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Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Bulwer-Lytton 2010 Contest Winners
For the first month of Ricardo and Felicity's affair, they greeted one another at every stolen rendezvous with a kiss--a lengthy, ravenous kiss, Ricardo lapping and sucking at Felicity's mouth as if she were a giant cage-mounted water bottle and he were the world's thirstiest gerbil.
Molly Ringle
Seattle, WA
The winner of the 2010 Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest is Molly Ringle of Seattle, Washington. The author of one published and two soon-to-be-published novels, Molly Ringle only writes bad fiction when she fails at good fiction. She'd rather not say how often this happens. She lives in Seattle with her family, and her vices include uncalled-for moments of sarcasm, excessive consumption of Nutella, and an unladylike avidity for the raunchy films of Mel Brooks
Molly Ringle is the 28th grand prize winner of the contest that that began at San Jose State University in 1982. She is also the second consecutive Washingtonian to win the contest, last year's being David McKenzie.
Through the verdant plains of North Umbria walked Waylon Ogglethorpe and, as he walked, the clouds whispered his name, the birds of the air sang his praises, and the beasts of the fields from smallest to greatest said, "There goes the most noble among men" -- in other words, a typical stroll for a schizophrenic ventriloquist with delusions of grandeur.
Tom Wallace
Columbia, SC
Winner: Adventure
The blazing equatorial sun beat down on Simon's head and shoulders as he dug feverishly in the hot sand with the ivory shoe-horn his mother had given him before the homecoming game with Taft, when the field was so wet that he'd lost his low-tops seven times in the cold sucking mud.
Adam McDonough
Reedsburgh, Wi
When Hru-Kar, the alpha-ranking male of the silver-backed gorilla tribe finished unleashing simian hell on Lt. Cavendish, the once handsome young soldier from Her Majesty's 47th Regiment resembled nothing so much as a crumpled up piece of khaki-colored construction paper that had been dipped in La Victoria chunky salsa.
Greg Homer
Placerville, CA
Winner: Children's Literature
"Please Mr. Fox, don't take your magic back to the forest, it is needed here in Twigsville!" pleaded little Isabel, but Mr. Fox was unconcerned as he smugly loped back into the woods without answering a word knowing well that his magic was only going to be used to make sure his forest would be annexed into the neighboring community of Leaftown where the property values were much higher.
Pete Watkins
Broken Arrow, OK
Winner: Detective
She walked into my office wearing a body that would make a man write bad checks, but in this paperless age you would first have to obtain her ABA Routing Transit Number and Account Number and then disable your own Overdraft Protection in order to do so.
Steve Lynch
San Marcos, CA
As Holmes, who had a nose for danger, quietly fingered the bloody knife and eyed the various body parts strewn along the dark, deserted highway, he placed his ear to the ground and, with his heart in his throat, silently mouthed to his companion, "Arm yourself, Watson, there is an evil hand afoot ahead.
Dennis Pearce
Lexington, KY
Winner: Fantasy Fiction
The wood nymph fairies blissfully pranced in the morning light past the glistening dewdrops on the meadow thistles by the Old Mill, ignorant of the daily slaughter that occurred just behind its lichen-encrusted walls, twin 20-ton mill stones savagely ripping apart the husks of wheat seed, gleefully smearing the starchy entrails across their dour granite faces in unspeakable botanical horror and carnage – but that's not our story; ours is about fairies!
Rick Cheeseman
Waconia, MN
Winner: Historical Fiction
In Southwestern Germany just east of the Luxemburg border and north of France where history pitted various related Hapsburg Royals against each other and the Archbishops of Trier, the Abbots of St. Maximin, various members of the nobility, and mobs of axe-bearing villagers, there stands a ruin whose building stones mostly were carted off to build other buildings.
Mary Ann R Unger
Ewing, NJ
The band of pre-humans departed the cave in search of solace from the omnipresent dangers found there knowing that it meant survival of their kind, though they probably didn't understand it intellectually since their brains were so small and undeveloped but fundamentally they understood that they didn't like big animals that ate them.
Mike Mayfield
Austin, TX
Winner: Purple Prose
The dark, drafty old house was lopsided and decrepit, leaning in on itself, the way an aging possum carrying a very heavy, overcooked drumstick in his mouth might list to one side if he were also favoring a torn Achilles tendon, assuming possums have them.
Scott Davis Jones
Valley Village, CA
The wind whispering through the pine trees and the sun reflecting off the surface of Lake Tahoe like a scattering of diamonds was an idyllic setting, while to the south the same sun struggled to penetrate a sky choked with farm dust and car exhaust over Bakersfield, a town spread over the lower San Joaquin Valley like a brown stain on a wino's trousers, which is where, unfortunately, this story takes place.
Dennis Doberneck
Paso Robles, CA
Dishonorable Mentions:
Elaine was a big woman, and in her tiny Smart car, stakeouts were always hard for her, especially in the August sun where the humidity made her massive thighs, under her lightweight cotton dress, stick together like two walruses in heat.
Derek Renfro
Ringgold, GA
The Zinfandel poured pinkly from the bottle, like a stream of urine seven hours after eating a bowl of borscht.
Alf Seegert
Salt Lake City, UT
Winner: Romance
"Trent, I love you," Fiona murmered, and her nostrils flared at the faint trace of her lover's masculine scent, sending her heart racing and her mind dreaming of the life they would live together, alternating sumptuous world cruises with long, romantic interludes in the mansion on his private island, alone together except for the maids, the cook, the butler, and Dirk and Rafael, the hard-bodied pool boys.
Paul Chafe
Toronto, ON
She purred sensually, oozing allure that was resisted only by his realization as an entomologist that the protein dust on the couch from the filing of her crimson nails was now being devoured by dust mites in a clicking, ferocious, ecstatic frenzy.
Jonathan Blay
Bedford, Canada
Dishonorable Mention:
Cynthia had washed her hands of Philip McIntyre - not like you wash your hands in a public restroom when everyone is watching you to see if you washed your hands but like washing your hands after you have been working in the garden and there is dirt under your fingernails -- dirt like Philip McIntyre.
Linda Boatright
Omaha, NE
Winner: Science Fiction
t'Bleen and Golxxm squelched their way romantically along the slough beach beneath the three Sommodian moons, their eye-stalks occasionally touching, and tenderly belched sweet nothings like, "I don't think I've ever had such a charming evening," and, "Say, would you like to gnaw that hunk of suppurating tissue off my dorsal appendage—it really itches."
Bryan Olive
Tustin, CA
Winner: Vile Puns
It was a risky production unlike any mounted prior on the Met stage, the orchestra first imitating the perpetually beating heart of a man walled-in while in pursuit of wine , and then a soprano singing the plaintive aria of a barely alive woman stuffed up a chimney as her ancestral home was destroyed; however, it certainly was Opera Poe.
Amy Torchinsky
Greensboro NC
As Jeffrey Hicks, the event safety coordinator for the Renaissance Festival finished posting the revised standards for weaponry, he thought of the day an unleashed dog wandered onto the jousting field, causing the rider from Indianapolis to stop short, impaling himself on the butt of his spear, and the following day's newspaper headline which read: "Stray Injures Indy Knight, Hicks Changing Lances."
Brad Taylor
Iowa City, IA
Dishonorable Mention:
Wearing his new slacks from L.L. Bean, and entering the pen to feed his three big dogs their usual three cans of dog food, some of which ended up on his new pants, Kevin then left the house to attend a revival screening of 'Serpico' with Alpo chinos.
Greg Homer
Placerville, CA
Winner: Western
He walked into the bar and bristled when all eyes fell upon him -- perhaps because his build was so short and so wide, or maybe it was the odor that lingered about him from so many days and nights spent in the wilds, but it may just have been because no one had ever seen a porcupine in a bar before.
Linda Boatright
Omaha, NE
Miscellaneous Dishonorable Mentions:
His chest glistened like a pumpkin seed, either one fresh out of the pumpkin but with all the orange strands of pumpkin flesh removed, or one straight out of the oven after being coated in just the right amount of oil and then baked; the point is that it was smooth, fairly shiny, and that color.
Jesse Kolman
Phoenix, AZ
The life-saving salve had not arrived to help Dr. Sybil Carter dress the mutant killer bee wounds because landslides blocked roads, the rivers were jammed by earthquake debris, and even the jungle foot paths were clogged with dead bees and their victims, yet without the medicinal unguent, many more would die, so reluctantly giving in to her promise never again to speak to her aviator ex-boyfriend, she picked up the radio and begged him to fly in the ointment.
David K. Lynch
Topanga, CA
Faintly silhouetted against the shadowy murk of a nameless Devonian sea, the Megalodont shark was unaware of trilobites foraging in the primordial ooze not far below, trilobites that unlike the shark's cartilaginous being would become part of the fossil record of an ancient seabed that would in time heave up, dry out and go through the crusher at the Marulan Cement Works somewhere north of Sydney, Australia.
John Mackesy
Victoria, Australia
Leaning back comfortably in a plush old chair, feet up, fingers laced behind his head, Tom Chambers inventoried his life and with a satisfied grin mused, "Ah, marlin fishing off the coast of Majorca, a bronze star for that rescue mission in Jamir, the unmatched fragrance of pastries fresh out of the oven at Café Legrande, two sons who would make any father proud . . . I've never done any of that."
Ernie Santilli
Drexel Hill PA
Living next door to the Lesters for nearly twelve years now, Mrs. Nestor, fully aware of her husband's fondness for pulchritudinous posteriors, was unable to deter Chester Nestor's constant quest for Mr. Lester's sister Hester's monster keister.
Jeff Flegel
Racine, WI
As Ethel arranged the list of company phone numbers under her clear plastic desk cover, perfectly aligning the lower right corner of the list with the lower right corner of the plastic, then swiveled her chair to file one more inter-office memorandum on trimming the budget, she considered how different her life might have been if her parents had named her Tiffany.
Judy Fischer
Prospect, KY
As the under-appreciated autumn evening faded into yet another soft black velvet fall night, all creatures large and small had settled in except for one, Loupy, the Schipperke, whose job was to keep Anatoly, the night watchman, informed of all things pertaining to the property with her signature uninterrupted warning barks which at this very moment would not subside until her master explained, "We don't know anyone named Timmy and we don't have a well."
Karen Arutunoff
Tulsa, Oklahoma
"You ask me, 'Why did you do it, Charlie, I could've been a contender?' -- I'll tell you why: you worked your fights in too close, taking blow after unnecessary blow; I knew you were going to end up punchdrunk and need money for a nurse, and you were never a contender, you were only a referee."
Charles Alworth
Port Aransas, TX
After launching the last brown lump of chewing tobacco from his bulbous and stained lower lip to its new landing on the Main Street pavement below, Billy Bob couldn't believe that what lay before him, was a spitting image of George Washington.
Heidi Vazquez
Bellevue, NE
Oneida Revere picked at her meal and stared dully across the table at the charismatic charlatan who had seduced her with the illusion of love and tarnished her family's sterling reputation; she was wise to his bent mind games and though it felt like a knife through her heart, she knew it was time to stick a fork in it and call it done - her days of spooning with Uri Geller were over.
Terri Daniel (Seattle, WA) and Craig Rieger (Concord, CA)
Seattle, WA
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Jim Casey talks with Cole Swindell about:
- releasing his third studio album, All of It, on Aug. 17
- the success of lead single, "Break Up In the End"
- co-writing five of the 12 songs on the new album
- listening to a lot of outside cuts for the new album
- carving out time to write songs
- putting a little bit of everything on the new album, from "Both Sides of the Mississippi" to "Dad's Old Number"
- kicking off his six-date All of It Tour on Aug. 17, where Cole will perform every track on the new album
- teaming with Dustin Lynch and Lauren Alaina on Oct. 4 for more than 20 dates on the Reason to Drink . . . Another Tour
Show Participants:
- Cole Swindell
- Jim Casey, NCD editor in chief

subset: commoncrawl


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Canth pendant 80 cm
- Size guide
The length of a necklace
Refer to the image to see how the most common Kalevala Jewelry necklace lengths set. This will make it easier to predict the size of a necklace when worn. The image is also a good guideline when looking for a correct length for a bit lower hanging necklace.
- Care instructions
Bronze products from Kalevala Jewelry have either a polished finish or are oxidized to add colour to the metal. Bronze is an alloy that consists of copper, tin and zinc, and typically oxidizes faster than precious metals. All our bronze jewelry has a protective lacquer coating, which prevents discoloration of the skin and delicate light-colored fabrics. This lacquer coating is eroded by various chemicals and slowly wears off. We recommend, therefore, taking off bronze jewelry while practicing sports, taking a sauna or swimming in chlorinated or salt water. Areas where the protective lacquer has worn off may be buffed with a Kalevala Jewelry polishing cloth. After cleaning the piece of jewelry with a polishing cloth, rinse the jewellery in mild soapy water so that the residue detergent from the cloth does not stain. If necessary, the protective lacquer coating can be restored by Kalevala Jewelry's own maintenance service for a fee.
Silver products from Kalevala Jewelry are manufactured in sterling silver and have either a polished finish or are oxidized to add colour to the metal. The tarnishing typical of silver may be cleaned off with a Kalevala Jewelry polishing cloth. After cleaning the piece of jewelry with a polishing cloth, rinse the jewellery in mild soapy water so that the residue detergent from the cloth does not stain. The Kalevala Jewelry polishing cloth is not suitable for cleaning stones set in silver, and we do not recommend silver polish liquids for any of our silver jewelry. Oxidized silver jewelry can be cleaned by Kalevala Jewelry's own maintenance service for a fee.
Gold products from Kalevala Jewelry are made in 18 or 14 carat gold. Gold products can be cleaned with special cleaning agents for gold, available in jewelry shops. For gold jewelry, we recommend regular care by Kalevala Jewelry's own maintenance service to clean and polish the jewelry, and to check the setting of the stones.
When wearing pearl jewelry, the jewelry should be put on last and taken off first. Wipe the pearls with a clean, soft cloth each time after wearing. For pearl jewelry we recommend regular care by Kalevala Jewelry's own maintenance service to clean the jewelry and to check the stringing of the pearls.
We recommend washing all pieces of Kalevala Jewelry with water after each wearing. We also recommend that the jewelry be stored in its original packaging.
Kalevala Jewelry products comply with the EU nickel directive.
All Kalevala Jewelry is manufactured in Finland.
- Add to wishlist
- Delivery & returns
We will process your order within 2 working days and we will send your jewelry directly to the delivery address. An estimated delivery time inside Finland is 1-2 business days and for international deliveries 3-8 business days depending on the destination. Once your order has been shipped, you will receive a delivery notification with a tracking code to follow the progress of your shipment on the Finnish postal services website. We have received lots of very positive feedback about our delivery times!
If you are not completely happy with your purchase, you have a right to return it to us within 14 days after receiving your order. Fill in the return form you received with your order and mark on the form whether you are returning or exchanging products. We will send you a new size or reimburse your purchase after receiving your returned products. The returns are always free of charge.
"Not all women need to_______"
Minna Canth (1844–1897) was a writer, opinion-leader and a pioneer of gender equality. She led the debate on women's rights and position in society with her sharply penned, radical views. One of her best-known quotes is "Not all women need to do handicrafts". How would Minna Canth finish her sentence today?
Kirsti Doukas


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New Bedford Glass Symposium: Glass from the City of Light
September 13-15, 2012
Thank you to all presenters and participants for joining us at this event. Hope to see you again in the near future.
New Bedford was known as the "City of Light" for the lamp oil generated by its extensive whaling industry. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the city added a second claim to the title through its production of beautiful glass lighting, including the renowned Pairpoint "puffy" and reverse-painted table lamps. Today this glass, together with art glass made locally by the Mt. Washington Glass Company, is celebrated around the world.
Please join us to hear recognized authorities discuss the remarkable legacy of New Bedford glass, review its finest examples, learn the latest in market values, and enjoy a splendid weekend of presentations, fine food, and activities.
All events are at the New Bedford Whaling Museum unless otherwise specified.
Thursday, September 13
6:00 p.m. Opening Reception
6:30 p.m. Lecture – Jane Shadel Spillman – "New Bedford Glass in Corning" – followed by a book signing
Friday, September 14
10:00 a.m. Visit to the New Bedford Museum of Glass – Kirk Nelson – Gallery Tour
12:00 p.m. Lunch break (on own)
2:00 p.m. Annual Meeting of the Mt. Washington & Pairpoint Glass Society
3:15 p.m. Lecture – Jill Thomas-Clark – "Crown Pairpoint: The French Connection"
5:30 p.m. Glass Gallery opening – Glass from the City of Light
Saturday, September 15
8:30 a.m. Bus departs from the NBWM for the 25th Annual Antique & Collectible Glass Show & Sale sponsored by the Sandwich Glass Museum
3:00 p.m. Lecture – Laura A. Coffin – "Mt. Washington's Lava ("Sicilian") Glass"
4:00 p.m. Lecture – Marion & Sandra Frost – "Pairpoint Research Goes Digital"
6:00 p.m. Cocktail Reception
7:00 p.m. Dinner
$225.00 for members of NBWM, NBMOG and MWPGS / $250.00 for nonmembers (Includes all events and fees) or $25. 00 per lecture
$75.00 for Saturday Dinner and Auction only
Click here to register online. Payments may be made by check via US mail or at the door.
Checks should be made out to New Bedford Whaling Museum and mailed to: New Bedford Glass Symposium, New Bedford Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740
Special room rates are available for Glass Symposium attendees at the Fairfield Inn and Suites New Bedford, 185 MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, MA 02740. Tel. (774) 634-2000, Reservation Reference no. NBG
Sponsored by the New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford Museum of Glass, and Mt. Washington & Pairpoint Glass Society.


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Imagining Insurance: Risk, Thrift and Life Insurance in Britain has just been posted by Pat O'Malley, University of Sydney - Faculty of Law. It appeared in EMBRACING RISK, T. Baker, J. Simon, eds. (University of Chicago Press, 2002). Here's the abstract:
The genealogy of risk is closely linked with the development of insurance, which in turn is linked to changes in the forms of political liberalism. This paper examines shifts in this triangular relationship from the early 19th century to the present, and argues that risk has changed its forms and functions in ways that reflect its movement to centre stage at the intersection of capital and political governance.


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FAYETTEVILLE — Former Arkansas quarterback Brandon Mitchell will enroll at North Carolina State.
Mitchell announced his decision Monday night, telling ESPN's Joe Schad he plans to transfer to the Atlantic Coast Conference school after visiting two weeks ago.
"I like the culture, coaches, expectations within the program starting all the way at the top, and most importantly chemistry," Mitchell told ESPN. "I felt I built it with players in just three days. Bottom line is I want to win, and I want to win now. They have the best opportunity there for success and just had one missing piece."
Mitchell was released from his Arkansas scholarship after competing for the starting job with sophomore Brandon Allen during spring practice. Allen finished the spring No. 1 on the depth chart, leaving Arkansas coach Bret Bielema to mention Mitchell was a player who could help the Razorbacks in other ways next season.
Mitchell is on track to graduate later this summer, which would make him eligible immediately at North Carolina State. He is expected to compete for the starting job.
The Amite, La., native completed 25 of 43 passes for 332 yards with three touchdowns and an interception in three seasons as a backup quarterback. He did rush for two touchdowns during his career and enjoyed some success at receiver last season, catching 17 passes for 272 yards in eight games.
Mitchell will play for North Carolina State's first-year coach Dave Doeren and offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Both coaches worked at Wisconsin on Bielema's staff during his seven-year tenure with the Badgers.
Doeren was Wisconsin's co-defensive coordinator in 2006-07 and defensive coordinator from 2008-2010 before leaving to become the head coach at Northern Illinois' head coach. Canada was Wisconsin's offensive coordinator last season.
"Today I close the door to the past, just opened the door to future, taking a deep breath, stepping on through and starting this exciting new chapter in my life," Mitchell posted on his Facebook page on Monday evening. "Here I come Raleigh, N.C. Lets make this ride one to remember for the ages Wolf Pack Nation!"


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Baby girls wear pink. Baby boys wear blue. Little girls join dance. Little boys play hockey. Young ladies study teaching. Young men study math.
Nice women marry nice men, raise nice little boys and girls, and the cycle of stereotypical life continues…unless you're like me.
I was born in the '70s and raised in the '80s and '90s. The stereotypes above were in full force, shaping my generation. But I was lucky. I was raised by parents who made a conscious effort to let me be who I was meant to be, free of stereotypes and full of surprises.
Growing up, I wore army fatigues a lot. I was one of three girls who played ice hockey in an all-boys league where one season I was awarded MVP. In college, I was a double major in math and computer science, and while I did have a minor in secondary education, I went on to be a business consultant, and later a digital marketer. I'm married to a wonderful woman, and we are raising our two beautiful girls in a way that will allow them to discover their true selves, in the same manner my parents allowed me.
But how has any of this experience made me stronger?
Having lived my life a bit "outside the box," I was often faced with unconscious bias. Whether it was my clothes, my short hair, the fact that I played hockey or something else, I was often mistaken for a boy and had to correct people, both young and old. When people realized I was a girl, they thought it was so "cute" that I played hockey or that it was so surprising that I studied math. And as I entered the workforce and was still single, I can't tell you how many times I was set up with someone's brother or best friend (in all fairness, I wasn't "out" to anyone at that point).
But those experiences never brought me down. Instead, they shaped who I have become as a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend and a leader. Because of it, I have developed a stronger understanding of the control I have over influencing the unconscious bias that all of us experience.
One recent example was on a train ride home from New York where, after a few long days of meetings, I wanted to find a seat by myself and decompress during the 5.5-hour journey home. As luck would have it, I instead found that seat next to the very social individual who flashed a smile and, upon a reciprocal smile back, the conversation floodgates opened. I will spare you all the details, but half-way through the ride he asked if I had kids, which was then followed by, "Is your husband home with them?"
Innocent, right? Right. So as I always do in these situations, I explained that I'm married to a woman, a statement that usually warrants no additional discussion or explanation. But on this occasion it set a series of questions and comments into motion that would have tested the strongest of souls. I didn't walk away. I didn't get angry or combative. I simply recognized this was another opportunity to perhaps shift someone's thinking—to increase awareness. Was I successful? Maybe, maybe not. But I know I was more successful than I would have been if I pretended I was married to a man who was home taking care of the kids.
How we approach or respond to certain situations can change attitudes and preconceived notions that people hold, making them more aware and maybe making them more mindful. The essence of the term "unconscious bias" suggests we may not even be aware of the assumptions we've made, or how those assumptions might impact those who cross our paths. Having the conversation can not only enlighten someone else's thinking, but also may have the added benefit of furthering our own awareness.
Luckily, I don't encounter the extreme of the train ride scenario very often. I'm very fortunate to work in an organization that fosters diversity, and not only encourages but also gives us the tools to be our authentic selves at work. I'm truly empowered to live and to lead by example. In doing so, I hope that I have created a work environment that is safe, healthy and productive for everyone.


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We've got 1 definition for HUACA »
What does HUACA stand for?
What does HUACA mean? This page is about the various possible meanings of the acronym, abbreviation, shorthand or slang term: HUACA.
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What does HUACA mean?
- Huaca
- In Quechua, a Native American language of South America, a wak'a is an object that represents something revered, typically a monument of some kind. The term huaca can refer to natural locations, such as immense rocks. Some huacas have been associated with veneration and ritual. Andean cultures believed every object has a physical presence and two camaquen, one to create it and another to animate it. They would invoke its spirits for the object to function.
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Roosh Williams (Feat. Killa Kyleon And Renzeeo) - No Hard Feelings (Prod @TheStompboxx) [Unsigned Hype]
@RooshWilliams feat. @KillaKyleon and @Renzeeo - No Hard Feelings [prod. @TheStompboxx] (s/o to @ChuckMovesEnt @DBDABOSS)
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7-18-2011: What to look for at the deadline
July 18, 2011 2 Comments
The Red Sox are in first place and seem to be a lock for the playoffs. That part is great. And despite the struggles of J.D. Drew, our offense is the best in baseball right now. I don't see acquiring a big bat to be the priority right now. However, we are facing some major instability in the rotation and other areas, which could require some smaller moves to be made. Looking over our current situation, I'd recommend three moves by this year's trade deadline. Here they are, in order of importance.
Trade for a 4th or 5th starter. Importance: Medium
Jon Lester and Josh Beckett seem to be on track for now, and John Lackey has shown some signs of improvement, but there is still no timetable for Clay Buchholz to return to the rotation. Andrew Miller has been a pleasant surprise, but we don't know how long he can keep it up, and Tim Wakefield, who hasn't gone over 140 IP in a year since 2008, is already at 81.2 IP. Should Buchholz not be able to return, or Miller lose it, or Wake's body break down, I really don't want two months of Kevin Millwood up here. He's fine for a few starts, but that's it.


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17 May 2013 | News | By BioSpectrum Bureau
Agilent will provide advanced analytical instrumentation to University of Sydney's Center for Carbon, Water and Food (CCWF)
Singapore: Agilent Technologies extended its collaboration with the University of Sydney, Australia, by providing advanced analytical instrumentation to the university's new $20 million facility, the Center for Carbon, Water and Food (CCWF), which was launched during April 2013 by Prime Minister Ms Julia Gillard.
Agilent Technologies' instruments including gas and liquid chromatography mass spectrometers will be available in the CCWF laboratories, and will be used by world-renowned researchers and students to conduct studies on food security and sustainable agriculture. Research will focus on crop protection, soil quality, food security, reduction of greenhouse gas emission, and the mitigation of climate change effects on agricultural eco-systems.
CCWF is the first multidisciplinary research center in Australia to tackle the nation's and region's biggest food security and environmental challenges, through the integrated study of carbon, food and water. Construction of the Center was co-funded by the university and Australia's federal government.
Mr Rod Minett, general manager, life science group, South Asia Pacific and Korea, Agilent Technologies, said that, "This partnership underlines our commitment to education as well as research and development in the field of sustainability, which has become an area of increasing concern both in Australia and worldwide. We are excited to be part of this program to help establish a sustainable future for many generations to come. The opening of the Centre for Carbon, Water and Food is a significant milestone for Agilent as a collaborator with the University of Sydney, and we hope to continue supporting the University for many years to come through additional training and support."
Agilent Technologies has a longstanding relationship with the University of Sydney. Agilent first collaborated with the Faculty of Agriculture and Environment back in 2010 with a joint project on bushfire research investigating volatiles in Australia's unique flora. Since then, the collaboration has grown to encompass a number of different projects and disciplines and will soon encompass training for postgraduate students and others in the use of technologies in which Agilent is a world leader.


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Standard Kodial Viewports with "V" Coating 200nm-1000nm 63x114x17.4mm
Standard Kodial View Ports with "V" Coating - 200 nm to 1000 nm
(Customer must specify when ordering desired wavelength between 200 nm and 1000 nm)
- Viewing Diameter: 63 mm
- Outside Flange Diameter: 114 mm
- Flange Thickness: 17.4 mm
Many users of UHV systems frequently make use of view port either to view samples within the vacuum system or to couple radiation for sample processing and/or measurement. Depending on the application, view ports utilize a range of window materials from simple glass for optical viewing to specialized materials that are tailored to a specific application. These windows are mounted in ConFlat flanges to form the view port assembly. They are available in a variety of standard sizes to best fit the customer's particular vacuum system requirements. Additionally, view ports provided at SPI are guaranteed to be fully compatible with UHV systems and include confirmed high temperature bake ratings and vacuum leak specifications.
Where the best window transmission characteristics are important, all view ports can be supplied with windows that include custom anti-reflection (AR) coatings. In situations where concerns for X-ray leakage exist, view ports can also incorporate lead glass shielding to block any stray radiation.
Just what is the product?
The view port product contains window material that can be glass (Kodial), quartz, and sapphire or even zinc selenide, either uncoated or coated with one of our standard antireflection coatings. The choice of the window material depends on the part of the eletronmagnetic spectrum that is on interest to the customer. We have view ports that are optimized for use in the UV, other for the visible and still others for use in the far infrared. The actual choice is dependent on the customer's needs.
The choice of the anti-reflection coating depends on what wavelength one is working with, since the coating increases the transmittance (or reduces the reflection) only within a portion, or "band" of the spectrum. Where several percent reflections from the window face is not a problem, then no coating is required. The next level of performance is a one quarter wavelength optical thickness, or "1QWOT" AR coating. This is a durable broad band coating that reduces reflection to few percent over large portion of the window transmission band. Where even better broad band performance is required, broad band AR, or "BBAR" multi-layer coatings can be supplied which can further reduce reflection to less then one percent over a wide band of the spectrum. Finally, when one is working with a single wavelength or narrow band, then a notch, or "VAR" multi-layer coating can virtually eliminate reflection at that particular wavelength (very popular for laser coupling). All coatings are UHV compatible and comply with the ratings of the particular view port.
Further description of the products:
The window in each view port assembly is mounted in a metal ring, which is welded to a stainless steel ConFlat "CF" flange. Where lead glass X-ray protection is required, the lead glass window mounts to the ConFlat flange exterior above the main view port window. It can be removed and replaced as required.


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Sunshine Of The North
We live in an age where everyone is a de-facto journalist; social media allows for that, especially Twitter, writes Andy Hudson. While many full-time journalists take stick via mediums such as Twitter and forums, with many people quick to believe that they could do better than those employed by newspapers, there are a number of reporters that excel at what they do. Now call me biased, but I believe that we in the North East we have some of the very best lads out on the beat. Some of our regional papers have top journalists working for them and the nationals are blessed with high calibre professionals amongst their ranks.
EFW has already met one of those when we talked to George Caulkin; now we have another. A southerner welcomed in Newcastle? It happens all of the time. And it's made easier when that southerner is Steve Brenner.
Hello Steve, thanks for taking the time out to speak to European Football Weekends. How did a Staines lad find himself so far north of his patch? Thanks for having me. Well I was working for the Sun in Wapping, covering the London beat for a couple of years when the North East guy at the time moved on to pastures new. The chance came up for me to replace him, I took it and almost five years later, here I still am. Looking back it was a cracking decision.
Jermaine Jenas compared living in Newcastle as like living "in a goldfish bowl"; how do you find Geordie city life compared to southern gentleman refined living? The one thing I love about Newcastle is living in the city itself. It's not too big, there is always something going on and it has a really nice vibe about it. Staines is a small town so it's no comparison really. And no, there are no Ali-G type gangsters in Staines. Well, not anymore.
Is there a difference between dealing with Newcastle and Sunderland as clubs? Well, in terms of national coverage then yes. Although Sunderland are and remain a huge club here in the North East, their profile nationally is dwarfed by Newcastle. Certainly my office are always interested in what is going on at St James' Park and because there always seems to be one story or another keeping us busy, a lot of my time is concentrated on the Toon. But that's not to say, Sunderland aren't newsworthy either. In Steve Bruce they have a very quotable, media savvy manager who is a good name and makes decent copy.
There are a few differences between dealing with the clubs themselves but I think I'll keep those private for now...(anyone who is interested you can buy me a vat of beer and I will explain)
What's your take on the Mike Ashley situation - is it really such a fiasco or do you see a coherent plan forming? It's a tough one. When you speak to the Ashley camp , well when they are not fuming with you, you get an idea of what they have tried to achieve behind the scenes. The way they made the club financially viable after relegation, how they are on a sound financial footing etc. Anyone who thinks he is all bad, total evil, scum of the earth etc are wrong. But I do concede mistakes have been made - and I know they realise that too. They have a plan and are sticking to it. It's just the way they go about things does leave some wondering what the hell is going on.
The arrival of Dennis Wise will, for me, go down as one of the strangest calls of all time. And personally I think the whole sorry Joey Barton saga recently could have been handled better - by all parties. We have seen and had to cope with so many knee-jerk reactions over the last few years it's beginning to get a bit wearisome.
How do you sum up last season for both Sunderland and Newcastle? For Newcastle, they did well. Ask any fan following promotion what they would want and staying up would be the answer. They did it, and with something to spare too. Sunderland wise it was disappointing. They started brilliantly but their slump after Xmas was horrific. Bruce had bad injuries but the squad was laid bare and were lucky to avoid getting into serious trouble.
'North East Top Dogs' - is that really just a load of bollocks? I mean can there really be pride in holding success up as merely just finishing above your rivals and little else? (both sets of fans only started going on about this recently having spent years without really mentioning it). Top Dogs bollocks? It's a fans thing I think. I know lots of Geordies and Mackems who would love nothing more than finishing higher than one another in the Premier League. And , after all, it all adds to the spice up here doesn't it? Because we as journalists work closely with both clubs, they are always great fun and top occasions.
Is it a worry that the drain of talent away from the North East has started again with the Carroll and Henderson moves? Yes but it's fair to say that neither Sunderland or Newcastle are in the top eight/10 clubs in the Premier League right now. They are getting close to getting back up there but when you look at the likes of Manchester City and even Liverpool's squads , the difference is quite staggering. And depressing if you're from up here.
What do you think of both players - England regulars of the future? I think Carroll will cause carnage - on the pitch ,I might add - for years. He has it all and we were just starting to see it at Newcastle before he trotted off. Jordan is a good footballer but he had a tendency to go missing. I think though, playing with the likes of Gerrard et al, will help him. Technically he's excellent but I don't think Sunderland could turn down that money. He will be in and around the England squad for sure.
If both clubs said that their ambition was to qualify for the Europa League next season, what do you think they would have to do to achieve that? To be consistent which I am not sure either have the ability to do. I'm slightly worried for Newcastle this season, it's going to be tough. Sunderland have the players but one or two injuries may disrupt them.
You tend to take some stick on Twitter because of the newspaper you work for. If someone isn't a Sun reader then they tend to hate that establishment. How do you react to the haters? Well, following all the phone hacking cases recently, I have come in for plenty. Everyone has their own opinion and , as I am sure most are aware, Scousers on Twitter don't hesitate to give me grief and with their particular bone of contention, it's hard for me to defend myself. But other than that, I am happy to banter with any haters and try to get them to realise I am not a dirty, horrible, tabloid hack with a pocket full of nasty agendas. It's hard but...! I would though like to think that if people aren't particularly Sun readers or have a preconceived idea of what I am like that I can change their views.
How frustrating is it as a journalist when you're banned from a football ground because of a story published in the newspaper you work for? We've seen this recently with The Sun at Sunderland and also The Mail at St James' Park. Well, as national journalists , although I'd like to think I have good relationships with Newcastle and Sunderland, there will be times when we have to stick the boot in or do stuff that won't go down well. But that is the challenge of working for the Sun. We aren't a local paper or a club website. We can go at something even if it will ruffle a few feathers. Bans are par for the course I suppose. I don't agree with that plan of action - I'd much rather have it out face to face with anyone who isn't happy. I suppose it's the club getting their own back but, so I don't get banned for this, I think all the clubs I work with are wonderful and are full of wonderful, lovely people.
You were present for that Joe Kinnear press conference when he first took over as Newcastle manager and acted very much as a voice of reason towards him when he was going off on one. When it first started and Simon Bird was called a **** were you trying to hold in a laugh or were you picking up your jaw from the ground? Picking my jaw up from the ground and then ensuring it wasn't about to be broken. The thing about all that was Kinnear, bless him, got the total wrong end of the stick. He thought we had all written a story on how on his first day the whole squad were on a day off and he wasn't aware of it. That wasn't the case. The story was it was his first day and everyone was off. Anyway, all hell broke loose and it remains the most incredible press conference, if you can call it that, I have ever been in. My attempts to quell the fuming Joe with the line 'you know how it is Joe', spoken in my London tones, has caused much merriment among my brilliant , hilarious colleagues in the North East. Funny lot , they are.
You've started to make strides in the world of tennis reporting after being known for football journalism for many years. How did you end up branching out? Well our former tennis man, Charlie Wyett, got the gig of covering England so I stepped into his shoes. I've been doing it a year now and have really enjoyed it. That meant me giving up doing England Under-21's but after four years of that, I need a break from Psycho.
Besides being a different sport, what's the difference between covering tennis and football? Considering Great Britain's awful standing in tennis - no male Slam winner since 1936 - I am effectively covering one man in Andy Murray. Yes we have other players but Murray is by far our best player so I spend almost all the time previewing and covering his attempts to win a big one. I think I speak for all the tennis writers when I say how nice it would be to have a few younger guys and girls coming through so not all the focus is on Andy. The environments are quite different but the striking difference is the lack of any aggro or controversy in tennis. There is just no comparison to football. I have done the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, Queens, Davis Cup this year and will be going to the US Open soon. Yet I got more stories and scandal in 10 days covering Newcastle in the States last month.
The fan stereotype of young footballers is that they are flash and a touch on the thick side. The tennis stereotype is more of a middle-class thing. How inaccurate is this? Pretty inaccurate. I have spoken to a lot of intelligent footballers in my time and although, yes, some are a little on the ,er, unclever side, I believe they do get a bad rep sometimes because of the actions of others. There are footballers out there who do a lot of great stuff in the communities and behind the scenes.Tennis wise, I have found most to be pretty down to earth and good to deal with. Murray has been great with us this year and loves a wacky quote here and there, which is music to my ears.The middle class thing comes from the fact tennis isn't a cheap sport to try and progress in as a kid. But it's a sleeping giant of a sport if the beloved tennis authorities can get their act together and make it more accessible. Anyone, and I mean literally anyone, can watch a game of tennis on TV and understand what is going on.
Who do you prefer dealing with: footballers or tennis player? Tough one. Considering who I work for, footballers , not all of them but some, are naturally wary of what we are going to do with the interview, etc. Tennis is more chilled out but both sets are decent to work with.
The 2008 Nadal v Federer Wimbledon Final was one of the finest tennis matches ever. How would you compare this to a great football match? Sitting on Centre Court really is special. You can just sense the history of the place which is quite something. Like going to Lord's. And seeing great players like the two mentioned really is something. But nothing compares to the atmosphere at a rocking football stadium. I have been at St James' Park and the Stadium of Light when the place is bouncing and you just can't beat it.
We love our European football trips here at EFW Towers. Where's the best place you've been to watch football outside of this country? I covered a Blackburn UEFA Cup match in Salzburg a few years back. Lovely place and very tidy stadium. Nice hills too.
EFW has branched out on occasions to cover cricket and rugby league. Where should we go for a European Tennis Weekend? Well, Melbourne is a bit far for a weekend so I would have to say Paris. Just a brilliant city which looks like what everyone thinks it does.
Who would your ideal companions be on your perfect EFW? My pals from back home. Yes, yes, the Staines Massive.
Some of your peers love to try and take the piss on Twitter by telling you to get back to the tennis etc. Do you reckon this borne out of jealously at you jetting off to the likes of Melbourne and Paris while they are stuck in the likes of Monkseaton and Palmersville? No it has nothing to do with the fact that while they will be freezing at Sunderland v Wigan in January I will be in Melbourne wondering which shorts and glasses combo to wear for another tough day at the tennis. Nothing to do with that at all.
As a sports lover who has said they are excited for something happening next summer....did you apply for any London 2012 tickets? I didn't. My parents have tickets for the rowing though, which should be cool.
How's your Football/Championship Manager career coming along? Any plans to take over a non-league team and lead them to glory in real life? It never got started. Back in the day when I played with my brother , it was all so straightforward. Now I have the option to send Bolo Zenden on diagonal runs while he holds his position in a 4-1-2-3 formation on orders not to press too far up the opposing midfielder's behind. I'd sit there for 3 hours and barely play a game. I'd just tinker. I have to try and ensure I have a life! Enjoyed the retro Champ manager 1980's though on the iphone recently. Signed Maradona for £500,000.
You've got a knack for coming out with some decent one-liners on Twitter. When you're travelling do you write a load down in the hope that one day the situation arises when can use them or, without a hint of sycophancy, do you just have the knack for being funny? I am just hilarious. Ask any of my equally hilarious North East 'friends' and they won't tell you the same.
Anyone who isn't following you on Twitter is missing out on links to your work being tweeted at 2am in the morning. Do you get home from the pub and suddenly decide that you're going to fire out your stories? Ha, no! My stories automatically get sent out by the office on a Twitter feed. Sometimes I do them myself but, most of the time, it's the office. Honest. Drunk tweeting is a crime and should be frowned upon.
Finally......who would you want to see EFW interview next? Mike Ashley.
Why not go mad and follow Steve Brenner, Andy Hudson and European Football Weekends on Twitter.
And if you have any idea what Steve was about to attempt in the photo (above) ..... then feel free to comment below.


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Farm worker Mustafizur Rahman form Pirganj of Rangpur at last finds joy in his life after authorities confirmed that they would conduct a sophisticated electronic device implant surgery in his one year and 11 month-old-baby girl's ear to help her hear.
His daughter was born with hearing impairment, and now doctors say the child will be able to hear and speak after the cochlear implant surgery on her ears.
Doctors on Wednesday said the baby would be undergone the costly surgery at the National Institute of Ear, Nose and Throat soon.
The cochlear implant, which is a small electronic device, costs up to Tk 18 lakh, and Mustafiz, as a farm worker, found it totally impossible to arrange and spend the large amount of money for his daughter's treatment.
'Being a farm worker, I haven't dreamt of affording such a treatment for my daughter,' Mustafiz said, 'But I managed to arrange it by the help of ENT institute,' he said.
Like Mustafiz, 11 other low-income families got confirmation in written of cochlear implant in their children's ears at the institute with minimal cost, up to Tk 50,000 during a programme in the institute on Wednesday.
The institute selected the 11 children from different areas of the country for the treatment.
Mustafiz said he would have to pay Tk 15,000 because he was poor.
Health minister Mohammad Nasim handed over the letters of allotment for the cochlear implant surgery to the families at the function.
'This is an opportunity for the poor families to treat their children suffering from hearing impairment,' he said, while speaking at the programme.
Nasim said the cochlear implant surgery, which is now available at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital and the ENT institute, would be made available at Chattogram and Rajshahi soon.
ENT institute's director Mahmudul Hassan said they were going to start cochlear implants with the selected patients.
The institute would provide 40 cochlear implant devices to the selected patients this time, he said. The arrangement would be expanded in phases, he added.
After the implantation, the patients would get necessary treatment like hearing and speaking therapy by the institute, Mahmudul also said.
ENT surgery department head Jakaria Sarkar said there were about one lakh patients in Bangladesh in need of cochlear implant surgery.
'The initiative to provide the treatment at minimal cost will help the poor families,' he observed.
The social welfare ministry is providing the fund for the treatment, he further said.
Social welfare ministry secretary Zillar Rahman said his ministry was ready to provide funds to the health ministry to train physicians in this discipline.
He also said his ministry would provide funds for expanding the treatment in Chattogram and Rajshahi.
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At it's simplest level, the red bead experiment has participants scooping beads out of a mixture of red and white beads with a paddle. The red beads are counted as defects and recorded over time to create a control chart. Voila! That is the experiment. However, and this is why you need to watch the video, a good facilitator will create magic with this game. By dividing it into rounds and enticing workers to improve there performance with witty banter, the game shines. Since it is clear that the workers have no control over the process (they're just scooping beads out), the whole group is in on the "joke", especially when management attempts to improve with fancy programs and slogans.
The video is circa 1989 so there is some ancient technology like overhead projectors and movie cameras (like with film, yikes!) and some great costumes. As well, the sound is delayed by 2-3 seconds, which is very annoying. If you are interested at all in the red bead experiment and how to facilitate a game well, then it's worth it.
By the way, there are six parts to this video. (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6)
Here's a great script for running the red bead game and the materials you'd need to make it yourself.
See many more games and simulations in my list of Lean Games!


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✔75 inspirational modern living room decor ideas easy to copy 29
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Decoding the Language of Alex RodriguezFebruary 26, 2010
In every interview with Alex Rodriguez, there's always at least one moment where I shake my head in disbelief and think to myself, "My God, what a goober."
It's become a cherished part of my Yankee fan experience these past six years.
Here's how it goes: Reporter asks A-Rod question. A-Rod squints his eyes (this indicates that he's listening really hard) and contorts his lips (I'm not sure what this indicates). Then comes the painfully-obvious canned response that includes unnecessary adjectives, unique pronunciations, and best of all, content that is almost entirely untrue.
I actually tear up just thinking about it.
So as you might imagine, I was all-in when Rodriguez sat down for a typically massive press conference at Boss Lair on Thursday.
I'm thrilled to report that winning a title and becoming a postseason hero hasn't changed our slugging third baseman at all. He brought the squinting and lip puffing in bulk for the assembled gathering. As for the responses? Hilariously erroneous in so many ways.
Luckily, River & Sunset has gotten its hands on a Rodriguez-2-Reality Decoder. The device basically takes canned A-Rod quotes and converts them into his actual thoughts on an issue.
I can't tell you who gave me this device, but I will say it was from a Japanese buddy of mine in Anaheim whose love of gadgetry is matched only by his affinity for pornography. He also walks with a limp.
Here's what I learned from the R-2-R Decoder on Thursday:
On the difference a year makes:
"It's definitely a much different day, that's clear to me. Last year was a very embarrassing day, and something that I wouldn't want to go back and do. But looking back, I certainly thought it was a very important day. I've done a lot of growing up and realized a lot of things, and I like to think I put some of those things into play in 2009."
"It's definitely a much different day, that's clear to me. Last year, I was forced to admit to using steroids because a reporter exposed me and Brian Cashman threatened my life if I didn't 'fess up. It was an important day because my admission meant that my surprisingly muscular general manager wouldn't brutalize me with a crow bar. I haven't really grown up or realized much, and nothing that happened at spring training actually helped me hit baseballs harder the following October."
On admitting his mistakes:
"It was the most difficult day of my life, if not definitely top three. It was very difficult to deal with, it was very embarrassing."
"It was the third most difficult day of my life, behind seeing Madonna naked and finding out that MLB doesn't the lock their 'confidential' file cabinets. I mean, you think to yourself, 'It's Madonna! She has to look good nude, right?' False."
"I was having lunch with Tex yesterday, who happens to be an animatronic robot. He asked me what it was like to love, and what were feelings. I didn't really have any answers for him, but it was still nice to have someone to eat lunch with."
On finally winning the World Series:
"It wasn't a monkey, it was a humongous gorilla that came off my back. And I felt that, I did. It was a heavy gorilla. Now I just have an opportunity to come out and play baseball and have fun and really just focus on what I did in '09."
"You like how I did that there? You said monkey, and I came back with gorilla, a substantially larger primate. I also threw in the adjective 'humongous', which shows that the only thing that matches my baseball prowess is my vocabulary."
On the Johnny Damon drama:
"I was just crossing my fingers, hoping he would come back."
"There was nobody on the team better at pretending to like me than Johnny. It's going to be difficult to find someone else who is that adept at pretending. I'm looking at you, Swish."
On Derek Jeter's contract situation:
"Derek Jeter was born to be a Yankee."
"Derek Jeter was born to make me look bad."
On why numbers don't matter to him anymore :
"I've never had more fun in my life playing baseball than I did last year. If you told me that I'd hit 14 (HR), drive in 60-65 (RBI), I would've been happy with that as long as we won."
"I love numbers. I care about numbers more than Will Hunting. I watch the tepid CBS drama Num3ers only because I love numbers so much. In fact, let me know if you believe what I just said about the 14-homer thing, because I have this great stock guy, Lenny Dykstra, who you need to speak with ASAP."
My God, what a goober.
Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached via e-mail at email@example.com. Follow Dan on Twitter at danhanzus.


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City won't enforce law
I was pleased to see your recent article about erosion problems at developments near the Rivanna [July 14: "Wash out: New developments raise mud and ire"]. I was not pleased to see my name associated with a statement that I neither made nor agree with.
It is perfectly possible to develop in an environmentally sustainable way. I'm soon to return to architecture school with precisely that aim in mind.
The developers of the River's Edge project have made mistakes, but I don't doubt their commitment to sustainability. I don't object to the project or have any suggestions for changes. If I did, I would take them directly to the developers, some of whom are my neighbors.
The RiverBluff development made one hell of a mess this spring. The entire perimeter of the project bordering the park and river was a poorly controlled disaster which spilled mud either directly into the wetlands below it or into the Rivanna River.
The city's Water Protections Ordinance is essentially worthless. The law itself is great. The problem is that the ridiculously inept Department of Neighborhood Development Services (NDS) is in charge of enforcing it.
The recent power outages were caused by wind damage to trees, not flooding. The creek in my yard hardly rose.
And Jim Tolbert's excuse for his department's failures is absurd. Neither of the two development projects have adequate silt control measures in place. It's NDS's responsibility to ensure that they do.
I have regularly fought NDS to preserve the "rain garden" that I have spent six years establishing in my yard. The ignorance they've displayed regarding that and their flat-out refusal to obey the law is astounding. Zoning administrator Ashley Cooper has refused for months to act against illegal "erosion impact areas" that constantly choke my creek. It's time for regime change in Charlottesville. The health of the watershed depends upon it.
Louis Schultz


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In his robust Inside The NFL notebook below, NFL Network's Albert Breer touches on multiple topics including (click on the link to take you directly there):
» Four things he's looking forward to in Week 13
» What Ndamukong Suh's reputation was like at Nebraska
» Which current team is the 'Sacramento Kings of the NFL'
» Why bored talent evaluators are picking on Andrew Luck
» And more, beginning with how a veteran QB may have just affected the rookie of the year race ...
For the first two months of the season, Cam Newton seemed to be a slam dunk for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Now? I'm not as sure. Especially after I heard what Ben Roethlisberger, who knows a thing or two about winning right away (13-0 as a rookie starter in 2004), told the Cincinnati media on Wednesday about the Bengals' own rookie QB, Andy Dalton. "Right now I think -- and I don't know how the talk is -- but he's rookie of the year," Roethlisberger said.
That's not to denigrate what Newton's done, which is show everyone what kind of transcendent, mold-changing player he can be. It's more a testament to Dalton. Three quarterbacks drafted in front of him are now starting (Newton, Jacksonville's Blaine Gabbert and Minnesota's Christian Ponder), and they've combined to win six of their 25 starts. The Bengals rookie has won seven of his 11, and done it compiling a slightly higher quarterback rating than Newton (81.8 to 81.1) and significantly better TD-INT ratio (16-12 to 12-14).
Cincinnati can double its 2010 win total by beating Pittsburgh on Sunday, and while it's not solely because of Dalton, it's not in spite of him either.
"I'm definitely surprised that this early, we can have the vets counting on him, to get them in the right play, to make the right decision. It really is amazing what he's done," Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden told me Monday night. "I know that both he and Cam have been outstanding. I know both teams are happy with what they've gotten, and I know neither team would trade the guy they got for anything."
Gruden then paused, and you could almost hear the smirk through the phone as he continued, "Well, except for maybe A.J." He was, of course, referring to A.J. Green, the fourth overall pick in April who is leading the Bengals in catches (44), receiving yards (745) and touchdown receptions (6).
But the breadth of Dalton's achievements, in his fourth NFL month, is pretty astounding. As Gruden puts it, with Carson Palmer striking for a trade all offseason and into the summer, "all eyes were on him." Dalton has responded. Even with a first-year coordinator. Even with the lockout cutting his offseason work with coaches from four-and-a-half months to roughly six weeks.
Welcome to NFL, kid.
"He came in Day 1 as the starter, and this whole situation was upside down," Gruden said. "There was no veteran quarterback, we lost our two starting receivers. The bulk of our offensive production, between Carson and T.O. and Chad, was done. You have two rookies (Dalton and Green), Jerome Simpson, Jermaine Gresham in his second year. It could've gone any which way. We badly needed a leader in that position, whether he was 22 or 42, and Andy's been that guy."
It hasn't been perfect, of course. Just as Dalton's gone without an interception in five games, he's throw at least two picks in five games, as well.
But those failures have shown Gruden as much as the successes have. Gruden points to a bad six-quarter stretch -- Dalton threw four picks between the loss to San Francisco in Week 2, and the first half of the game against Buffalo in Week 3 -- and how the rookie responded by rallying the Bengals from a 17-3 halftime deficit against the Bills. And how Dalton rebounded from three picks and a 17-point deficit two weeks ago to get the Bengals to the doorstep of overtime in the waning moments in Baltimore.
"Interceptions are gonna happen," Dalton explained. "You can't worry about that. 'I made a mistake? OK, I have to make up for it.' That's my attitude about it. If I worry about it, I've got no chance."
That's led to growth, not just in play, but also responsibility.
Dalton came in with a good base from TCU, where he explained he was "calling the protections, changing the protections, changing the route combinations, checking off if I'd see the blitz, and sometimes they'd just send in the formation and let me call the play." As a result, Gruden has been able to pile more on Dalton, which has allowed the Bengals to run a more fully functional offense than normally would be feasible with a rookie at the helm.
"It changes every week -- the concepts, the protections, playing against 3-4 pressure, 4-3 pressure, dime blitzes, double-A and nickel blitzes -- everyone has their own fastball," said Gruden. "With coverages and blitzes, he has something to learn every week and we're throwing a lot at him. … But the guys are comfortable with him, confident he'll get them in the right play in the stretch run of games on important plays, and so they block a little better, run routes a little better, because of their confidence in him."
Outside of those complexities, there's this simple fact too: Dalton just wins. He was 36-3 in his final three years at TCU, won 27 of his final 28 starts, and took the Horned Frogs to 13-0 and a Rose Bowl title as a senior.
The quarterback is always going to get too much credit, and too much blame, of course. So it's not fair to TCU coach Gary Patterson's smothering defenses to say the success in Fort Worth was all due to Dalton, just not like it's not fair or accurate to discount the impact Mike Zimmer's defense has had on the Bengals' turnaround.
But it's also probably not a coincidence winning follows this particular quarterback around. He says he's "not surprised" that the Bengals have gotten it done, and he also believes there is something to players simply being "winners."
"It's an attitude," Dalton says. "I'm not the only one who believes it. Guys in our locker room do, too. Pushing guys to be the best, that's part of the role I've always taken being a quarterback. … Everyone's made it easier for me to do that. It's hard to be a leader right away, but playing quarterback, you have to. That's the way I've been, trying to win guys over by putting them in the right situations. It just increases from there."
Dalton's also not blind, and concedes there were "a lot of negative thoughts about Cincinnati when I got here, but I didn't know anything different than the way I've done it. With Carson's situation, I wasn't sure what would happen. I couldn't worry about that. I only worry about what I can control."
As it turns out, for a young quarterback, Dalton was capable of controlling plenty. And yes, like he said, he's doing what he's always done -- win.
Suh's reputation is changing
By the time Ndamukong Suh's foot hit the ground on Thanksgiving, just grazing Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith, the football community was hardly shocked by that kind of action from the big Lions defensive lineman. That's part of being fined $42,500 in less than two years, Suh's cumulative penalty for hits on Jake Delhomme, Jay Cutler and Dalton.
But if you'd told NFL folks this was coming two Aprils ago when Suh left Nebraska for the draft? That's a different story.
"I'm shocked, it's beyond surprise," said one AFC scout who works the Big 12. "He was a physical, tenacious, nasty football player who was serious about being the best. But he never crossed that line on the field, and now you're not only seeing him cross that line, but to go there? I didn't think he was an after-the-whistle guy. He wasn't like that in college."
Suh's reputation in Lincoln remains sterling. The strength-and-conditioning center bears his name, and he donated $2.6 million to the school just before he was drafted. He graduated with a degree in construction engineering -- $600,000 of the aforementioned money went to the engineering school -- and told NFL teams of his plan to go into business with his dad after football.
Hardly the profile of a thug.
"[The Packers incident] seems completely out of character," said one GM who did his homework on Suh. "The stuff that came back, 99 percent of it was positive. The only thing that showed up was, now and then, he'd take plays off, and that he had interests outside of football, so the question was, 'Does he really love it?' But this stuff never came up. Thuggish stuff? It's really surprising, the way he's acting."
The next logical question: Do scouts get the truth at Nebraska? Bo Pelini and Co. get high marks in that area, too. "They're great," said the GM. "They're gonna protect kids to a point, like everyone. But with scouts, as far as being fair, they're tremendous."
As for what Jets guard Matt Slauson told the New York Post, that his ex-Nebraska teammate "wasn't well-liked" among the Cornhuskers, I'm told that people in Lincoln were disappointed in the offensive lineman speaking for folks throughout the program. Yes, he had a hard edge about football, and yes that could rub people the wrong way. But it was never considered too much.
"He was an aggressive football player that would play to that edge, and you didn't see anything chippy cross into games," said the AFC scout. "He had some documented fights in practice where he was asked to leave. But on the field, all the things were competitive. He was a very business-like, intense person who took it serious. He's not joking, not cutting it up out there. He's intense and serious."
There were two things of note on his record, according to sources: There was a car accident in 2009 before which Suh said he drank a glass of wine, but was well under the legal limit; and there was an anger issue when he was younger. But both those elements were seen as minor in the face of overwhelming evidence that the kid was clean as a whistle, character-wise.
The GM said, "We had no flags at all on him, no alerts, not one symbol to be aware of. I think everybody was clean on him. Makes me wonder, 'What's created this?'" And the scout added, "This is a shock to that whole university. The support group at Nebraska, they had nothing but good things to say. This kid was a slam dunk. There weren't any flags on him. Low risk. All football. And he's been a great player."
All of which is to say: Suh needs to get it together, before this reputation he's built overshadows everything else.
Jags face uphill battle
The sale of the Jaguars this week, from Wayne Weaver to Shahid Khan, again raised the question that's been lingering over that franchise -- can the NFL work going forward in Jacksonville?
All but three of the league's 32 teams play in Top 35 television markets. The outliers are the Packers (Green Bay-Appleton is 70th), Bills (Buffalo is 51st) and the Jags (Jacksonville is 47th). The difference between the three is that the Bills and Packers are considered regional franchises, with much of Green Bay's base in Milwaukee, and Buffalo also drawing from Syracuse, Rochester and Southern Ontario.
The idea with Jacksonville, on the other hand, had been that it would grow the way Atlanta did decades ago, and the NFL would have an advantage in having been first to a burgeoning market. In the 17 seasons since the league went there, that hasn't happened. And the hurdles remain.
"Jacksonville is a very challenging market for an NFL team," said SportsCorp president Marc Ganis, who's worked with the NFL and its teams for years. "It's small. There are few corporate headquarters there. There's not great wealth, and it's not a destination location. It has many deficiencies. But it does have the team. No one would move there now, but no one has to. The team exists, and the fans have generally stepped up. But yes, it's one of the NFL's least attractive markets, if not the least attractive."
Ganis emphasized that the fans, because of the club's lease, will determine how difficult it will be to move the team.
That lease, which runs through 2030, won't be easy to break. For the Jaguars to do that, the franchise would have to lose money for three consecutive years, something that will be pretty hard to do after the new TV deals are done in 2014, and prove that the losses were directly attributable to ticket sales. Even then, the city could challenge that in court, which would likely lead to a lengthy legal battle.
Lombardi: What the Jags need now
The second element in breaking the lease would be a requirement that the owners defease the bonds -- paying back what the city still owes on renovation bonds used to upgrade the old Gator Bowl back in the mid-1990s -- but that's not seen as a major problem. Those bonds started at $100 million, and are likely down to around half that, which would be a small number when considering a franchise relocation.
Ganis said the Jaguars are "the Sacramento Kings of the NFL" and said the team needs someone who's passionate about the NFL. He believes Khan is, and suspects the new owner will try and make a splash coaching hire to prove it. But Ganis also said he thinks the real juice will have to come from that coach's boss.
"(Khan) needs to find a Bill Polian," said Ganis, referencing the Colts president. "He needs a great personnel man and team manager. The Colts have been one of the best for more than a decade, and it's in large part because Jimmy Irsay attracted Bill Polian, who did a similar job in Buffalo, there. In the NFL, with the competitive-balance rules, it's more challenging for some than others, but it's possible for anyone if you have the right football operations guy."
For now, the Jaguars have to hope GM Gene Smith, who's done a good job and just signed a three-year extension, is that guy. Moreover, they have to be praying that Smith has found in Blaine Gabbert what Polian had in Jim Kelly and Peyton Manning. The future of football in Jacksonville could be riding on it.
Tough love? Tough Luck
I've heard the nitpicking on Andrew Luck, so I made some calls this week to see what the folks paid to evaluate college players think. And what's come back is the same kind of unanimous result that you've gotten when asking about Luck all along. As one NFC personnel executive put it, "I'd bet they're just bored of hearing how great he is."
Another NFC personnel executive said that in the past two decades, "He's one of five guys that I've done where I can say, 'Yes, no doubt about it, he's gonna be damn good.' "
The first executive took it a step further, saying, "With Luck, I'd bet my life on it. With (Matt) Barkley and (Landry) Jones, you'd like to give them more time. They need to be phased in. With Luck, you give him the keys to the franchise Day 1, and he'll be fine."
Strong words? Yup. But if you want hard facts, those are readily available. He took a previously middling Stanford program to a 23-2 mark the past two years (the Cardinal scored 30 and 31 points in the losses), and in those 25 games, he's gone 524 of 745 (70.3 percent) for 6,508 yards, 67 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
Brooks: Luck's the total package
NFL.com draft expert Bucky Brooks was in Palo Alto last weekend to gets a first-hand look at Stanford QB Andrew Luck. More ...
There's little question about the mental part. As another evaluator told me, "Is he Tom Brady? Is he Peyton Manning? From an instinctive and cerebral standpoint, he's in that category." That has allowed him to lift the talent around him, against more talented Pac-12 teams at Oregon and USC, to compete.
"He's going to be a franchise quarterback, without a doubt, and a big part of it is that he's an anticipatory quarterback," said the first NFC exec. "His skill guys are worse than the skill guys on the other side in a lot of cases, so he needs to know what the defense is going to do, and be able to go there quick. He needs to throw guys open and he does. And when it breaks down, he's a big, strong kid who can be one of the Top 5-7 running quarterbacks in the NFL right away."
That brings us to Luck's arm strength, which has been scrutinized. You hear on both Luck and Barkley that accuracy further downfield can be a concern, particularly with Barkley, whose ball flutters a bit. But both those guys can make up for it, again, with their heads. Both are considered special in that regard, and Luck's physical attributes put him over the top.
"It's strong enough," the second NFC exec said. "It's as strong as Peyton's was. It's not Carson Palmer coming out of USC, but it won't be an issue with the way he anticipates things. It's plenty strong. Look, it's a risk to take anyone high. But it's more of a risk to value the athlete over the person. Happens all the time -- guy can run fast, jump high, but he's a (expletive)-head. This guy is A-plus all the way across. The only thing that's going to stop him is injury."
The nitpicking will, of course, only ramp up. Just remember that things have been pretty unanimous on this kid all along. He's Matt Ryan from the jump and could be Peyton Manning. Whichever team drafts him -- whether it's the Colts with the first pick or a team dealing up ("It'll have to be outrageous, a Herschel Walker trade," said the second executive) -- will have very little doubt in what they're getting.
Four things I'll be looking for this weekend
1) How the Ravens come off their emotional win against the 49ers. A pattern has emerged with Baltimore -- following big, chest-pounding wins with stinkers. The losses in Tennessee and Seattle were after the team's wins over Pittsburgh, and the Jacksonville defeat on Monday Night Football was after the Ravens bludgeoned a very good Texans team. John Harbaugh's crew, at its best, is the AFC's premier team, in my opinion. A big part of that has been the emphasis to get younger and more athletic at key positions. And a part of getting younger is having to grow up some. The Ravens can show they've done that this week, with a beatdown of the Browns in Cleveland. If Baltimore can suffocate an outmanned team quickly Sunday, it'll tell you a lot about a group that Ozzie Newsome, Eric DeCosta and Harbaugh figured would ascend over the course of the season.
2) How the Texans handle their quarterbacks. This one is obvious, but it's something I think we'll all have to see for ourselves. What if T.J. Yates throws two interceptions in the first half against Atlanta? Hard to see Jake Delhomme coming in, having just arrived, but could Gary Kubiak go to Kellen Clemens in that spot? If Kubiak rides out bumps with Yates, it'll say that he's committed to giving the rookie fifth-round pick a real shot. A quick hook would send a different message, of course. Through 11 games, the Texans have proven themselves to have a championship-caliber defense and running game, and so it's a tricky spot for a coach to be in. But if Kubiak truly believes Yates will give the team the best shot in January, his management of the rookie will be critical early on. If he thinks Clemens or Delhomme give the Texans the best shot, we're talking about something else entirely.
3) The Giants' mental state. I was in Green Bay last Dec. 26, as the Giants melted down in the face of a Packers team hitting its stride and a hostile environment. So New York's got that demon coming into this one -- Eli Manning threw four picks in the 45-17 beatdown -- and another one with its recent history of late-season collapses. On the flip side, the fact that the Giants are a team with the horses to get to the passer with a conventional four-man rush gives them a chance against Aaron Rodgers. I don't see the Giants winning this one. But being competitive is a must. Even with a loss, New York will retain control over its destiny, with showdowns with the first-place Cowboys looming in Week 14 and Week 17. And building to the first of those with a good showing this week will be important.
4) Matthew Stafford's right hand. The Sunday nighter between the Lions and Saints has a chance to be an absolute shootout. But there's a variable there, and it revolves around the condition of Matthew Stafford's fractured index finger. While Stafford's completion percentage has been fine since he was injured, he's thrown nine picks in his past three games. And those watching closely have noted how he's being more careful with the ball. The Lions have lost four of six, and with no run game to speak of, and Suh out for now, they badly need Stafford at his best. He'll have had 10 days off going into Sunday's game, and it'll have been three full weeks since he broke the finger. One thing's for sure: Drew Brees and Co. will put plenty of pressure on Detroit to score, and so we'll likely get a real good look at where Stafford is physically.
Three conclusions
1) There are three good reasons for in-season firings.In the wake of Jack Del Rio's ouster, I was on San Diego radio -- where the Norv Turner Watch is on -- and they asked me about the subject. My feeling is that such a move can be justified to either save a season, audition an assistant, or look after the development of young players. Of course, in most cases, when a coach is fired in-season, things are going so poorly that the playoffs are out of the question, so the first of the three scenarios is rare. The second, of course, worked for Dallas last year with Jason Garrett getting a good long look, something some thought Dirk Koetter would get in Jacksonville, before interim duties went to Mel Tucker. And the third is an underrated one -- if a team has tuned out its coach, a poisonous environment can develop, and preventing promising young players from becoming submerged in those kinds of situations can be important.
2) If Von Miller matures, he'll have a chance to be a close facsimile to DeMarcus Ware. And those are strong words from me, since I believe Ware is the closest thing the league has seen to Lawrence Taylor since the real thing roamed the NFL (a sentiment Bill Belichick once told me he agreed with). The important thing now is growth, since we've seen how far Miller's athletic ability can get him. Good as he's been, Miller was benched at one point earlier in the season, and I'm told he rubbed some veteran defensive players the wrong way, in having the air about him that he had it all figured out as a rookie. He's still not complete as a player, but he has great resources around him. Coach John Fox was important in the development of Michael Strahan and Julius Peppers, and vets like Elvis Dumervil, Champ Bailey and D.J. Williams are in the locker room, as well. And Miller has a good head on his shoulders. So with time, there's a good chance he does get it all figured out.
3) Michael Vick is plenty tough. I've heard whispers comparing Vick's broken ribs to what Tony Romo dealt with earlier in the year. A few things are important to remember on that. First, Vick stayed in the Arizona game, despite being hurt in the first quarter, and hesitated to tell anyone about the pain he was in until the next day. Second, his availability the past three weeks hasn't been up to him. The club used Romo's play as an example of how being shot up, and playing with a vest, could hamper a quarterback's effectiveness and recovery. Romo played with a vest and a shot for six games, going 3-3. He went 2-3 in the first five, with a 7-6 TD-INT ratio. And in playing through it, it took nearly two months for the ribs to heal to where he was playing pain-free -- that landmark was hit on Nov. 13, the injury happened Sept. 18. Romo certainly was plenty tough, and the Cowboys' decision-making is vindicated by their first-place standing. But there was thought that went into the Eagles going a different way and, ultimately, there should be no referendum on their quarterback's grittiness as a result.
Two pieces of business
1) Caleb Hanie's playing for plenty. A fourth-year pro, Hanie is an interesting spot to compete for the eyes of clubs that might try and bargain shop for quarterbacks in the offseason, and get into a group that could include fellow young veterans Matt Flynn (Packers) and Brian Hoyer (Patriots). Hanie's story is an interesting one, too, that relates back to Romo. In 2003, Romo was considering offers as an undrafted free agent, and took less to go to Dallas, rather than Denver (Mike Shanahan was an Eastern Illinois QB just like Romo) where the quarterback situation was more settled. Five years later, Hanie came into the NFL, and made a similar decision, that tied him to Romo, as the Cowboys came after him as an undrafted free agent. Because Romo had just signed a six-year deal with Dallas, he saw more opportunity in Chicago, and took less money to go there. Now, the decision could well pay off, not to the degree it did for Romo, but for similar reasons.
2) Los Angeles is a serious subject for the league. And so in addition to the above hurdles that we mentioned the Jaguars would have, if they intended to flee Jacksonville, there would be others waiting if the intended destination was Los Angeles. The league is determined to get L.A. right, and that means having the right team for the country's second largest metropolitan area. The Lakers work in L.A. The Dodgers work in L.A. And one reason the NFL believes why is because those two are iconic brands. That's why the Raiders continue to make a lot of sense for the league's eventual foray back into L.A., and it's why the Vikings would be palatable too. This much is for sure: If it did wind up being a team like the Jags, you can bet there would be a massive effort to re-brand the franchise specifically to fit Southern California better.
One prediction
But above all else, what the above tells you is that the swing in power that seems to happen between the conferences every decade or so is now complete. The NFC has won three of the past four Super Bowls, and with the Packers and Saints and 49ers, it is stronger at the top, and also deeper than the AFC.
It's kind of interesting how it's worked historically -- the AFC was stronger in the 1970s, with a shift coming in the mid-1980s, and the NFC remaining the tougher circuit into the late 1990s, when it went back to the AFC. We'll see if the changing of the guard sticks for longer period of time now the way it has in the past.