opponents in a row to bulldoze you like this, you are not a good team. We can throw around all the advanced stats and concepts we want, but sometimes it's as simple as that -- a team just isn't very good anymore.
308 comments, Last at 18 Oct 2007, 6:29pm by gmc
Re 281,282,284: Don't you think that is a bit harsh on Phillips? Think about this. How many times have you heard of an offense abandoning the pass? There are probably teams that have, but WAY more abandon the run - multiple teams, every week. So in that sense wouldn't it be a sensible defensive plan to try and get the other team to abandon the run, making them pass all the time, thereby making them a one-dimensional, predictable offense? Sure Brady, Moss yada-yada are a great passing unit, but if you know they are going to pass 90% of the time, surely you have a better chance of being prepared to stop them than if they were mixing successful runs in with their passes. To imply Wade Phillips should be out of the league for having a thought process like this one is ludicrous.
Re 270: Rich Conley - you sure are an argumentative chap aren't you? You are making a couple of unfounded insinuations in your post: 1) that Jimmy thinks that the Cowboys final drive against the Giants was a morally acceptable one and 2) by insinuation 1) you are implying that Jimmy must be a Cowboys fan and you are probably also thinking that he must be sour because his team was beaten on Sunday. You have no way of knowing that either of these things are true and you are just trying to start arguments that aren't there.
The other interesting aspect of your post was the implication you gave that just because the Cowboys have done it before, means that it is OK for the Patriots to do it. Very interesting and strange that a Pats fan would have that kind of attitude given other incidents this year - and yes that is dripping with sarcasm.
BTW just for the record I don't think the Pats were running up the score, but I respect you for your opinion Jimmy.
296: One can never be too hard on Wade Phillips. He's the Norv Turner of NFL head coaches.
Wade Phillips is 53-40 as a head coach.
Just sayin'.
Re 267:
Honestly, I know the Princess Bride a hell of a lot better than the other movies. Then again I'm in my mid-20s and saw the Princess Bride in class a few times. I think this could be more of a generational thing though and would understand if someone hadn't seen it.
Re 292:
Yeah, those Pats have been bums with their 5 Super Bowl appearances in 22 years. Don't get me started on all the playoffs the Red Sox have been in. Freakin' bums.
Seriously, I hate this crap from Boston fans. Look to New Orleans, Cinci, KC, Philly, etc. if you want to see some truly miserable fans and stop commiserating that you haven't been the best in everything ever just merely really good for long stretches.
Re 297, 298:
Looking at him earlier I think he's auditioning to be the new Marty.
290. "That was entirely my point. I'm glad we both agree that the Pats are bad sportsmen."
I will agree to that if you can agree that every single team in the NFL that wins a game is a bad sportsman.
"1) that Jimmy thinks that the Cowboys final drive against the Giants was a morally acceptable one "
No, I am not making that insinuation. What I am saying is that if this drive by the Patriots was morally reprehensible, and that makes the Patriots morally reprehensible, then every team in the NFL shares that same quality.
What idiot thinks running up the score is a problem in the pros anyway? Big babies...


text: NORTHAMPTON APPLE REPAIR LTD has been working since 6/7/2016. The current status of the business is Active NORTHAMPTON APPLE REPAIR LTD located on 9 STAINES CLOSE, NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND, NN5 5AT Kennedy Patrick is known as a Secretary of the company. Technician Kennedy Patrick is known as a Director of the company. Due date of the next annual return is 3/7/2018 12:00:00 AM.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Vultures & the Perils of Free Photos
Picture: A California Condor at the Condor Ridge exhibit of the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Photo by Chuck Szmurlo.
Now that I'm back from a week off with my family for Spring Break, I wanted to take a moment and respond to my last post, "Why I Like Free Photos."
From the buyer's side, I likened using Creative Commons image to being like stealing candy from a baby because it was so easy. All you had to do was pay attention to a few restrictions, the most common of which was properly crediting the photo. However, one of the comments highlighted a misunderstanding regarding the principle of "share-alike." That, along with other points are prompting me to write this rebuttal: "What I don't like about free photos."
To be clear, photo buyers are like vultures. It's their job to scavenge through heaps of material to find something that fills a need. If they find a photo that is free, what reason on earth would they have to keep looking or pay for something? Even when they have a budget for photo usage, they are under absolutely no obligation to give that money away if photographers don't ask for it. (BTW, I have the greatest respect for photo buyers and photo editors. In fact, I offer those services as part of my own business.)
I think the greatest problem is that most of the people using the CC license model simply aren't aware what value their images could have, simply don't care, or don't take the time to understand exactly what a CC license entails. And just like Royalty Free, assigning an image under the Creative Commons license is irrevocable once you've put it out there.
Picture: Biologist chasing recently released California Condors away from tourist lookouts to avoid habituation to humans, South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona. Note wing size relative to person.
If I wasn't a professional photographer, it would be easy to envision simply putting this image on the web at a place like Flickr, and marking it with a Creative Commons attribution license. Flickr is the prime scavenging ground for people looking for cheap or free photos, or simply for taking whatever they can find. Although it may not be a hugely commercial image, it certainly does have lots of editorial appeal, especially for textbooks.
Would someone have made the same choice about assigning a CC License if they knew ahead of time that a future a photo editor would be looking for an image that contained both condors and people in the wild? Would that choice change if they knew the buyer had a budget of several hundred dollars to pay for that use?
There is also a huge dichotomy that exists within the Creative Commons community and the photographic community regarding commercial use of an image. In general, the community thinks that a commercial use is anything that involves money, including use in an editorial magazine or book. However, in the photo and publishing communities, "commercial" is usually considered to define something specifically associated with the promotion of a product or service, and distinct from editorial. So what happens when someone marks a Creative Commons no commercial use licensed image that gets used inside a book because of a difference in semantics? Certainly an argument could be made from both sides, but the publishers usually have the advantage with bigger legal funds and lawyers on their side. It remains a gray area, and one that may eventually be decided in court.
There are also dangers and hazards that must be kept in mind by others. Recently, on a stock photography forum one photographer found out that images she had given to a nonprofit organization for use were now showing up on the Internet as having been available under a Creative Commons license. Both she and the nonprofit had to scramble quickly to try and rectify the situation. Yet it left me to wonder, what would happen to someone that had found one of those photos and used it believing it was a Creative Commons licensed photo?
Fortunately, when you do a search under the Creative Commons, they boldly state, "Do not assume that the results displayed in this search portal are under a CC license." I know to satisfy my own concerns, and those of my publishers, I took the precautions to copy the license information and URL and put it into the image metadata, as well as making a screen capture of the page showing the image with the affirmation of the Creative Commons license.
In the end, it will always be the responsibilities of both the photographer and user to understand how they are licensing or using an image.
Comment on this post:
Copyright info for using or linking to the pictures.


text:
"By now I'm sure you've heard of this thing called Animal Crossing: New Leaf, which may or may not be some Illuminati conspiracy to get us all addicted to the same game before "they" pull the switch and turns us all into The Last Of Us-esque zombies. You may have also read my review, which paints the game in a very positive and innocuous light.
Two weeks later, I see I was wrong. Not because New Leaf is a bad game—oh how wrong you are, friend—it's amazing. The thing is, much like Australia, everything in this game wants to kill you.
For the first few iterations of Animal Crossing, everything seemed pleasant. And perhaps it was too pleasant. Perhaps selling fruit and trading furniture with your neighbor Cookie—the nicest, coolest anthropomorphic dog ever, the Jennifer Lawrence of anthropomorphic dogs really—was all just to lure us into a false sense of security. Maybe on occasion you would shake loose a bee-hive from a tree and get stung. But you were stupid for doing so and this was nature's way of telling you such."
- Maxwell Coviello
cookie is awesome, and i got owned by a scorpion trying to catch one :(


text:
Endoravin 4
Fellow Moffs, as you are aware, we had an unfortunate incident on Bespin last month. With limited resources, a religious terrorist attempted to assassinate Vader. While Vader survived the attack, he unleashed private security contractors to pursue the would-be assassins, and found himself betrayed by the local governor and his personal defense forces.
This is only the latest is a series of breaches of Imperial security in recent years. Disparate religious terrorists, criminal elements, unreliable local government, and dispersed operations are making the foe we face an intractable problem wherever we go. While our fleet and core worlds are not themselves in jeopardy, any major investments or deployments we make on the edge of our empire are vulnerable. This is especially true of high value targets, which extend up from Star Destroyers to Death Stars but can be as vulnerable as unsupported Imperial stormtroopers operating among a hostile populace.
This is a mistake we have made before. Yavin 4, where the Rebel Alliance clustered after the demoralizing obliteration of Alderaan, should have been a moment of triumph. Yet we underestimated the ability of rebels and their Bothan allies to infiltrate our communications, and did not expect common criminals to join in an ideological raid. Yavin 4 was undoubtedly a defeat.
I can hear those of you in the back rows even now grumbling your disagreement. "Surely," you are saying to yourselves, "the loss of a fortified, hospitable hideout must count as a partial success. After all, the Rebel Alliance no longer operates on Yavin 4." This is true. We have denied them one safe haven. But we only denied them one safe haven in a galaxy of thousands. Our eagerness to meet the threat solely with technological superiority let us neglect the manpower necessary for a thorough cleanse of the world and eradication of these dangerous, nonstate actors.
I mention all of this because I fear that we are making the same mistake in Endor that we made in Yavin 4. The conditions match exactly. It's a forest moon, great for hosting rebels. We do not know where the criminal element that was last seen smuggling religious ideologues resides, and can only assume that they returned instead to safe forests, rather than hostile deserts. We have placed our security again in secrecy, assuming that a little-noticed external vulnerability can be adequately protected more by secrecy than overwhelming defensive force.
-Admiral Zsinj
Endor is Not a Moon of Yavin:
Distinguished Imperial leadership, I understand that for many of you Endor is a new topic of study. It's an obscure moon of a backwater planet, which is kind of the point. Endor's obscurity is it's greatest shield. While inhabited, the population lacks a written language, much less interstellar transport or communication. They are extremely hostile to outsiders; the closest word they have to "stranger" translates roughly as "unfamiliar food." Their weapons are no match for our own, and it is incredibly unlikely that any foreign fighters could possibly motivate them to anger over their own appetites.
Yavin, as I understand it, is the graveyard of Death Stars. Unlike Endor, it lacks any native, sentient population. It was a world that exclusively housed rebels, a single, benign tumor. There were no smugglers, no religious radicals, only violent militia bent on undermining our Empire and destroying the galactic commons. Had we only acted faster, it could have been destroyed.
Hoth, it's worth remembering, was not like that. On Hoth, we opted for the slow approach, a ground invasion and occupation, aimed at stemming the rebel advance before they entrenched themselves in a second safe haven. Hoth clearly shows that the Rebels show no arboreal allegiance, and that their basing concerns are centered on how to avoid detection, not necessarily proximity for striking at Imperial assets. That we think Endor is vulnerable indicates our failure to understand the current state of the alliance – beleaguered, on the run, and resorting to unscrupulous smugglers or sympathetic local governments. Worth noting that as hostile as Bespin was to Imperial presence, they also expelled the rebels, and the governor too when it was found out he had rebel sympathies.
All of this leads us back to Endor. Given the local hostility to outsiders, a small base and unobtrusive station should provide us with the best balance between remaining undetected and allowing the natives to defend against any attempts at Rebel basing. There is no commerce to be had in this end of the galaxy, so criminal connections will not lead the rebels here. The rebels are themselves on the retreat, looking for a secure base of operations, and are unlikely to mount a major assault. Endor will be overlooked as a possible haven.
I cannot guarantee the safety of the Empire, but I can tell you all that we are better basing plans on the work of regional commanders, rather than distant fleet analysts.
– Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod


text:
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Freevents Keyboard & Mouse won't work
\015 I have a wireless freevents keyboard and mouse which I cannot seem to get working. The batteries are in working order etc, it's just no signal seems to be passed or received. Am I missing something?\015
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Make sure you install the proper drivers for both devises that sure take care of the problem
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text:
Green Highlands Earth Day Celebration
The Green Highlands Paulding Club sponsored an Earth Day celebration to help educate and inspire others to keep it green and clean. Through Green Highlands' effort, 50 cans of food were collected and $37 was raised for Helping Hands of Paulding County! Green Highlands also raised $31 through their drink sales. Exeuctive Director of Keep Paulding Beautiful, Tommy Leonard, was the special guest speaker for the event.


text:
In 1968 the Justice Department's Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs was formed. The organization then was composed of personnel from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (Treasury Department) and the Bureau of Drug Abuse Control (Food and Drug Administration) of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. In 1973 the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was created by merging the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, the Office for Drug Abuse Law Enforcement, the Office of National Narcotics Intelligence, elements of the U.S. Customs Service that worked in drug trafficking intelligence and investigations, and the Narcotics Advance Research Management Team.
The mission of the DEA is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and to bring to the criminal and civil justice systems of the United States, or any other competent jurisdiction, those organizations, and principal members of organizations, involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illicit traffic in the United States; and to recommend and support non-enforcement programs aimed at reducing the availability of and demand for illicit controlled substances on the domestic and international markets.
In carrying out its mission as the agency responsible for enforcing the controlled substance laws and regulations of the United States, DEA's primary responsibilities include:
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text:
The Inova Loudoun Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is Inova-System and Hospital supported. The facility has 100 licensed beds on the beautiful Cornwall Campus. The Director of Nursing will direct the operation of Long Term Care Nursing Department. Leads and coordinates key strategic development and functional services to support departmental objectives and Inova's goals. Manages department's finances, including budgeting and control of salary, non-salary, and capital investment expenses. Manages 115+ professional and clerical staff, including day-to-day supervision, employee relations, and staff development. Maintains an effective and responsive relationship with patients, attending medical staff and other departments.
The Director of Nursing has an exceptional team to partner with to include physicians, nurse unit managers, registered nurse supervisor, educator, infection control professional and a full-time scheduler.
2205 Hancock DriveAustin, TX 78756
(512) firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni recently spoke out against his country's controversial anti-homosexuality law that mandates life imprisonment for homosexual acts and those who do not report gay citizens. In a sprawling eight-page letter which also discussed East Africa's fight for independence and solidarity, President Museveni admitted that he had not "concentrated his mind" on the issue of homosexuality and "who is homosexual" until the law was passed by "a small group of MPs, led by Hon Kadaga."
President Museveni wonders: "How can you pass law without the quorum of Parliament after it has been pointed out? What sort of Parliament is this? How can Parliament be the one to break the Constitution and the Law repeatedly?"
In the rambling missive, Museveni says "a homosexual is one who is abnormal because the normal person was created to be attracted to the opposite sex," but goes on to wonder, "What do we do with an abnormal person? Do we kill him/her? Do we imprison him/her? Do we contain him/her?"
While some argue God did not create gays and lesbians, President Museveni compares gay folks to albinos, epileptics, "barren women," and others who have "disabilities." Museveni goes on to assert that in the old days homosexuality could be "contained" through arranged marriages, but "this has been interfered with by the modern concept of 'falling in love at first sight' grabbed by our 'modern' women and men…. I suspect this has been the problem in Europe and the West."
Museveni concedes that there are a certain number of "abnormal" people who are born gay, but feels that the largest group of LGBT people in his country are those who are "homosexual for mercenary reasons" and get "recruited on account of financial inducements." When speaking of Uganda's lesbian women, Museveni says a small number of women are born "abnormal," but others turn to lesbianism to make ends meet, or because they are "sexually starved" because they are unmarried.
"Women are normally more than men for reasons I do not know. In the past this imbalance could have been addressed by polygamy. Some religions de-campaign this traditional practice. What, then, happens to these surplus women?"
President Museveni argues leaders can cure Uganda of its "mercenary deviants" by improving economic conditions in the country and approving legislation that would fast-track infrastructure expansion and put young people to work. He also argues that lawmakers should craft legislation that responds harshly, including life sentences, to those who "lure [people] into abnormal and deviant behaviors" for financial reasons.
President Museveni criticized Uganda's parliament for pasting the anti-gay law, arguing gays should be "rescued," rather than punished. He concludes homosexuals (except those who do so for "mercenary" reasons) are simply "abnormal" and should be treated as such.


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I love Italian sweet sausage. It's good on pizza or any pasta dish.
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I love Italian sweet sausage. It's good on pizza or any pasta dish.
I'm trying to gradually guide myself back onto a healthy eating diet after a summer of travel and good food (I don't deny myself when there is incredible food being served). So today I made red lentils with carrots and onions flavored with black pepper, garlic, turmeric, curry, and a little sea salt. OMG!!! Healthy eating is not a hardship when the food tastes this good.
I was in the mood for pizza all day today and was trying to figure out where to get it delivered from. I stopped by the grocery store after work to look at frozen pizza, thinking they might be a bit cheaper, but actually they were about the same price as pizza from a pizzeria, and they only had thin crust pizza. I'd rather have freshly-made pizza for the price so I left the grocery store without buying anything.
Then it occurred to me that I had no reason to hurry home so I decided to eat in at a pizza place (I ended up choosing Pizza Hut). I got the salad bar and a BBQ pizza and it was so good! There's nothing like having pizza straight out of the oven, all gooey and cheesy. It was only two dollars more for a large so I got that size and had leftovers to take home. I put two slices in the refrigerator to have tomorrow and put the rest in the freezer.
If only I had some chocolate for dessert...
Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Therapy. :up
I am all about Papa John's pizza, but I've tried very hard to avoid them since Papa John is all about Mitt Romney. Politics can be so annoying, in more ways than one!!! I will admit to one moment of weakness since all of this crap began. :sad
I think Papa John's must be better in other states, because here in CA, it's the worst of the worst. The few times I've had it, I thought it was awful - bland, very few toppings, just not worth it. I know people who've lived in other parts of the country who have said it's much better where they lived. I hope so, because the stuff here is nasty! :lol
The one time my family and I tried Papa John's, we didn't like it one bit. The crust was as thick as a bed, the sauce was too sweet, and it just didn't taste good. I've been curious about trying it again, in case maybe we just got a bad pizza that night or maybe we would like one of their other pizzas, but I've been afraid to shell out money and get the same result as the first time.
They sure are popular in my area so obviously plenty of people do like them.
When I, once, got a "scantily clad" pizza, I (much to my son's embarrassment) wrote a little letter to tell them how disappointed I was. The next pizza I got weighed a TON with lots of goodies on it, and the area manager fell all over herself apologizing for the "skinny" pizza! It was well worth sonny boy's embarrassment! I've not had a problem since.
I'm still going to be "off" that Romney-supporting pizza! :cuss
My husband loves Papa John's, but I don't care for it. I like lots of good sauce on my pizza, and there's something yucky about theirs - plus they're cheap with it even if you ask them to go heavy on it. Their whole-wheat crust option is nasty, too. I think it must be a matter of personal preference more than a regional thing. :shrug
My favorite pizza in my city is a small chain that has a location maybe a mile from my house. They have great coupons and really good pizza. I can get two large pizzas for maybe $20 and if I pick it up, I get a 2L soda or a pint of ice cream. Not a bad deal. Their BBQ chicken pizza is to die for. I'm totally addicted! Plus, they have good (although not great) salads and I can order online if I don't want to pick it up. They always deliver in less than an hour. They usually give a 45 minute time frame and it's almost always here sooner.
Dang, I just gave myself a wicked pizza craving! I wish I wasn't trying to behave myself (diet-wise and financially)! :lol


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6:35 A.M. Update:
The Brunswick Line's Dickerson station has reopened for passengers.
Original Post:
A disabled freight train is blocking the platform of the Dickerston Station, causing issues for riders on MARC's Brunswick Line. As a result, the Maryland Transit Administration asked CSX to have trains 890 and 876 make special stops at Barnesville for passengers unable to use Dickerson.
Passengers are advised to use the Barnesville or Germantown stations until the freight train is moved.


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We can eliminate one player from outfield competition. Adonis Garcia broke the hamate bone in his left wrist during batting practice on Sunday and will have surgery on Thursday, the Yankees announced. He'll miss 6-8 weeks according to Chad Jennings. Hamate injuries are notorious for sapping power and that figures to be the case for Garcia since the left hand is his bottom hand as a right-handed hitter. The Yankees still have plenty of outfield candidates, so it's not a huge loss in that sense.
River Ave. Blues » Adonis Garcia to have surgery on broken hamate bone


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Last edited by MrJokster; 27th April 2013 at 11:50 PM. Reason: Connection problems due to campus internet
Gen V Friend Code: 5287 1861 3269
Looking for these dex families!
I have the legendaries in my sig to trade for multiples, let me know if someone can help!! Thanks!
Pokemon Moon Recent Shiny
Female Salandit, Dewpider, Crabwraler
Username: ysmr97
Friend Code: 3869 7445 9694
Best Times for Trading: Weekday afternoons
Pokemon Needed for PokeDex: Groudon Kyogre and Rayquaza
Other: I am just looking for a quick trade then trade back! Nothing more! I just want to complete my national dex. PM ME!
Last edited by ysmr97; 30th April 2013 at 2:36 AM.
My 3DS FC is 2964-8767-0282 PM me if you add me!
Visit Me and Chapter of Charizards gaming blog. Fans are always appreciated and welcomed. Feel free to comment!
Just looking for a snover/abomasnow, message me to work something out!
Pokemon Moon Recent Shiny
Female Salandit, Dewpider, Crabwraler
Need a Celebi to complete my 2nd generation collection!
Can trade a UT Mystery Mew.
Username: ysmr97
Friend Code: 3869 7445 9694
Best Times for Trading: Weekday afternoons
Pokemon Needed for PokeDex: Lapras
Other: I am just looking for a quick trade then trade back! Nothing more! I just want to complete my Unova dex. PM ME!
My 3DS FC is 2964-8767-0282 PM me if you add me!
Visit Me and Chapter of Charizards gaming blog. Fans are always appreciated and welcomed. Feel free to comment!
I am looking for:
To complete my Unova Dex. We can trade and trade back or, trade for anything that I may have. Send me a PM with your FC and what time you would like to trade.
Pokedex has been completed. If anyone needs help please let me know.
Last edited by Horrid; 4th May 2013 at 2:17 PM. Reason: Pokedex completed
I need help with pokedex entries. Black 2 FC 0519 6410 0546
Xbl gamertag - Ix Requiem xI
Please anybody, My dex is almost done. just need a Palkia and Latias. All I need is the dex entry. I have a bunch of dw and all other pokemon pretty much. Not including all event legendaries. Help me out plz
In desperate need of trade info: Palkia, Latias
In need for trade: Chimchar, Chikorita, Totodile, Piplup
I have pretty much any pokemon and many with the DW abilities please contact me.
Need some legendary dex. info. , I have arceus to info you back with/collateral
Black FC: 5415 9915 9793
Black2 FC: Milling events
X Friend code: ZK2Z-U9WG-JALB-WJBE
3ds Friend code: 4270-0846-6137
Pokedex is 645/645 Need Manaphy Shaymin Victini Keldeo
I have a slightly modified trade request. I'd like to borrow someone's Therian Forme Landorus so that I can get the Reveal Glass. Then I'll return it. PM/VM if you're willing to lend a hand (and a tiger). =)
2237 7714 5154
Available any day, usually past 8pm EST
Robin Williams
"What's it gonna be? I don't know. But maybe along the way, you take my hand, tell a few jokes, and have some fun. C'mon, pal. You're not afraid, are ya?"
If anyone has a Skitty they can trade me it would be much appreciated.
Looking for a dex entry for skitty, just need a quick trade and trade back.
White friend code: 3525 6204 2659
Black 2 friend code: 4127 5588 8222
Safari: fire type
Username: Kyle
Friend Code: 0734-2745-6973
Best Times for Trading: Any time
Pokemon needed for Dex: torchic, victini, mew
Other: I sometimes have stuff going on, so pm me
I need Latias and Rayquaza for my dex. PM me if you are willing to do some tradebacks.
Friend Code for White 2:
Name: MINA
Code: 0734 3692 2061
Originally Posted by Ledian_X
And now you have God prancing around your ranch. How DO you sleep at night?
What to say, what to say, what to say...um, hi!
Diamond FC:3051 4644 2102
I'm looking for Tornadus to complete my Pokedex. If you're willing to do a tradeback PM me.
The only real Persian is a shiny Persian.
Platinum Friend Code: 2149-9791-3574
White Friend Code: 5029-3447-3273
I need a Genesect, I have Uxie, Azelf, Spiritomb, Heatran to trade or willing to do trade back.
Last edited by Marinda H; 26th May 2013 at 10:04 PM.
All icons are from Spriter's Resource ©.
I need Mew, Celebi, Manaphy and Shatmin for Dex entry. I can trade them right back. PM if you can help me out.
IGN: Adam
Pokemon Y Friend Safari - Ghost: Lampent, Phantump, Dusclops
Username: jerrica
Friend Code: 3525-9878-0876
Best Times for Trading: any I'm home a lot
Pokemon Needed for PokeDex: regigias, giratina, darkrai, rayquaza, kyogre, device, registeel
pokemon X fc: 4940-6419-7030
Looking for the Pokémon in my siggy (for keeps) to complete my Dex and get ready for Gen VI. If it's not in my sig, I can breed it. I also have a few spare legends and some items if you're looking for any. Shoot me a PM and we'll work a time out that works for both of us.
Last edited by MrJokster; 17th May 2013 at 5:43 AM.
Gen V Friend Code: 5287 1861 3269
I need to dex genosect, keldeo, thunderus, and landorus. If anyone can let me dex them that would be great =)
Last edited by Nibbles4Ever; 25th May 2013 at 3:22 AM.
Pokemon fan girl since 1999 =D Raichu is #1 Forever!!!
I`m looking for whats in my signature, would rather do a trade-back, but can see what I have if you don`t want that. I have lots of pokemon(have everything that is not listed in my signature <- always updated), so let me know what pokemon I have that can help fill up your dex (Have the event pokemon Deoxys, Jirachi, Darkrai, Shaymin and Arceus, they are NOT up for trade, but can do trade-backs with them). In advance, thanks!
Trade completed, National Dex aquired!
Last edited by LaraCroft85; 28th May 2013 at 10:39 AM.
National Pokedex completed!
Have Pokerus, all starters, most legendaries, event pokemons.
Pokemon I don`t have(just the dex entry) :
Black 2 FC: 0004-2824-8558
GMT +2 hours
Username: Jackson_Pokemon
Friend Code: 1850 6484 8066
Best Times for Trading: Any day between 4pm and 10pm
Pokemon Needed for PokeDex: Victini
Other: i would like to keep, if that is okay. i have some decent pokemon you could keep. If not... thats fine.
Hi I'm looking for Groudon, and Manaphy for Dex entries. We can do a trade-back or I can have one and give you DWFs in my signature and some other legends that you are also in need of. PM me when you get a chance if any of this pops out at you, Thanks!!
Edit 1: Got Azelf, Trade Complete. Still need Groudon/Manaphy.
Last edited by AmphyLucky13; 26th May 2013 at 1:47 AM.
3DS FC: 2879-0175-7289 Zelda (X), Maybell (AS) & Saria (OR)
Friend Safari: Fire Type Ponyta / Larvesta / Braixen
Below Is My Trade Shop
(It has been re-named and has been updated and changed)


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There is a new sign popping up all over town. I've seen it in on buildings, on lawns, even in car windows. It reads, "Vote 'Yes' on the Tobacco Tax, Help Prevent Teenage Smoking!" What a wonderful slogan! - completely devoid of common sense, but wonderful nonetheless. No, I am not crazy. No, I don't think teens should smoke. I am, however, a realist. I know a couple of facts that illustrate the naiveté of these signs.
First, teens are the one segment of society that possesses what most financial folks like to call "disposable income." This means that the money they make (or are given) is not required for bills, living expenses, etc. It is pretty much "fun" money - spend on whatever you want.
Second, since when did the high sticker price anything ever inhibit a teen from obtaining it? Have you looked at the price of a popular pair of jeans lately? How about some new sneakers? A hundred bucks for either is not unheard of. In addition, I have seen numerous high school students driving cars more expensive than my own. How can kids afford this kind of exorbitance? Refer to point number one.
The tobacco tax won't really prevent kids from smoking, it will just generate more revenue from the ones who do. Revenue for what, you ask?
Revenue to fund the "prevent smoking" programs for the non-smoking school kids whose parents are too cheap to pay for these programs themselves. If these programs were really that important, the entire community would be paying for them - instead of trying to pawn them off on someone else.
Oh, and just for the record, I don't smoke. As a non-smoker, I don't feel right that smokers are being forced/fleeced to pay for programs intended for my children. Get a clue, people. Vote "No."
Patrick McGonegal
© 2018. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us


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Five and a half years after Irrational Games' last adventure, they have returned to the franchise that brought them so much acclaim back in 2007. This is no sequel, it's barely even a prequel, though it does share Bioshock's tone, themes and style.
The year is 1912 and New Yorker and former army man Booker DeWitt has amassed a debt that he can't repay. However, if he can travel to the city above the clouds known as Columbia and bring back a young woman named Elizabeth, who has some strange abilities, the debt will be cleared. Though as you can probably guess, it isn't going to be that easy, not by a long shot.
To say the story is muddled would be selling it short, it's all over the freaking place! There seems to be a multitude of ideas swimming about here vying for defiance. Entire plots rise, take over, then are disregarded, barely to be mentioned again. The most interesting story is the main one; Booker and Elizabeth trying to escape the bizarre city while discovering twists along the way, but for almost half of the game you're forced along on fetch quests and asked to backtrack constantly across the same areas numerous times.
Columbia is an impressive place, though it can be difficult to explore. In many respects, Bioshock: Infinite behaves like an open world game though is still very much linear. Pushing up on the D-Pad will create an arrow on the ground which will outright tell you where to go (similar to Dead Space), expect to use this button often as the level design isn't going to help you (though it is removed from the touted "1999 mode"). You will also quickly learn to recognise some set-pieces, from a door suddenly blocking your path until you track down the necessary power needed to unlock it, to the npc who "tests your will" by sending countless bad guys after you.
Every so often, Elizabeth may say "we can go straight to the objective or we can explore this way" as there would be no way we would know about it otherwise. The fact we have to be told the potential for exploration helps emphasis how removed it feels from the design. There's nothing wrong with linear games, but add this to the fact that backtracking to previous areas is extremely limited unless it's to do with the story (despite some optional side-missions), a few "choices" to be made and a strange moment when you're told that stealing from people may result in dire consequences only for the mechanic to be immediately dropped, the game feels confused.
Gameplay and story simply don't mesh very well. One minute you breathe in the right-wing supremest propaganda as it feels as if the story is trying to tell a tale of man's arrogance with hefty tones, but then combat starts in which you can gratuitously rip heads off and shoot lightning from your fingertips while fighting mechanical George Washingtons. It's not too big an issue, I only bring it up because it feels as if Irrational Games were actually trying to tell a serious story, when in the end it's actually all very camp and silly if you think about it.
A major opportunity is lost when it comes to making the player care about Elizabeth. During cut-scenes and dialogue she's great; fun, bubbly, believable and easy to relate to (although she's a little too chirpy when picking locks, even at the darkest moments), thanks to great motion capture and voice acting. The major issue is when the gameplay starts, it's like she's removed from the events. At one point, a menu pops up to tell you that "You don't need to worry about Elizabeth, she can take care of herself". While I can appreciate the fear of the game simply being one long escort mission, you simply don't feel much of a connection to her during gameplay.
She isn't completely useless to be fair though, in fact she behaves more like a partner than a damsel for the most part. She doesn't pick up a gun and join in, though she will scour the environment and give you ammo, health or salts (which power your Vigors, the "magic" of the game), add this to the fact that she tends to run ahead of Booker while exploring, she's more like the dog from Fable 2. The real shame is that we never really get a chance to interact with her as a player, the ability to talk with her further between gun fights would have been a nice touch, similar to Prince of Persia (2008) where with the push of a button you can turn and talk to the Princess, where back-stories can be explained and characters further developed.
The ending is bound to be the topic of conversation for a good while, with strong opinions on both sides of the fence. Due to the subject matter, I'm sure there will be people who will eat it up and ask for seconds, but personally, I felt cheated. There is a conversation with one of the main bad guys near the end in which he flat-out points out a plot-hole in his own logic that has lasted the whole game. It simply felt like a barrage of twists from left field for the sake of it. When I let it settle in my mind I feel as if I'm just about ready to accept it on some level, but then another plot hole comes to mind that throws a pebble right in the middle causing ripples to spread.
All and all, the story is uneven, effective in patches but far too much fluff that seems to only exist to lengthen the running time, it works best when it simply deals with the main story-line. It also suffers from a surprising lack of polish, there are a few too many plot holes, inconsistencies and evidence of baffling writing: at one point, Booker tells Elizabeth what his mission is and she barely reacts, a couple of minutes later he tells her again, suddenly she bursts into tears as if she never heard the story before. For a game so long in development, it's crazy that nobody noticed this.
At times, the combat can be exhilarating, thanks mainly to the power lines, which I'm sure you've seen if you've watched the trailers. The ability to jump on these lines with your hook and take out enemies up above that were causing you trouble, only to then jump back on, swing to the other side of the map and surprise an unsuspecting enemy is quite something. THIS is Bioshock Infinite at its best.
However, more often than not, it's a simple trudge along corridors that we've come to expect from countless FPS games these days. It can be fun to combine powers but your energy runs out so quickly and doesn't regenerate that the game almost encourages you to rely more on your guns.
As the game goes on, combat can become an annoying chore. This was a similar problem with Bioshock; the enemies become much stronger as time goes by despite not changing in appearance, taking far more damage tha you'd think would be necessary. My advice? Save your money for upgrades to your weapons. Vigors are fine but can run out quickly, especially in heated battles and you can't hold vigor bottles (or health) in reserve. There is no real use in buying ammo or health from vending machines because Elisabeth will likely throw you what you need in the middle of a battle, the rest you can pick up from bodies and chests; expect to hammer the X button while running over a field of bodies during a battle. Booker has the same consumption problem as Jack from Bioshock, as it's impossible for him to pick up an item without immediately using it, whether it's health, food, energy or even cigarettes.
Even if you do fall, there is no death in this game, again, like Bioshock, though yet again it barely factors into the narrative beyond Booker being creeped out the first time it happens then never mentioning it again. Elizabeth also seems to have an infinite supply of needles on her person, as whenever you "die" in her company, she'll inject you with something that will bring you back to your feet.
This is a bizarre decision and an aspect of games that I'm surprised still exists. The only penalty for death is to have approximately $25 removed from your purse and having the enemies restore some of their health, though I think it's time for developers to realise that losing a little pocket-money isn't that big a deal when we can just power through with newly replenished powers and fully stocked ammo. As such this game commits one of the biggest sins of a single player experience: it makes you not care when you die. Because of this, you will continue to die. Often.
As with Rapture, the world of Columbia is stunning. While the atmosphere may not be as thick and dreary, it does have much more life. Many areas in the first act allow you to simply roam around without being attacked, letting you breath it all in. You can eavesdrop on conversations, listen to some great music (an acapella version of "God only knows" is a highlight) and even take part in carnival games. A moment when Elizabeth offers food to a young child may be cheesy and heavy-handed but it still sent chills all over my body. The city is thriving this time around, your enemies aren't mindless monsters (cough) but are instead are committed to an ideal and loyal to their prophet, though it's hard to shake the feeling that had Booker not arrived so soon, Columbia may not be too dissimilar to Rapture.
Bioshock Infinite is still a positive experience and one that's worth taking, but it is also a confused one. Topics of Quantum Mechanics and Civil War make fine backdrops but are all too often pushed to the front at the expense of the main story. I can't fault the ambition, it's just the execution that is lacking in key areas. Combat and story share something in that they can both be nerve rattlingly exciting at times but uninvolving or misjudged at others. If the first thing I say out loud at the end of a game is "Oh for God's sake don't end like that!", then I can conclude that it hasn't quite passed the Kevin test. Close though.


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CLEVELAND (Reuters) - The two Ohio correctional officers on duty when Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro was found hanged in this cell were put on paid leave Tuesday pending an internal investigation, a prison spokeswoman said.
The leave does not suggest wrongdoing by the prison guards, said Ohio Department of Corrections spokeswoman JoEllen Smith. The department expects to complete an investigation by the end of the month, she said.


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The 6th Grade Orchestra Program at Orefield and Springhouse Middle Schools are separate programs that combine for District Wide Holiday and Spring Concerts. Students will continue studying violin, viola, cello or bass and receive a weekly lesson in an assigned group on a rotating schedule during 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 6th marking periods.
During 2nd and 5th marking periods, Orchestra is an assigned class that meets every day during the same period for the entire marking period. There are no weekly lessons during 2nd or 5th marking periods.
PLEASE NOTE - During 2nd & 5th Marking Periods
Students in Orchestra only
Attend Orchestra every day
Students in Chorus/Orchestra
Orchestra – Days 1,3,5
Chorus – Days 2,4,6
Students in Band/Orchestra
Orchestra - Days 1,3,5
Band – Days 2,4,6
Students in Band/Chorus/Orchestra
Band- Days 1,2
Orchestra – Days 3,4
Chorus – Days 5,6
The opportunities provided at the middle school will include advanced technique and a more challenging level of orchestra music. In addition to playing in the 6th Grade Orchestra, individual growth and achievement are encouraged through participation in Honors Orchestra, PMEA Festivals, and private lessons.