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The Greatest MMA News Column 01.29.13: UFC on FOX, Rampage, Bellator, More
Posted by
Dan Plunkett
on 01.29.2013
News and thoughts on UFC on FOX 6, ratings, Rampage's UFC career, Bellator 86, UFC 156, Alvarez falls short in court, Barnett's UFC chances, and more!
UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Dodson Thoughts
Even without knowing exactly how well the show did on television, the UFC's sixth event on FOX was a big success. There were questions of whether UFC fans would accept the flyweight (125-pound) division after Toronto fans booed the division's inaugural title match in September despite it being a solid contest. On Saturday it was clear most fans weren't drawn into the arena by the main event match between Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson, but they didn't leave prior to the main event and booing was very limited. Overall, the reaction both live and on television to the main event was largely positive, which is a big win considering Johnson and Dodson are far from well-known. On the undercard, three title contenders emerged with good performances, including arguably career-best fights from Anthony Pettis and Ricardo Lamas.
Though the final television numbers won't be out until Tuesday and I've always approached overnight numbers with caution, the show seems to have done quite well. In the 8-10PM time slot, FOX drew 3.77 million viewers and a 1.8 rating in adults 18-49. Both numbers are increased over the preliminary numbers for UFC on FOX 5, which also did well. The numbers don't include west coast viewership as the show was aired live there nor the final two rounds of the main event, which is in theory where viewership would have peaked. There is the possibility that the show could have peaked with the co-main event, but these numbers make me think that wasn't the case. Saturday's show won't see a final viewership increase as much as FOX 5 did, which ended up at 4.39 million viewers, as that show's main event wasn't included at all in the preliminary numbers. Still, it should end up around the fifth FOX show, which has to be considered a success as that card had stronger name value.
In the main event, Demetrious Johnson won a close but clear-cut fight over John Dodson via decision. This was a really good and compelling fight; for whatever it's worth it was easily the most competitive main event featured on FOX to date. Dodson started strong, scoring three knockdowns in the opening two rounds. I saw a good number of people give Johnson the first round, including 411's go-to play-by-play man Mark Radulich, but I thought the knockdown gave Dodson the edge in an otherwise close round. It was strange that Dodson didn't follow up more on the knockdowns; it was as though they made him too confident in his power. As it turned out, he didn't have much luck finding Johnson's chin again, making the lack of finishing aggression a critical error. From the third round on, Johnson took over. The difference was Johnson's ability to keep up a fast pace for twenty-five minutes which couldn't be matched by Dodson, who noticeably tired in the championship rounds. By the fifth round Johnson had completely taken over, battering Dodson's nose in the Muay Thai clinch and landing sweet elbows to the top of Dodson's head in the clinch.
It's really impossible to say if the fight made Johnson a star or not at this point. He put on a really good performance in front of a big audience, but it's not clear whether that will translate into future big ratings or PPV buys. Thus far, the jury is still out on whether being featured on FOX is a star-maker. Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos had little clear history of being drawing cards, but both did draw in their roles in their following fights, and their December rematch seems to have drawn the fourth-biggest number of 2012 (according to Dave Meltzer). But, a large part of that was Velasquez's appeal to the Latino demographic, which isn't a trait shared by Johnson. Rashad Evans decisively won the second FOX main event, but he was already a star fighter and I can't say definitively the exposure helped sell his title match with Jon Jones. Nate Diaz looked impressive in the third FOX main event and his next fight drew well, but that was also on FOX on a heavily hyped card and not PPV. Ditto for Shogun Rua. We won't see what affect Ben Henderson's win at UFC on FOX 5 had on his drawing power until at least the April 20 FOX show.
One problem facing Johnson and the flyweight division as a whole is a lack of championship contenders. It seems as though the winner of Saturday's match between Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall will determine the next title challenger, but both were beaten by Johnson just last year. The Benavidez bout in particular didn't get over with the fans, though perhaps that was unique to that particular Toronto crowd. McCall at least had a draw with Johnson last March before dropping the rematch, and I thought "Uncle Creepy" should have gotten the nod in the first bout. However, the rematch was so decisive for Johnson I don't have much interest in a rematch so soon. There is John Moraga, a winner of seven straight whose sole loss was against Dodson, but he's significantly less known than Benavidez or McCall. It's a longshot, but I like the idea of a flyweight
Ultimate Fighter
season with the winner getting an immediate title shot. UFC's division is quite small so there are a good amount of talented flyweights out there for the show, though I haven't heard or seen one that would give Johnson a run for his money. Still, it'd be the first time in a long time winning TUF would really mean something, which is an aspect of the show people have complained about. It'd also give a 13-week build to a title match, which could only help the flyweight division.
In perhaps his final fight with the UFC, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson dropped a unanimous decision to Glover Teixeira. Rampage, 34, looked old in the bout. His punches were slower than a prime Rampage, his takedown defense was very poor at times, and his takedown attempts were slow and far-reaching. To his credit, Rampage fought really hard in the bout despite tiring early and he was battling a very good fighter in Glover Teixeira. Teixeira, 33, scored his first win over a longtime top fighter with the judges' nod and his eighteenth consecutive win. It was far from the beatings he put on Kyle Kingsbury and Fabio Maldonado, but that wasn't unexpected as Jackson was a step up in competition. Teixeira's performance wasn't one that had fans calling for a bout with champion Jon Jones, but he looked solid in the fight.
The loss was Rampage's third straight loss and, as previously mentioned, possibly his final UFC fight. Jackson's complaints about poor treatment and unsatisfactory compensation have hit a high point over the past year. In fact, Jackson's issues with the UFC resulted in him starring in a "comedy" how-to rape video in an admitted attempt to get himself released from the promotion.
If it was Jackson's final UFC fight, his UFC career ended on a much different note than it started. When UFC purchased the World Fighting Alliance in late-2006, the deal was made in large part to get Jackson, as he represented the only loss then-champion Chuck Liddell hadn't avenged. Despite a relatively disappointing debut performance in which he knocked out Marvin Eastman, Rampage was given a title match with Chuck Liddell, who was at that point coming off the peak match of his career with Tito Ortiz. Publicly, the UFC expected the show to match the one million buys reached by Liddell's second encounter with Ortiz, but despite a strong build the bout failed to reach that number by a large margin. Still, it was a big show and Rampage became a big star (not to mention the champion) by knocking out Liddell early in the first round. That set up a title unification match with the final Pride champion Dan Henderson on Spike TV. The fight, which did then-record television ratings for the UFC, saw Jackson win a decision. Then in 2008 Rampage lost his title to Forrest Griffin via a controversial decision. Jackson was a big favorite in the bout and didn't seem to take it as seriously as he could have. There was talk of an immediate rematch, but those talks soon quelled as Jackson was arrested days after the fight in a hit-and-run incident (he later pled guilty to evading a peace officer and driving against traffic).
Rampage first fight post-title was against career rival Wanderlei Silva on the stacked UFC 92 show. Jackson seemed to earn a title shot with a brutal first round knockout, but was asked to fill an open main event slot three months later against Keith Jardine. Jackson won the fight, but the date of his promised title shot was too soon and he stepped aside for Lyoto Machida. Machida won the title from Rashad Evans, and instead of Jackson fighting Machida, UFC opted to slot him as a coach on
The Ultimate Fighter
with Evans, who he didn't get along with. The dynamic between Jackson and Evans was better than perhaps that of any two rivals in MMA history. The back-and-forth talk between the two made it the most anticipated non-title fight in UFC history. Initially, the bout was postponed as Jackson took a starring role in the 2009 film adaption of the A-Team, but the fight lost no momentum from the delay. Three years to the weekend after debuting in the UFC and failing to reach one million buys, Jackson did just that with Evans in a highly anticipated clash. Had either fighter held the title at the time of the fight, it may very well have ended up as the second-biggest PPV in MMA history. The fight didn't live up to expectations as Evans largely controlled the fight from the onset save for a brief portion of the third round.
Jackson then finally battled Lyoto Machida later in the year, winning a very controversial decision after narrowly winning the first two rounds but getting blown out in the third. Then in May of 2011, he defeated Matt Hamill in the main event of UFC 130 to earn a light heavyweight title shot. That title match was the biggest of champion Jon Jones' career to that point. Jackson promised he was in the best shape of his life for the fight, but it wasn't enough to dethrone the champion as he lost via submission in the fourth round. The following February, Jackson came into his bout with Ryan Bader five pounds over the light heavyweight limit. UFC brass was critical of Jackson coming in overweight, which Rampage didn't appreciate as he blamed the weight issue on an injury and argued he was in fact doing them a favor by not pulling out (in reality, that's probably true). That, and the loss to Bader that followed, led to the Jackson-UFC relationship being where it is today. Despite clearly not being the Rampage of old, Jackson could still play some sort of role in the UFC and his name does have value. But perhaps at this point Jackson would create more headaches than he's worth.
Of all the performances on the card, none were more impressive than Anthony Pettis'. "Showtime" was tremendous, landing an off-the-wall knee (the "Showtime Knee") and finishing Donald Cerrone with a liver kick just two-and-a-half minutes into the fight. It was the first time Cerrone, a veteran of twenty-four MMA fights heading into the bout, was finished with strikes. Prior to the kick and flashy knee, Pettis was landing effective counter punches and early on attempted a cartwheel kick. Pettis, 26 (his birthday was Sunday), took home his third straight win and a promised title shot at the winner of the April 20 Ben Henderson vs. Gilbert Melendez bout. At the post-fight press conference Pettis revealed he'd sit out and wait if a title shot was guaranteed, but with nearly three full months to go before Henderson vs. Melendez, anything could happen with that match that could either put Pettis in a title position earlier or later. The lightweight division hasn't drawn on PPV since BJ Penn split for the welterweight division after losing his 2010 title rematch, but Pettis could help change that, if only temporarily. Pettis is charismatic and exciting and flashy in the cage. A rematch with Ben Henderson, the man he beat in the final fight in WEC history (in one of the great fights in company history) could draw, especially considering Henderson would be coming off two consecutive fights with big exposure. Putting business aside, that rematch is among the most intriguing fights than can be made. Both have clearly improved since their five round battle in December of 2010 and both have continued to put on great fights since.
In the main card opener, Ricardo Lamas derailed Erik Koch's title hopes with a second round finish. The fight got off to a slow start with the first round featuring a lot of clinching. In round two, Lamas got Koch to the ground and landed an elbow that sliced Koch wide open. He followed up with punches before the referee stepped in to call off the fight. The win makes Lamas, 30, a potential title challenger to the winner of Saturday's Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar fight.
In the top fight of the preliminary card, TJ Grant finished Matt Wiman in the first round with strikes, which is no easy feat as Wiman is a tough guy. Grant, 28, hasn't lost in his four fights since dropping to lightweight. Clay Guida won a controversial decision over Hatsu Hioki. A lot of people thought Hioki won the fight off his back and Guida was overcompensated for being on top for much of the fight. As of this writing, Hioki's Wikipedia page reads "Decision (split)-Judicial Incompetency," next to the result of the Guida fight. For Guida, a win is a win and despite the controversial nature will move him closer to a title shot in the featherweight division. Pascal Krauss rebounded from his first career loss with a decision win over Mike Stumpf.
In the erasing history category, Ryan Bader scored the fastest submission in UFC light heavyweight history with a fifty second guillotine choke of Vladimir Matyushenko (which could be the end of his career). In 1997, Frank Shamrock beat Kevin Jackson with an armbar in sixteen seconds to win the then-UFC middleweight title. In 2001, that title was renamed the light heavyweight title and the upper weight limit was moved from 199-pounds to 205-pounds. So that pre-realignment division apparently doesn't fit in light heavyweight division history and it certainly also doesn't fit in the middleweight division history as the upper limit was well above the current middleweight limit of 185-pounds. So basically, either Frank Shamrock has the fastest submission in UFC light heavyweight history or Tito Ortiz only made three title defenses in the light heavyweight division.
Running through the rest of the prelims, Shawn Jordan beat Mike Russow in his first fight back since his dreadful fight with Cheick Kongo last summer. Rafael Natal easily beat Sean Spencer and then cut an awesome promo about having a beautiful girlfriend and great body. In the opener, David Mitchell won a decision over Simeon Thoresen.
Bellator 86 Thoughts
Bellator's viewership fell 13.5% for their second live event on Spike TV, which is neither a surprise nor a bad number. As I've noted here over the past couple of weeks, the real test will be week three when they feature a far weaker card in terms of name value. Week one had all of the promotion for the debut and two title fights. Week two had King Mo Lawal, who has been pushed heavily by both the promotion and Spike TV, and a title fight with Ben Askren. This Thursday features all four quarterfinal bouts in the lightweight tournament and the biggest name on the card is Patricky "Pitbull" Freire, a name well below the King Mo's, Ben Askren's, Pat Curran's, Babalu Sobral's, and Michael Chandler's of the world. Now, a bad number on Thursday doesn't necessarily mean anything and a fairly significant decrease should be expected. If they come back in week four and the number rebounds, it essentially cancels out a bad week three number. As long as viewership levels don't show a pattern of decline over an extended period of weeks Bellator will be in fine shape. Now, if viewership falls over the course of the season with limited exceptions (which would probably be Mo's fights), then there's cause for some concern and Bellator needs to look at how they book their shows. But still, being a subsidiary of Viacom, which also owns Spike TV, Bellator has a long, long way to fall before being in any real danger.
In the main event last Thursday, Ben Aksren dismantled Karl Amoussou in a career-best performance. Askren, a world class wrestler, has faced repeated criticism for his so-called "lay and pray" style of fighting after taking his opponent to the ground. Any chance of such criticism for this fight was put to rest when Askren battered Amoussou in the second round, nearly finishing the fight. Round three was more of the same with Askren dominating his opponent. Fortunately, the doctor had the sense to stop the beating after the third round, giving Askren his third successful title defense.
King Mo Lawal, 32, easily defeated the overmatched Przemyslaw Mysiala in his Bellator debut. It was Lawal's first action in more than a year – an absence stemming from a drug suspension as well as a career- and life-threatening injury to his knee which became infected after surgery. When a fighter is coming off an injury as serious as Mo's I have no problem with the fighter being given a lower level opponent to shake off the ring rust and get back into the swing of things. That's actually the main reason I think UFC should strip current bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz of the title. Mo made Mysiala look like an amateur here, with the Polish fighter's only offense being wild punches that missed in nearly every instance. Lawal looked good, but he was against an opponent he should have looked good against. With the win, Mo advanced to the semi-finals of the light heavyweight tournament, where he'll fight Emanuel Newton.
In a welterweight tournament quarterfinal, Douglas Lima made easy work of Michail Tsarev. Lima battered the Russian's leg until he could no longer stand. The fight was probably stopped to late, as it was abundantly clear earlier in the fight Tsarev wasn't able to stand on two legs, and thus was unable to properly defend himself. The main card opener was also a welterweight quarterfinal, with Ben Saunders beating Koffi Adzitso in a fight marred by a bad referee that kept standing the fighters up.
UFC 156 is Saturday.
The Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar super-fight for the featherweight title headlines the traditional Super Bowl Weekend show from Las Vegas this Saturday. Though neither is a big name, this has to be considered a legit super-fight as most seem to believe Edgar should have won his August bout with Benson Henderson, meaning most believe him to be the rightful lightweight champion. This isn't one of those one-fight UFC shows we've grown somewhat accustomed to though, as it features a strong undercard. Alistiar Overeem returns for the first time since beating Brock Lesnar when he fights Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, which should be a relatively easy fight for Overeem on his way to a title shot. Rashad Evans is also on the card, taking on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. In perhaps the toughest to predict bout, Jon Fitch fights Demian Maia in a very interesting welterweight match. In the main card opener, Joseph Benavidez fights Ian McCall in what is likely a title eliminator. Aldo and Edgar have weak drawing history, Overeem only has the only Lesnar fight on PPV, and Evans only draws big when matched with the right opponent, but I think this show is going to do fairly well. I predict it will beat last year's UFC 144 on PPV, which did an estimate 325,000 buys and was Edgar's best drawing show against an opponent not named BJ Penn (though Rampage Jackson had something to do with the number as well). I'm less confident it will match last year's Super Bowl Weekend show, but 375,000 buys isn't out of the question.
Josh Barnett likely to return to UFC.
UFC President Dana White revealed in one of his famous media scrums that Josh Barnett, 35, is likely to sign a contract to return to the promotion. Barnett became the youngest champion in company history (a record since beaten by Jon Jones) by beating Randy Couture for the heavyweight title in 2002 at 24-years-old. A positive steroid test and contract dispute resulted in him leaving the UFC for pro-wrestling and MMA in Japan. Recently, Barnett has been competing in Strikeforce, where he made it to the finals of their heavyweight tournament before losing to Daniel Cormier.
Alvarez motion fails at hearing.
Eddie Alvarez still isn't UFC bound, as a judge ruled against his attempt to sign with the UFC in time to get on April's UFC 159 card in New Jersey. This doesn't mean Alvarez's chances of going to the UFC are dead and the legal battle will continue with Bellator. Legally, Bellator may very well have matched Alvarez's offer, but in reality they do differ. At this point, a Bellator PPV wouldn't do 200,000 buys, meaning Alvarez's PPV points wouldn't even kick in. Had he won the court case this past Friday, he would have stood to make around $1 million from fighting on the UFC 159 card, which should do well. If he won that fight and got a title match on PPV, his bonus would likely kick in again, though for significantly less if the headliner would be his title match. Then there's the FOX vs. Spike TV issue. Bellator's lawyer argued both are on equal footing, which is a complete joke. There's no conceivable way in which a UFC on FOX show does less than one million viewers, and Bellator is at the very best going to be topping out at one million viewers (which is probably a generous estimate at this point). That difference in exposure may not just affect sponsorship money (which would be considerably more for a FOX fight versus a Spike fight), but also perhaps future PPV drawing ability. Unfortunately, the PPV argument likely won't fly in court as it's based too much on predictions. But, the FOX vs. Spike argument could be something to look out for.
TUF debut pulls 1.51 million viewers.
After two seasons on Friday nights where some episodes were rated so low there's question as to whether they actually existed, the seventeenth overall season of
The Ultimate Fighter
got off to a solid start last Tuesday with 1.51 million viewers. No rating has been reported as of this writing. Now, they'll just need to sustain that audience. This was the first TUF show I've watched since the first season on FX and I'll probably continue watching throughout the season. There won't be any major confrontations between Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen this season, which will surely turn some fans off. On the bright side, the show was presented in a different way (more like the
UFC Primetime
series) which gave it a fresher feel. Next week we'll take a look at the premiere ratings for each domestic TUF season (assuming I can find the rating for the fifth season somewhere) and how they fared over the course of the entire season. But by then, the rating for the second episode may give us a good indicator on where the show is heading.
Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave any feedback in the comment box or at the e-mail address below.
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- SCU Home Page
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Class Notes | Obituaries
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Showing class notes submitted in the last month
Perez, Jim
Jim Perez '72 completed a solo swim crossing of Lake Tahoe at 12 miles on 8-14 in a little less than 6 hours. Jim was a past captain and MVP of both the SCU Swim and Water Polo teams while at SCU and was a record holder in the distance Freestyle events. Photos will follow.
submitted Sep. 2, 2014 7:45A
Buckley, Michael
Michael Buckley J.D. '75 was appointed the Board of Bar Examiners by the Nevada Supreme Court.
submitted Aug. 26, 2014 1:12P
GRD Leavey/MBA '89
Mattson, Brad
Brad Mattson MBA '89 has just published The Solar Phoenix: How America Can Rise from the Ashes of Solyndra to World Leadership in Solar 2.0. The book explains why solar is fundamental to the world's energy future, and how the industry has passed a cost tipping point. It provides a set of detailed road maps of how, when, and where the solar energy revolution will take place. And it challenges the United States to take its rightful place as the world's solar superpower.
After taking both Novellus and Mattson Technology from his garage to NASDAQ, Mattson retired from the semiconductor industry and became involved with social entrepreneurship, pursuing the goal of "technology benefiting humanity." During that pursuit, he fell in love with solar.
As a venture capitalist and now as the CEO of Siva Power, Mattson is working to bring solar to the cost point that would unlock the market – making clean, affordable energy available to everyone, everywhere. He lives with his wife Vicky Mattson '84 in Silicon Valley.
submitted Aug. 26, 2014 1:21P
UGRD Engineering '95
Palmer, Keith
Keith Palmer '95 happily married Rina Knoblock on June 14, 2014 at the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park, Calif. Having sadly both lost their first spouses to cancer, they met at a grief support group and share an amazing number of similarities and parallels in their lives. They both feel very fortunate for their second chance at love and that they did not have to look hard for each other. The couple is also expecting a baby boy this December. The first for both of them.
submitted Sep. 6, 2014 8:58P
UGRD Leavey Business '00
Davaransky, Jane (Duong)
Jane Duong Davaransky '00 and husband Anthony announce the birth of Carson Thai Davaransky, born on April 27, 2014. Carson spent 5 weeks at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford for apnea, aspiration, and reflux. He is now home with mom, dad, and big sister Emerson. He is growing and improving every day.
submitted Sep. 1, 2014 1:57A
UGRD Arts & Sciences '04
Vasquez, Monica
Monica Vasquez '04 writes, "After 10 years together, we finally tied the knot in Sedona, AZ on May 17, 2014. What a beautiful backdrop..."
submitted Aug. 27, 2014 3:57P
UGRD Leavey Business '05
Brown, Jessica (Frank)
Jessica Frank '05 and Peter Brown were married on Aug. 9, 2014 at the Vine Hill House at O'Connell Vineyards in Sebastopol, Calif. Kristin Belanger '05 and Katy Tuttle '05 served as maid & matron of honor. Several other Broncos were in attendance, along with guests from Australia and Germany. The happy couple currently resides in San Francisco, Calif.
submitted Sep. 4, 2014 3:23P
UGRD Leavey Business '06
UGRD Leavey Business '08
Haase, Hillary (Boller)
Brent Haase '08 and Hillary (Boller) Haase '06 are the proud parents of future Bronco Louis William Haase, born Aug. 23, 2014 at 4:53 PM. 6 lb., 0.9 oz., 18 1/4 in. Louis joins big brother Ollie, a German Shepherd, at home in Greenwood Village, Colo.
submitted Aug. 31, 2014 10:28A
UGRD Arts & Sciences '08
Angley, Brody
Brody Angley '08 signed a two-year deal with Maccabi Haifa Basketball, making his debut in Israel Winner League. The 28-year-old point guard has recently won four championships in the last four seasons, on four different teams in Europe and Latin America. He brings to his new team the leadership, toughness, and high IQ that allowed him to win the rims in Switzerland LNA, Mexico Liga Nacional de Baloncesto, League of FIBA Americas, and Mexico LNBP.
submitted Aug. 26, 2014 12:03P
Eisenberg, Joey
Joey Eisenberg '14 is the new assistant director, Chapters & Groups, Alumni Relations, at Santa Clara. He graduated from this past June with a degree in political science. He and his family are from Bellevue, Wash., so he is eager to hit the ground running with our Pacific Northwest Chapters! Eisenberg studied journalism and news media at American University while interning for a semester in Washington, D.C. (another chapter he will manage). He was an orientation leader, search retreat leader with Campus Ministry, and a member of Associated Student Government during his time on campus.
He will be managing events and chapter leadership for the following areas: Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, East Bay, Marin, Napa/Santa Rosa, Peninsula, Phoenix, Portland, Reno/Tahoe, San Francisco, Seattle, Spokane, Stockton/Modesto, Washington, D.C.
submitted Aug. 26, 2014 11:55A

subset: commoncrawl


text:
By David Purdum / For the AJC
No. 6 Monroe Area travels to Winder-Barrow on Friday. In last season's meeting, the Purple Hurricanes led 51-0 at half en route to a 58-14 victory.
Monroe Area coach Matt Fligg doesn't believe that will be the case Friday.
"I've been warning my kids that this is a different Winder-Barrow team. This is the best set of athletes I've seen at Winder-Barrow," Fligg said. "They beat (AAAAA No. 1) Gainesville in passing league over the summer."
The Purple Hurricanes aren't short on athletes either. Senior quarterback Stanton Truitt, an Auburn commitment, had a hand in all seven of Monroe Area's touchdowns in last week's opening win. Truitt threw three touchdowns, all to receiver Michael Gallup. North Carolina State and Maryland are among the teams recruiting Gallup, according to Fligg.
Traditionally an option-based offense, the Purple Hurricanes will feature more of the passing games this season. Fligg said he initially made the decision to tweak his offense before last year's state semifinal matchup with eventual champion Sandy Creek.
"It backfied. We just didn't click," Fligg said of his team's 35-0 loss to Sandy Creek.
But Fligg believes his offense's passing game has improved. Truitt is more accurate, and the entire unit's timing is better, Fligg said.
Keep an eye out: Chamblee's defense shut out Dunwoody in its opener. Druid Hills put up 47 points in Week 1 win over Clarkston. The two teams meet tonight at North DeKalb Stadium. Chamblee has won three straight in the series. Keep an eye on Chamblee junior running back Xavier Shugers. A transfer from Tucker, Shugers rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns against Dunwoody.
Losing streak: The Columbus Blue Devils own the longest losing streak in AAAA at 18 games. The Blue Devils host Hardaway on Friday. Columbus has lost five consecutive games to Hardaway by an average score of 32-7.
Late start: No. 3 Burke County opens region play at Hephzibah tonight. Burke County's opening game was cancelled in the first half due to lightning, but not before Super 11 quarterback Donquell Green put up 235 yards of offense in the first quarter. The Bears, who were off last week, have never lost to Hephzibah, shutting the Rebels out in eight of 13 meetings.
Notes: For the first time in 16 games, No. 1 Sandy Creek will not be coming off a win, when it hosts Newnan on Friday. The Patriots' opener against Florida-power Plant High School was stopped late in the fourth quarter with the score tied, 27-27, due to Georgia school-night curfew rules. … No. 2 Carrollton hosts Chappell Hill on Friday, but the bigger test comes next week, when the Trojans host perennial AA power, No. 1 Calhoun.
September 5th, 2013
12:41 pm
I suspect that Carrollton's "biggest test" in the regular season will come in the game against Sandy Creek.


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Find stuff faster by automatically digging out search results from as deep as page 100. Surf Canyon automates the discovery of relevant results buried in the search pages on Google, Bing and Yahoo. It also adds image previews to Craigslist. Enter your query at one of these search engines and the extension automatically brings forward what you need while suppressing what you don't want. Settings are available at my.SurfCanyon.com.
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DVDFab HD Decrypter 126.96.36.199
DVDFab HD Decrypter is part of DVDFab DVD Copy and DVDFab Blu-ray Copy, and is always free. It can remove all the DVD protections (CSS, RC, RCE, APS, UOPs and Sony ARccOS) and part of Blu-ray protections (AACS, BD+, RC, UOPS and BD-Live) and copy DVD/Blu-ray to hard drive. You are free to edit with so many settings and finally make a special and perfect copy. More than that, you will be happy with its quick speed and wonderful effect.
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DVDFab DVD Ripper 18.104.22.168
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Outlook Password 2014.01.10
Outlook Password by Thegrideon Software is advanced MS Outlook password recovery tool. It recovers Outlook .pst files passwords instantly. Outlook Password can also recover e-mail accounts passwords and e-mail server settings from your MS Outlook records. Large pst files (4Gb and larger) are supported. Outlook Password lists MS Outlook Profiles and .pst files associated. All MS Outlook versions are supported including Outlook 2013.
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SmartSoft Video Converter 10.9
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Netwrix Change Notifier for Windows Server 4.017.449
Netwrix Change Notifier for Windows Server is a free auditing tool to monitor server configurations and automatically document changes, including installed software and hardware, local security settings, and registry settings. The tool sends daily summary reports with all recent changes to your network servers.
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License Generation and Activation Server 1.4.1
License4J Auto License Generation and Activation Server is a web application which handles auto license generation and activation requests. License4J License Manager GUI tool stores products, templates, and licenses in a defined database server. When a database server other than local embedded database is selected in options, license activation features and product auto license generation settings are enabled.
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Netwrix Change Notifier for VMware 3.135.134
Netwrix Change Notifier for VMware is a free tool for change management of your virtual infrastructure. The tool reports changes made to virtual machine settings. The tool sends a daily report, outlining all changes made to VMware host and virtual machine settings, including creation and deletion of virtual machines.
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QuickDeal 2.0
QuickDeal is an add-on to the MetaTrader 4 trading platform for One-Click Trading. It also has some additional useful features such as Net Volume, P/L and Break-Even Price information as well as Close All button. Features: Order opening with one mouse click; Choose Volume, Stop Loss and Take Profit settings from a list or enter them manually; Set Stop Loss and Take Profit on Market Execution; View your current trading instrument Net Volume, P/L
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WinX Free AVI to FLV Converter 5.0.7
WinX Free AVI to FLV Converter is a free video converter for converting video files from AVI to FLV. With predetermined settings, this one-click AVI to FLV video converter freeware makes AVI to FLV conversion simple and fast without any quality loss. Besides, WinX Free AVI to FLV Converter converts AVI to FLV video file with excellent audio and video effect at unimaginable speed, and also allows you to grab screenshots and save as PNG images.
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A-PDF Merger 6.9.5
A-PDF Merger is a simple, lightning-fast desktop utility program that lets you combine two or more image files or Acrobat PDF files into a single PDF document. A-PDF Merger provides special merge methods that allow you to combine documents and document parts in a number of different ways. Other features include the ability to combine bookmarks, adding watermark, change the Properties and security settings of the output PDF document etc.
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Smart PDF Converter Pro 10.9
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Smart PDF Creator Pro 9.9
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DVDFab Blu-ray Copy 220.127.116.11
DVDFab Blu-ray Copy is the first full-featured and the most powerful Blu-ray Copier/Burner/Decrypter which can remove all known Blu-ray protections, copy Blu-ray to any blank Blu-ray/DVD disc or hard drive, and burn existing Blu-ray folder / ISO file to disc with great speed and effect. 4 copy modes are available: Full Disc, Main Movie, Clone and Write Data. Besides, there are also various settings for you to customize your Blu-ray.
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WeatherDan 8.0.0
WeatherDan is a FREE C#.NET virtual "weatherman" that runs in your system tray. Retrieves local weather for any configured ZIP code. Auto-retrieves updated weather at a configured interval. Simple settings menu enables ZIP code changing without restarting application. Display 300 or 600 mile Doppler radar for specified ZIP code. Animate up to 10 cached radar images. No annoying popups or splash screens. Uses less than 3MB of system memory.
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Tic-Tac-SightWords 1.0.0
Tic-Tac-SightWords is a FREE educational application that combines learning sight words with the strategy of tic-tac-toe. Customize up to 9 levels of game play. Configure up to 20 words within each game level. Utilizes the Text-To-Speech engine built into the Windows operating system. Import and export sight words, enabling transporting words from computer to computer. Remembers all of your settings.
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PrinterSetup.bas 1.00.03
PrinterSetup.bas contains the single function SetupPrinter. This function displays the printer preferences (document properties) dialog for the default printer and sets the printer's default properties to whatever the user chooses. The changes are global. All applications use the new settings. The demo is a compiled program which allows you to test SetupPrinter on your machine before buying the module.
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Pavtube iMedia Converter for Mac 220.127.116.1159
Pavtube iMedia Converter for Mac is more than just a converter. It comprises a video converter, blu-ray ripper and dvd ripper to process Blu-ray, DVD and videos. This feature-rick Mac video converter toolbox can not only copy 2D BD, 3D BD and standard DVD with original structure, and convert all BD/DVD collection to virtually any video and audio format for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Windows Phones, PSP, PS3, and other devices. This total BD/DVD/Video converter can also transcode between virtually all video and audio formats and add practical video editing functions to export media files playable on Ios, Android, Windows, game consoles, etc. 1. Enable to input/output all popular formats Compatible with Blu-ray, DVD, and all popular video types and include more than 200 formats as output. 2. Support numbers of destination uses Various devices and players can be found in software supported formats, including iPhone 4, iPhone 5S, iPad Air, iPad Mini, PSP, PS3, Apple TV, Amazon Kindle Fire, Xbox 360, Sam ...
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Pavtube DVDAid 188.8.131.5259
Pavtube DVDAid provides the best solution to rip DVD and convert DVD to video and audio in popular file formats for many devices. Along with multiple practical bonus features like video editor, DVDAid is capable of improving your DVD movie experience without location or time limitations. It could backup DVD and convert DVD to various video and audio formats including MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, WMV, MP3, AAC, etc to let you enjoy DVD movies on any mobile device like iPhone 5S, iPad Aire, Galaxy S4, Kindle Fire HDX, PS3, PSP, Surface, and more. Plus, DVDAid could effortlessly create 3D videos out of source 2D DVD disc, DVD folder, and DVD IFO/ISO file in 15 different 3D effects for different 3D players. 1. Improve DVD Movie Experience with Excellent Performance Wide range of output formats supported Both standard and HD formats like MP4, AVI, MKV, WMV, M4V, MP3, M4A, WAV, etc. can be created out of source DVD movies with fast conversion speed. Various options of purpose media players With more than 200 video and ...
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text:
5 Huge Stocks Ready to Slingshot Higher
First up is McDonald's (MCD) a stock that's struggled this year, slipping more than 7.4% since January, a time over which the S&P 500 rallied more than 16% so far. But things are looking up for Ronald McDonald and the Hamburgler -- and more important, for investors.
That's because the company behind the "Golden Arches" is forming a technical trading pattern that looks a whole lot like the arches -- just flipped upside down. McDonald's is forming a double bottom pattern, formed by two swing lows that bottom out at approximately the same price level. The buy signal comes when shares push through the resistance level that separates the two bottoms; for MCD, the price was $92, and the breakout happened on Wednesday.
The fact that the breakout is so new (it was really only confirmed yesterday when shares held out above $92) and the double bottom pattern was so large means that there's still considerable upside to be had from this setup. I'd recommend buying here with a protective stop in at the 50-day moving average.
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text:
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. (AP) - A Hudson Valley village will mark the tenth anniversary of a series of controversial gay weddings officiated by its mayor.
Former New Paltz Mayor Jason West officiated over the vows of 21 same-sex couples on Feb. 27, 2004 in front of a cheering crowd. The marriages were never recognized by the state and West was charged with misdemeanor counts.
But the high-profile ceremonies added to the growing national debate over gay marriage. New York legalized same-sex marriage in 2011.
There will be a screening of a documentary about the New Paltz weddings in the village on Thursday along with a panel discussion.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
KTBC FOX 7119 East 10th StreetAustin, TX 78701Phone: (512) 476-7777Fax: (512) 495-7001


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text:
Portal Swag Proves Existence of CakeNot content with PopCap sending over mere cookies, Microsoft has taken things to the next level in its effort to promote this week's release of Valve's Portal: Still Alive through the Xbox 360's online Xbox Live Arcade platform.
That's right, Microsoft sent over an Aperture Science-branded box of Delicious & Moist Cake Mix, bundled with a hand-written note that promises, "The cake was not a lie."
Of course, leave it to Aperture Science to be a little on the shady side. If you read the fine print for that "Get Your Own Weighted Companion Cube" ad, it's revealed that "this limited-time offer is a complete fabrication." And I'm pretty confident that Aperture just took a box of Betty Crocker Cake Mix and threw a new label on top.
Then again, when it comes to cake, do you think Aperture really cares about ethics? Just look at these ingredients, some of them don't belong in a non-lethal cake:
- One 18.25 Ounce Package Chocolate Cake Mix
- One Can Prepared Coconut Pecan Frosting
- 3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
- Four Large Eggs
- One Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 3/4 Cups Butter or Margarine
- 1 2/3 Cups Granulated Sugar
- Two Cups All Purpose Flour
- Don't forget garnishes such as: fish shaped crackers, fish shaped candies, fish shaped solid waste, fish shaped dirt, fish shaped ethyl benzene, pull and peel licorice, fish shaped organic compounds and sediment shaped sediment, candy coated peanut butter pieces, shaped like fish
- One Cup Lemon Juice
- Alpha Resins
- Unsaturated Polyester Resin
- Fiberglass Surface Resins
- Volatile Malted Milk Impoundments
- Nine Large Egg Yolks
- Twelve Medium Geosynthetic Membranes
- One Cup Granulated Sugar
- An Entry Called 'How to Kill Someone With Your Bare Hands'
- Two Cups Rhubarb (Sliced)
- 2/3 Cups Granulated Rhubarb
- One Tablespoon All-Purpose Rhubarb
- One Teaspoon Grated Orange Rhubarb
- Three Tablespoons Rhubarb, On Fire
- One Cross Borehole Electro-Magnetic Imaging Rhubarb
- Two Tablespoons Rhubarb Juice
- Adjustable Aluminum Head Positioner
- Slaughter Electric Needle Injector
- Cordless Electric Needle Injector
- Injector Needle Driver
- Injector Needle Gun
- Cranial Caps
And it contains proven preservatives, deep penetration agents, and gas and odor control chemicals that will deodorize and preserve putrid tissue.
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text:
The perfect black oxfords featuring studs around the upper sole and lace up front. Fully lined interior, cushioned insole. Looks awesome paired with everything from a floral dress to a chiffon blouse and skinnies! By Report.
*Genuine Leather Upper
*Shoe Height: 3.75"/9.5cm
*Heel Height: 0.75"/2cm
Please use these size charts to help determine your size. Because sizing and cut will vary between brands, please use the charts as a general guide to compare the various size scales. If you have a specific sizing question or would like more information, please contact Customer Care.
Sizes listed are US, unless otherwise noted.
If you're not utterly obsessed with your recent purchase, it's now so easy to send it back! All US returns can be completed online using our fast, hassle-free system. Check out the links below for more details.


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The Pregnant Woman's Guide to Barbecues
If you find yourself pregnant during warmer months, there is probably a backyard barbecue (or three!) on the calendar. But before you fire up that grill or fill up your plate, remember that some of your favorite dishes may be risky for moms-to-be. "Certain foods can harbor bacteria that are particularly dangerous during pregnancy," explains Mary Lynn, D.O., an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois.


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Maintainable CSS using IE specific CSS selectors
If you've been doing styling for some time, you have probably run the gamet on IE related hacks, browser quirks, and conditional commenting. Allan Jardine created Conditional-CSS to work around browser annoyances while trying to streamline maintenance. More recently, Lu Wang at Ronin wrote 8 tips for "scaling" CSS development, where he extols a number of CSS virtues for creating scalable and maintainable CSS. Most notably: Rule #4 Don't put IE specific hacks into their own file.
I can't agree more.
Except for the most basic of sites, the pain that can develop around IE specific style sheets can be overwhelming. The styling quirks alone are enough to deal with, but shipping these items off to their own stylesheet (most likely to never be found again) can create a maintenance nightmare. Particularly without a true Firebug-like debugger, maintaining styling across multiple CSS files (Break your CSS down is Rule #1 in Lu's article) and again across conditional stylesheets can be almost impossible. Factor in a team of developers, designers, and time, and you have the perfect recipe for snarly code.
So, what do we do?
We keep our IE related styling right below the common (standards-based) declarations. BUT, we DON'T use hacks. Underscore hacks, * hacks, and all of those things that we all gave up with the birth of IE7 should remain dead and buried. Instead, we're going to use IE's conditional commenting to create IE specific CSS selectors. We do this by adding a conditional comment block as the outer most wrapper in our html template (ie. the first tag inside the ).

Now, in this sample, we do have support for older legacy versions of IE, so you could always reduce the number of conditions if your project doesn't need this level of support. And, you could also easily extend it to include IE8, or to do minus versioning such as IE8-. (Update: You don't need to use a nested div as in the above sample, but could do this same technique on the body tag as mentioned in the comments below. Also, here is a similar solution using 1 Kb of JavaScript.)
**UPDATE** Recent research has discovered a performance issue in IE8 when using conditional comments around the body tag (or an internal div as in this original sample). For those of you using this conditional comments technique, you should move your conditional comments from the body tag up to the html element - that way IE8 will not block downloads when evaluating the condition. Read the post and comments (Conditional comments block downloads) from Stoyan Stefanov for greater detail.
With this conditional block in place, it becomes quite easy to place IE only style declarations right below their standards-based counterparts. As an example:
#header { overflow: hidden; }
.IE #header { zoom: 1; }
But it doesn't validate!!!
All I can say to this is so what. The goal of this technique is to create maintainable CSS for cross-browser compatible rendering. It isn't to achieve a validation benchmark. (Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the goal of 100% validation. I just don't think it outweighs the need for readable, maintainable, and scalable CSS structure.)
Giving credit where credit is due
This technique for using conditional comments to create IE specific CSS selectors was
born (first used by me) at the company where I spend most of my days - Top Producer. And, much of the credit for it should go to co-ops we had a while back: Roman Rudenko and Oleg Gunkin (guys, if you read this, please send me a link and I will gladly add it to this post).


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By HealthMeUp | March 3, 2013, 10:23 am IST Relationships
Condoms are crucial for all those couples who want to enjoy sex but at the same time want to play it safe. Not to forget condoms are important if they also wish to avoid unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. But condoms can be tricky and the lack of knowledge on how to wear a condom properly can be embarrassing.
Even though you might be using a condom regularly but by not wearing it appropriately you might be reducing its effectiveness. Many men have a love-hate relationship with condoms as feel that it reduces the feeling of intercourse along with reasons like they are difficult to put on, etc. etc. But you cant ignore the importance of condoms and the role it plays to keep you safe and that's why read on to know top 10 dangerous condom mistakes you might be committing. *Image courtesy: © Thinkstock photos/ Getty Images


text:
Museums Nights are organised on various dates in many towns and cities and provide a great opportunity to discover the wide variety of museums in Germany. Until late into the night, the museums host concerts, performances, shows, live acts, presentations and many other events, offering an entertaining insight into their programme. Shuttle bus services enable you to travel between the museums without the need of a car.
Nākamie pasākumi:
Negarantējam visu norādīto cenu, datumu un darba laiku pareizību.


text:
DISCOUNTED ITEM: Best by Date September 28, '14
It's taco night with a new twist! Annie's Cheesy Taco Skillet Dinner provides a fiesta of flavor for a quick dinner. Teens, tweens and parents will love our deluxe, 100% real cheese sauce.
Keep it simple with ground beef, turkey or chicken. Or try one of our serving suggestions on the back of the box for add-ins like black beans, sour cream or cilantro.
No Artificial Flavors, Synthetic Colors, or Preservatives.
Cheese from cows not treated with growth hormone rBST (no significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rBST-treated and non rBST-treated cows).
We work with trusted suppliers to source only non-GMO ingredients.
Privacy Statement - The Short Version We do not spam - we hate it as much as you do. If you sign up for our email, you can unsubscribe at any time. We do not sell, rent or give your email address to anyone. Period.shopOrganic ® is a registered trademark of Border & Black Ventures, LLC.© Copyright 2007-2013. All rights reserved.


text:
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Experience dark winter as never before; this plugin adds a great island far north, until recently completely isolated from Tamrielic law. Now that the Imperials have arrived and colonized the island, complications with the local Nords are undeniably present and the area's agitation is tangible.
No user reviews have been posted matching the criteria provided. Check back later, perhaps someone will share their thoughts.
Speak your mind and have a rant. It will feel right! Or read other peoples reviews.


text:
click image to zoomModern Web Editor Lauren Salapatek gets a Cezanne Perfect Finish Keratin Smoothing Treatment at the Main Event Salon in Barrington, Illinois by Alex De Rango. Nestled in downtown Barrington, Illinois at The Main Event Salon, is where I met Cezanne Master Stylist and Executive Educator Alex De Rango, who transformed my hair with the new Cezanne Perfect Finish Keratin Smoothing Treatment. Cezanne is a formaldehyde-free smoothing treatment without the use of harmful chemicals that could be a health concern for stylists and clients.
The treatment features two main ingredients that do the smoothing: Sericin, a natural protein produced by the silk worm, Bombyx mori. Sericin bonds very effectively to the natural keratin in hair and acts as a cement between the strands of keratin proteins and is able to lock hair into a smoother, straighter shape.
Glycolic acid, a popular exfoliant and moisturizer for skin, is the second main ingredient. It penetrates the hair shaft to allow keratin and vitamins to infuse throughout the hair shaft, delivering softer and more manageable hair. The treatment includes Vitamins C, E, B3, B5 and B6 derived from sugar cane, lemon, apple and green tea extracts.
"Cezanne is an instant transformation and makes your client a walking billboard," says De Rango. "Whether you are a stylist or a colorist, Cezanne can maximize your profit. For example, you can have an assistant shampoo your client while you do another cut/color service. During processing, you can work on another client, too." De Rango adds, "It's a game changing product and it's an easy process to learn."
click image to zoom(Left) Before and (Right) After Cezanne Treatment!
According to De Rango, Cezanne Perfect Finish uses a low pH system to open the cuticle to allow the infusion of the ingredients to the cortex, replacing lost and damaged protein mass. When heat is applied during the flatiron process, the cuticle is closed and the proprietary blend of ingredients are locked into the hair.
What's wonderfully convenient about this treatment is that it has no "down time" and I was able to wash my hair immediately after the treatment. My hair also felt fluffy and not weighed down by product. According to De Rango, hair can also be colored immediately after the treatment, which makes it unique. And, unlike other smoothing systems, hair can be curled with a curling iron directly after the treatment.
Cezanne Perfect Finish is currently available in more than 20 states and works on all hair types. The treatment lasts anywhere from 3-4 months depending on how often you wash your hair/if you use the recommended after-care routine of products.


text: This is a highly optioned and Marina maintained Sea ray Sundancer. This boat is super clean in and out. It is powered by twin Mercruiser 4'3 fuel injected I/o's. This makes this boat highly maneuverable versus a single powered boat of the same size, as well as a better boat in rough water due to the weight, and balance twin propellers provide the boat. The boat is loaded with options. With its wide beam and well appointed and luxurious cabin you can sleep 6 adults in style and comfort. Electronics are the best available at the time to match the boat a RayMarine c 120 color Radar , GPS, Fish finder combo 12 inch screen. This boat has Kohler Generator, heat and air conditioning to make any overnight boating excursion perfect for all. This boat has very low hours for the year and has always been marina maintained and is in the \water and ready for the next owner to take over. Do not hesitate to own this fine example of Express cruiser. Call today to set up a viewing or just stop by anytime to see it.


text:
Dog of the Day
Cat of the Day
Pet of the Day
Ha ha-- I only need one guess... hope Comet had fun...
I've been defrosted---thanks cassiesmom
I've been Boo'd -
Comet looks like he was maybe busy digging up the tulips.
"I've been defrosted by Cassiesmom" Spring is here somewhere?
I think Comet was having a good time!
Yikes! I've been Boo'd ... right off of the stage!
Aaahh, I have been defrosted! Thank you, Bonny and Asiel!
Brrrr, I've been Frosted! Thank you, Asiel and Pomtzu!
"That's the power of kittens (and puppies too, of course): They can reduce us to quivering masses of Jell-O in about two seconds flat and make us like it. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs or they'd surely have taken over the world by now." -- Paul Lukas
Cassie's Catster page: http://www.catster.com/cats/448678
That's funny.... and perhaps a bit irritating for the person(s) planting the bulbs. Nice looking dog!
Ha-ha-ha! Too cute
Copyright © 2001-2013 Pet of the Day.com


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(noun) 1. A small amount of pot (usually rolled into a ball) that is smoked through a water pipe and completely consumed by the user in one breath. It makes a "snapping" noise when pulled through the small hole at the bottom of the bowl.
Dude, load me a lil snapper befor I go to work.
by Ramidus April 23, 2003
short definition for snapping pussy
oh baby, you never said you had a snapper. Arghhhhh!
by starscream October 14, 2003
After orgasm, if left in position, as the male organ softens, and the muscles of the vaginal walls haven't been stretched, in child birth, for example, at some point, the flacid penis will be ejected, not with an audible "snap" as the title would indicate, but with a reaction not found in post-parturition vaginas.
The current trend is for more women to opt for Caesarian Section to avoid pesky labor and to maintain their "snatchlasticity.
The current trend is for more women to opt for Caesarian Section to avoid pesky labor and to maintain their "snatchlasticity.
by Furb March 31, 2006
In marijuana culture, snappers are also sometimes refered to as "One'ies" (Wun-Eez). Basically you pack just enough to get one good green hit and then have it extinguish on its own. Efficiency is the name of the game with snappers.
"dude, my jar is almost empty so we should just do snappers"
by Dave56678 March 04, 2006
Used in North Dublin, Ireland, as slang for a baby.
'Jaysis Mary, the snapper's gettin' too big for that cot!'
by dAnGeRwAnK December 16, 2008


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LONDON, Ky. (AP) — The Laurel County Sheriff's Office has begun a program to patrol homes where owners are away.
WYMT-TV (http://bit.ly/XW46EI ) in Hazard reported the agency has invited people who will be away from their homes to notify the department and report what days the home will be unoccupied. The sheriff's office will step up patrols in those areas. The information can be emailed to the sheriff's office at lso1133(at)windstream.net.
Sheriff's spokesman Gilbert Acciardo says it makes sense to check vulnerable homes, since deputies are already patrolling.
Officials say residents of Laurel County asked for the program because of an increase in break-ins.
Information from: WYMT-TV, http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews


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Ledyard - Route 214 (Iron Street) was closed about 3:15 this afternoon from Spicer Hill to Shewville roads, and will remain closed for about five hours so that crews could replace a utility pole taken out in an early morning accident.
Lt. Michael T. Finkelstein of the Ledyard Police Department said a single-vehicle accident with no injuries took down the pole, and Connecticut Light & Power crews are replacing it this afternoon.
The road is expected to reopen later this evening.
No other details about the accident were available.
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Come and join industry leaders to kick-off our Fall Mobile Monday LA series on September 19th. Our topic will be: "Using Mobile and Social Media to Drive Consumer Purchasing" and we are look forward to see you there!
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Mother Jones
Romeney's "secret video": Much ado about nothing
So, heaven forbid, there's a "secret video" out of Romney (provided, reportedly, by James Earl Carter IV, who, ironically, is out of work) saying things that show what he really feels about Americans, (insert gasp here) etc., etc., – que the liberal outrage of the week and the latest in the left's distract and disrupt campaign.
As to the remarks videoed by someone at this event, here's how Mother Jones characterized what it saw as the big 3 quotes (that, one assumes, hurts Romney).
On the 47 percent of Americans "who will vote for the president no matter what."
On the dividends of his anticipated November 6 victory: "we'll see—without actually doing anything—we'll actually get a boost in the economy."
On the "almost unthinkable prospects" for Mideast peace: "I look at the Palestinians not wanting to see peace anyway…and I say there's just no way."
Oh my. Romney thinks that are "47% " of Americans who will vote for Obama, "no matter what".
Well here's a shocker — so do I. Are they the same 47% who pay not income taxes (and save your breath, all those who beam in with payroll and sales taxes – "income" is before "taxes" because we're talking about a specific tax, thankyouverymuch). No. But that's sort of irrelevant. I do indeed believe that around 47% will indeed vote for Obama "no matter what". Just as I believe there is about 45% who will vote for Romney, "no matter what". Shock! The political term "yellow dog" is applied to both sides, folks, for a very good reason. They exist – in large quantities.
Of course the war is for the final 8% isn't it? It always is. Why anyone is outraged by this number and his point is beyond me … or anyone who has any freaking idea of how politics have worked in this country for ages. It's always been about wooing the final 8-10%. Obama's problem is, since being elected, he's rarely if ever been beyond 49%.
As to the damage? Well I think James Taranto sums that up pretty darn well:
Romney's comment has been compared with Obama's infamous 2008 remark, also at a private meeting with donors, about Pennsylvania voters who get bitter and cling to guns and religion. To our mind the difference is that those people, traditionally Democratic voters, could easily tell that Obama was referring to them. Most of the 47% will not see themselves in Romney's description–and those who do, would probably not have considered voting for him anyway.
Bingo. Not that the Democratic dog isn't going to worry this bone as much as it can.
Quote two about the economy. Context is always nice:
Audience member: When the [unintelligible] in September, the markets are going to be looking—marginal tax rates going up, overheads going, fine, but sequestration under the debt ceiling deal—what do they call it?
Romney: Taxageddon?
Audience member: Yeah, they call it that. The Obamacare, taxes on dividends and capital gains—I mean, the markets are going to be speaking very wildly in October on all of those issues.
Romney: They'll probably be looking at what the polls are saying. If it looks like I'm going to win, the markets will be happy. If it looks like the president's going to win, the markets should not be terribly happy. It depends, of course, which markets you're talking about, which types of commodities and so forth, but my own view is, if we win on November 6th there will be a great deal of optimism about the future of this country. We'll see capital come back, and we'll see—without actually doing anything—we'll actually get a boost in the economy. If the president gets reelected, I don't know what will happen. I can never predict what the markets will do. Sometimes it does the exact opposite of what I would have expected. But my own view is that if we get the—the "Taxageddon," as they call it, January 1st, with this president, and with a Congress that can't work together, it really is frightening, really frightening in my view.
Again, an "oh, my … wait, what?" You mean he wasn't talking about the economy improving and him being able to take credit "without actually doing something" as implied by the out of context quote?
Context – what a concept. He's talking about how the markets will react to his election, that's all. And, as in the previous quote – he's right.
Finally, the Palestinian question. He's three for three – they don't want peace, they want the destruction of Israel and always have. And when offered a 95% deal, their leader (another Nobel Peace Prize winner) Yassir Arafat, turned it down. These are the people who parade their children around in fake suicide vests and launch rockets, weekly, into Israel.
As to what he said in full:
And I look at the Palestinians not wanting to see peace anyway, for political purposes, committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel, and these thorny issues, and I say there's just no way. And so what you do is you say you move things along the best way you can. You hope for some degree of stability, but you recognize that it's going to remain an unsolved problem. I mean, we look at that in China and Taiwan. All right, we have a potentially volatile situation, but we sort of live with it. And we kick the ball down the field and hope that ultimately, somehow, something will happen and resolve. We don't go to war to try and resolve it.
On the other hand, I got a call from a former secretary of state—and I won't mention which one it was—but this individual said to me, "You know, I think there's a prospect for a settlement between the Palestinians and the Israelis after the Palestinian elections." I said, "Really?" And his answer was, "Yes, I think there's some prospect." And I didn't delve into it but you know, I always keep open the idea of, I have to tell ya, the idea of pushing on the Israelis?—to give something up, to get the Palestinians to act, is the worst idea in the world. We have done that time and time and time again. It does not work. So, the only answer is show your strength. Again, American strength, American resolve, as the Palestinians someday reach the point where they want peace more than we're trying to push peace on them—and then it's worth having the discussion. Until then, it's just wishful thinking.
Can't disagree. Won't disagree. It's essentially true. When, and only when, the Palestinians get serious about real peace can such a process go forward. They're still not there. In fact, they're not even close.
Anyway, there you go. The outrage is just nonsense as usual, but certainly helpful in the disrupt and distract campagin. Not reported on? This part of the conversation:
Audience member: The debates are gonna be coming, and I hope at the right moment you can turn to President Obama, look at the American people, and say, "If you vote to reelect President Obama, you're voting to bankrupt the United States." I hope you keep that in your quiver because that's what gonna happen. And I think it's going to be very effective. Just wanted to give you that.
Romney: Yeah, it's interesting…the former head of Goldman Sachs, John Whitehead, was also the former head of the New York Federal Reserve. And I met with him, and he said as soon as the Fed stops buying all the debt that we're issuing—which they've been doing, the Fed's buying like three-quarters of the debt that America issues. He said, once that's over, he said we're going to have a failed Treasury auction, interest rates are going to have to go up. We're living in this borrowed fantasy world, where the government keeps on borrowing money. You know, we borrow this extra trillion a year, we wonder who's loaning us the trillion? The Chinese aren't loaning us anymore. The Russians aren't loaning it to us anymore. So who's giving us the trillion? And the answer is we're just making it up. The Federal Reserve is just taking it and saying, "Here, we're giving it.' It's just made up money, and this does not augur well for our economic future.
You know, some of these things are complex enough it's not easy for people to understand, but your point of saying, bankruptcy usually concentrates the mind. Yeah, George.
Audience member, "George": Governor, to your point on complexity. How is—you've traveled around America and talked to people in larger groups and perhaps people with different backgrounds, and people in this room: To what extent do people really understand that we're hurtling toward a cliff, and to what extent do people understand the severity of the fiscal situation we're in. Do people get it?
Romney: They don't. By and large people don't get it. People in our party, and part of—it's our fault because we've been talking about deficits and debt for about 25 or 30 years as a party, and so they've heard us say it and say it and say it. The fact that Greece is going what it's going through, and they read about France and Italy and Spain, has finally made this issue topical for the American people. And so when you do polls, and you ask people what is the biggest issue in the 2012 election, No. 1 is the economy and jobs by a wide margin. But No. 2 is the deficit. But debt, that doesn't calculate for folks, but the deficit does. They recognize you can't go on forever like this. Although the people who recognize that tend to be Republicans, and the people who don't recognize that tend to be Democrats. And what we have to get is that 5 or 10 percent in the middle who sometimes vote Republican, sometimes vote Democrat, and have them understand how important this is. It's a challenge. I did the calculation for folks today, and USA Today publishes this every year. It's a front-page story: the headline once a year, it somehow escapes people's attention, and that is, if you take the total national debt and the unfunded liabilities of Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid, the amount of debt plus unfunded liabilities per household in America is $520,000. Per household.
Audience member: It's like 12 times their income, right?
Romney: At least. 10, 12 times their income. Even though we're not going to be writing the check for that amount per household, they're going to be paying the interest on that. You'll be paying the interest on that. [Audience laughs.] Because we—my generation will be long gone, and you'll be paying the interest. And so you'll be paying taxes, not only for the things you want in your generation, but for all the things we spent money on, which is just—it's extraordinary to think the tax rates, someone calculated what would happen. If we don't change Medicare or Social Security, the tax rate—you know what the payroll tax is now, it's 15.3 percent—if we don't change those programs, that tax rate will have to ultimately rise to 44 percent. The payroll tax. Then there's the income tax on top, which the president wants to take to 40 percent. Then there's state tax in most states. And sales tax. So you end up having to take 100 percent of people's income. And yet the president, three and a half years in, won't talk about reforming Social Security or Medicare. And when the Republicans do, it's "Oh, you're throwing granny off the cliff." It's like you're killing the kids. The biggest surprise that I have is that young people will vote for Democrats. They look at this and say, "Holy cow! The only guys who are worried about the future of our country and our future are Republicans." But the Democrats, they talk about social issues, draw in the young people, and they vote on that issue. It's like, I mean, there won't be any houses like this if we stay on the road we're on.
Now that is important stuff. That is what this elections should be about.
Not this other crap that MJ and the left chose to quote out of context. But then, what choice do they have but to resort to that given their candidate of choice's record.
By the way, there's now a controversy brewing about the possibility that the secret video might have been edited. Or, perhaps the gap is more like the Nixon tapes. Regardless, charges are flying back and forth. David Corn at MJ says they're complete. But a bunch aren't buying that. By the way, MJ blasted James O'Keefe for "edited" ACORN tapes if you'll remember.
So, it's politics in the media as usual. Wonderful stuff, no?
Aren't we being well served?
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Corporations, unions, taxes and libertarian ideas
Kevin Drum has a blog post up at MoJo in which he supports a claim by Tim Lee that American Liberalism "has incorporated libertarian critiques at a striking rate over the past few decades". The claim is that is true especially in the area of economic policy. For instance:
Income tax rates are way down. Numerous industries have been deregulated. Most price controls have been abandoned. Competitive labor markets have steadily displaced top-down collective bargaining. Trade has been steadily liberalized.
I guess that can all be categorized as "it depends on your perspective". While personal income taxes are down in comparison with where liberals would prefer them to be – especially for the rich – corporate taxes remain the highest in the free world. And, speaking of economics and libertarians, we at least understand who ends up paying corporate taxes – and it ain't corporations.
This is major blind spot of the liberal side of the house. If they admit that corporate taxes are passed along to consumers, then their basis for taxing in such a regressive manner would be questioned. So they continue to pretend that by demanding higher and higher corporate taxes, they're somehow calling for equity in income distribution – assuming government will take the money collected from corporations as taxes and parcel it out to those who need it most. And further assuming that's a function of government.
Of course what they end up doing is having corporations take money from those who must have their products but can least afford the cost of the increase driven by the taxation. "Benevolent government" then takes the money, after it takes its cut, and passes it back to the "most deserving", or the "most in need". Corporations then, are a tax collection entity, not a tax paying entity.
What happens when corporate taxes are raised is it has an adverse effect on the corporation's consumer base. If they get high enough, that base begins looking for less costly alternatives or quits buying altogether.
All that to set up this next Drum statement:
The problem is that a system that generates enormous income inequality also generates enormous power inequality — and if corporations and the rich are allowed to amass huge amounts of economic power, they'll always use that power to keep their own tax rates low. It's nearly impossible to create a high-tax/high-service state if your starting point is a near oligarchy where the rich control the levers of political power.
You could most likely spend all day on those two sentences. Completely left out, of course, is who is paying income taxes. What we all know is somewhere around 50% of us aren't. So when we see discussions about taxes we have to keep that in mind. More importantly – and after all the talk of having much in common with libertarianism – check out what Drum's ideal is: "a high-tax/high-service state".
Obviously the libertarian camp would find nothing to agree with there.
Essentially Drum's argument is that we, as a nation, have the right to demand such a state. But while the "corporations and rich" own the "levers of political power" we'll never achieve it. Solution? Implied: take those levers away from them. Method? Well all of this has been a prelude to the real reason for the post:
I am, fundamentally, old fashioned about this stuff: I think of the world as largely a set of competing power centers. Economics matters, but power matters at least as much, and I think that students of political economy these days spend way too much time on the economy This explains, for example, why I regret the demise of private sector labor unions. It's not because I don't recognize their many pathologies, or even the fact that sometimes they stand in the way of economic efficiency. I'm all in favor of trying to regulate the worst aspects of this. But large corporations have their pathologies too, and those pathologies are far worse because there's no longer any effective countervailing power to fight them. Unions used to provide that power. Today nobody does.
This is the common cry of the liberal today. The need for a "countervailing power" to fight the power of corporations – real or imagined. Weapon of choice? Unions. But the power that unions fight against has nothing to do with the supposed problem with corporations that Drum has outlined. Taxes. Name a single union that has, in any time in the past, rallied and protested to get their corporation's taxes raised? They understand what such an increase could mean to labor. As for power, unions are more concerned with the internal power of a corporation as it relates to wages and benefits. It is only recently, with the addition of union PACs, that the union movement has begun to address corporate political power.
And if I had to guess, that's what Drum secretly laments. As private sector unions decline, so does any "countervailing" political power he thinks unions could wield. Of course, it doesn't help when they act like this . Unions are and have been the liberal left's power center in their war against corporations for centuries. If you don't believe that, you just need to review recent elections and their pattern of donations:
The UAW has considerable clout in the Democratic party. In the 2010 election cycle, the union spent $10.1 million through its political action committee, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That was down from $13.1 million in the 2008 election.
The center said that 100 percent of the union's 2010 federal donations — $1.4 million — went to Democrats. The funds come from voluntary contributions by members and retirees.
That's the real impact of the "demise of private unions". It is also why those like Drum support any effort that makes organizing easier for unions today.
So when Tim Lee writes that "Competitive labor markets have steadily displaced top-down collective bargaining," I just have to shake my head. Competitive for whom? For the upper middle class, labor markets are fairly competitive, but then, they always have been. They never needed collective bargaining to begin with. For everyone else, though, employers have been steadily gaining at their expense for decades. Your average middle class worker has very little real bargaining power anymore, and this isn't due to chance or to fundamental changes in the economy. (You can organize the service sector just as effectively as the manufacturing sector as long as the law gives you the power to organize effectively in the first place.) Rather, it's due to a long series of deliberate policy choices that we've made over the past 40 years.
But here's the bottom line: if there were indeed a crying need for unionization felt by the "average middle class worker", the ability to join a union (or form one) still exists. The problem is, it's mostly fair and thus doesn't favor the union as previous organizing laws did. However, if the organizing drive meets the criteria outlined in labor law,bingo, a union is born and members are able to cash in on the supposed benefits of such a relationship.
The problem, however, is fewer and fewer people apparently see any advantage in such a relationship anymore, if declining membership is any indication. Like anything else in the world, the consumer of a product has to convince themselves that the product's benefit justifies its price. It seems that is no longer the case when it comes to private unions. Drum prefers to blame the demise on "policy". I see it as the consumer saying, "no thanks" after the price/benefit comparison is made. The fact is policy or law doesn't prohibit the formation of unions. Only votes do. And for quite some time, the votes – of those they would unionize – haven't favored private union organizers.
Drum concludes:
It's worth noting, by the way, that corporations and the rich know this perfectly well, even if lots of liberals have forgotten it. They know exactly what the biggest threat to their wealth is, and it's not high tax rates. This is why the steady erosion of labor rights has been, by far, their single biggest obsession since the end of World War II. Not taxes, unions. If, right now, you were to offer corporations and the rich a choice between (a) passage of EFCA or (b) a return to Clinton-era tax rates on high incomes, they wouldn't even blink. If you put a gun to their head and they had to choose between one or the other, they'd pay the higher taxes without a peep. That's because, on the level of raw power, they know how the world works.
Of course he's right, but not necessarily for the reasons he believes. Unions have grown into an impediment. A costly impediment to competitiveness. Whether anyone likes to admit it or not, labor is a commodity. Despite the emotional arguments of the left concerning labor and "real people", people who want to work aren't owed a job or a certain level of compensation. They have to be worth it to earn it.
So yes, corporations are more concerned about unions than taxes, at least to the point that passing along increased taxes starts costing them customers. Then they pay more attention to taxes. And if taxes do start to cost them customers? Where is the easiest commodity for a corporation to cut in order to maintain a competitive price as it collects the increased taxes? Yes – labor.
Without apparently realizing, the liberal left's call for increasing corporate taxes dramatically for their "high tax/high services" state is a call for more unemployment. Unions would attempt thwart the ability for corporations to adjust headcount to remain competitive. Result? The US steel industry redux.
Is that really what the liberal left wants? I can pretty much guarantee it isn't what any libertarian would want. But perhaps it is the fact they don't even realize how it all works (and what they're really wishing for) that's the most dangerous aspect of all of this.
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More Extensive Executive Power Proposed By Congress
Al Gore may have 'invented' it, but the Congress may give Obama control of it. The report is from Mother Jones:
Should President Obama have the power to shut down domestic Internet traffic during a state of emergency?
Senators John Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) think so. On Wednesday they introduced a bill to establish the Office of the National Cybersecurity Advisor—an arm of the executive branch that would have vast power to monitor and control Internet traffic to protect against threats to critical cyber infrastructure. That broad power is rattling some civil libertarians.
The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 (PDF) gives the president the ability to "declare a cybersecurity emergency" and shut down or limit Internet traffic in any "critical" information network "in the interest of national security." The bill does not define a critical information network or a cybersecurity emergency. That definition would be left to the president.
The bill does not only add to the power of the president. It also grants the Secretary of Commerce "access to all relevant data concerning [critical] networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access." This means he or she can monitor or access any data on private or public networks without regard to privacy laws.
So you have an unelected Secretary of Commerce able to access all of the data on the private or public networks without regard to privacy laws – yeah, no possibility of abuse there, huh?
The bill could undermine the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), says CDT senior counsel Greg Nojeim. That law, enacted in the mid '80s, requires law enforcement seek a warrant before tapping in to data transmissions between computers.
"It's an incredibly broad authority," Nojeim says, pointing out that existing privacy laws "could fall to this authority."
It will be interesting to see if we hear the same sort of outcry from the left pertaining to warrants as we heard about FISA if this passes.
"We must protect our critical infrastructure at all costs—from our water to our electricity, to banking, traffic lights and electronic health records—the list goes on," Rockefeller said in a statement. Snowe echoed her colleague, saying, "if we fail to take swift action, we, regrettably, risk a cyber-Katrina."
And apparently the possibility of a "cyber-Katrina" means that any Constitutional right you may have to privacy can be waived.
Comforting, no?