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December 6, 2012
England give Lions a shot in the arm
Posted on 12/06/2012
When Warren Gatland announces his backroom staff for next year's Lions tour in the coming days, Stuart Lancaster's name will not figure.
Yet in masterminding England's remarkable victory over a supposedly peerless All Blacks side last weekend, England's Cumbrian supremo has gifted Gatland with the fillip he will have so desperately craved after a largely disappointing autumn campaign for the Home Nations against their respective Southern Hemisphere counterparts.
Although Ireland's demolition job on a tiring Argentina a week earlier was worthy of the plaudits which followed, England's unexpected triumph was the hammer which struck the timely psychological blow for the game in this part of the world, reviving a belief that a first series victory since 1997 is a real and attainable target for the tourists.
Of the individual playing performances over the past month, there were precious few for Gatland to get overly optimistic about but there were certainly some worthy of note.
England unearthed a trio of real gems in the shape of Tom Youngs, Joe Launchberry and Alex Goode, three inexperienced players who took to the international stage like the proverbial ducks to water. In the space of four weeks, each of them has shot from relative obscurity to the forefront of Gatland's thoughts through displays promise and composure.
Meanwhile, the remainder of the English squad have only enhanced their stock. Manu Tuilagi is a whirlwind of destruction, while the well-documented defensive capabilities of his centre partner Brad Barritt are now being supplemented by no mean amount of offensive nous.
In wrestling the number nine jersey back from Danny Care, Ben Youngs has repaid Lancaster's faith in him while the platform laid by the likes of Alex Corbisiero, Dan Cole, Geoff Parling and Tom Wood is allowing the backline to flourish. Special mention must also go to Chris Robshaw, whose resolve through some difficult moments has been paramount.
In Wales, it was a different matter all together. The crumbs of comfort a final match victory over Australia would have provided were cruelly snatched away by Kurtley Beale's last gasp try at the Millennium Stadium and the Grand Slam champions were left to mull over the reality of a played four, lost four return.
Leigh Halfpenny and Toby Faletau were two whose reputations remained in tact with consistent levels of performance, while Jonathan Davies' return for the final two matches sharpened a previously blunt Welsh backline. Sam Warburton finally rediscovered some of last season's form and Alex Cuthbert's attacking exploits just about outweighed his frailty in defence but all in all, not a lot to shout about.
The shouting was even more muted north of the border where, after periods of success in their opening match against the All Blacks, Scotland's campaign imploded with losses to South Africa and most miserably, Tonga - a result that saw head coach Andy Robinson end his three year tenure with the side.
Of the few positives, Tim Visser's brace against New Zealand continued his metronomic knack for crossing the whitewash while Ryan Grant and Euan Murray produced an excellent scrummaging performance versus South Africa. Kelly Brown was valiant throughout the series but, as skipper, the challenge he and the SRU face to turn things round in time for a competitive Six Nations championship is stiff.
Ireland regrouped from a narrow loss to the South Africans to punish a hapless Fijian outfit and later put Argentina to the sword on the defining afternoon of their autumn. Jonny Sexton was assured throughout and remains in pole position for the Lions fly-half berth and Tommy Bowe also climbed a few rungs of the selection ladder with performances that consolidated his claims.
It was on the other flank where Ireland made their biggest find however, with Ulster firecracker Craig Gilroy seizing his opportunity against Fiji to keep the jersey for the Argentina match where he went on to deliver another dazzling display which was sure to have caught the eye.
In the pack, Iain Henderson, Mike McCarthy and Richardt Strauss all showed up well and will be hopeful of more game time in the spring while Cian Healy and Donnacha Ryan each produced powerful displays to maintain their positions on Gatland's radar.
My team of the autumn is as follows:
15. Leigh Halfpenny 14. Tommy Bowe 13. Manu Tuilagi 12. Brad Barritt 11. Craig Gilroy 10. Jonny Sexton 9. Ben Youngs 1. Cian Healy 2. Tom Youngs 3. Dan Cole 4. Joe Launchbury 5. Geoff Parling 6. Tom Wood 7. Chris Robshaw 8. Toby Faletau
And finally, purely in the name of heated debate, here's my take on how Warren Gatland's initial 35 man squad might look when he drafts in the coming weeks.
Rob Kearney, Leigh Halfpenny, Chris Ashton, Tommy Bowe, George North, Tim Visser, Manu Tuilagi, Brian O'Driscoll, Jonathan Davies, Brad Barritt, Jonny Sexton, Jonny Wilkinson, Owen Farrell, Mike Phillips, Ben Youngs, Conor Murray, Andrew Sheridan, Cian Healy, Dan Cole, Adam Jones, Alex Corbisiero, Richardt Strauss, Tom Youngs, Rory Best, Richie Gray, Joe Launchbury, Geoff Parling, Donnacha Ryan, Alun Wyn Jones, Tom Wood, Stephen Ferris, Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton, Jamie Heaslip, Toby Faletau.
December 4, 2012
Posted on 12/04/2012
If the reverse against New Zealand felt like a sledgehammer to the senses then Kurtley Beale's last gasp try felt like a dagger through Wales' heart. The men in red finally looked set to have ended their hoodoo against southern hemisphere opposition but a faulty lineout and some bad defensive realignment cost them. The sheer joy of Rhys Priestland's fist pump after his clearance kick turned to Sam Warburton's dejected slump against the posts in the space of two minutes, a snap shot that encapsulated Wales' 2012.
The Grand Slam had offered much and it seemed Warren Gatland's charges were primed to take the next step and record wins over southern hemisphere opposition but they now face a rebuilding exercise. One thing is for sure and that is a massive improvement is needed if Wales are to have any chance of retaining their Six Nations title, it looks like a big ask, but the situation isn't as bad as 4 defeats from 4 autumn games seems to suggest.
Wales are close, there is no doubt about that. They controlled the game for large periods on Saturday and deserved the win, full credit to Australia for taking the victory but Wales lost the game more than the Wallabies won it. It's difficult to pinpoint exactly how they lost. The lineout failed, the defence didn't reorganise quickly enough, that's just how Australia scored – Wales lost for deeper rooted reasons altogether. From game to game certain aspects seem to fail on the Welsh, one match it will be the defence, the next the set piece, then the kicking, and so on.
They can sometimes ride out the failings and win, sometimes they lose or sometimes it all comes together and the men in red can be brilliant. The physical and technical aspects are not lacking, just a bit of consistency is needed in those departments – what is missing is the mental edge, the belief and the leadership to win the tight games.
Wales showed enough in defeat to suggest they can come back from this. Once again the forward platform functioned well, Scott Andrews showed there may be life after Adam Jones and a depleted pack secured enough of the possession to build a winning position against the Wallabies. Gethin Jenkins should seek a loan move from Toulon though because he needs the game time. With the addition of Adam Jones, Dan Lydiate and a full complement of second rows you have the impression that Wales' forward effort is perhaps not as downright destructive as the Springboks or England's is still a match for anyone. If there is a weakness, it is the lack of consistency in the lineout and the naivety around the breakdown that allowed players to be isolated too often and leaked too many turnovers on Saturday.
The backline was another plus point, probably having its best 80 minutes of the Autumn series against Australia. Priestland showed good variation with his passing and kicking, his little chips over the top of the Wallabies blitz defence were a particular highlight. Jonathan Davies and Alex Cuthbert looked dangerous and Jamie Roberts was solid in defence and made some powerful direct runs. Liam Williams looks like becoming a fans favourite and Leigh Halfpenny staked another big claim to being the Lions full back. The backs made line breaks, having the confidence and sense of adventure to go for it, something we haven't seen for a while, and it was very welcome.
What really lacks though is something that isn't as easily coached. What Australia showed is how far ahead they were in rugby nous and intelligence. They, like the All Blacks a week before seemed to know when 'it was on' and were more aware around the breakdown. Far too often this autumn we have seen four or five Welsh forwards clearing out one or two opposition players.
After a few phases Wales have too many players in one area of the pitch and committed on the floor, leaving them vulnerable to turnovers and short of options when the ball does come out, which has all too often been slow. Perhaps it's something that comes with experience and the senior Australian players were better than their Welsh counterparts at taking the lead but they seemed to make the right decisions at key times and seemed more intelligent overall. Wales are being out-thought rather than out-fought at the moment and whilst the teams fitness levels are fantastic it's not their bodies that are letting them down.
Toby Williams - @williams_toby
Posted on 12/04/2012
At the beginning of the autumn I thought I would be writing this about England's resilience and determination in losing to the world's best team. However I could write forever about a performance that has reignited English rugby for the first time since 2003.
Considering the performances prior to the match, Twickenham was buzzing with excitement and a quiet confidence. The anthem was filled with passion and pride that shook the foundations of Twickenham. Seeing the Youngs brothers side by side belting the anthem at the top of their lungs was spine tingling - knowing their father beat the All-Blacks in 1983, and they could could do it together. As if the anthem was not enough, the players, fans and those watching at home could witness one of the great sights in rugby, the Haka. But it was barely audible over one of the best renditions of 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot' by 82,000 fans. Maybe it was a sign of what was to come, as the crowd never let up, nor did the players.
With Richie McCaw having more caps than our entire pack and the New Zealand front row more caps than our whole team, experience was not on our side. With New Zealand having gone twenty games unbeaten and looking to finish off their year on a high, England were fighting a real uphill battle, especially against a side called one of the greatest ever. Few rugby fans would have expected what happened.
From the word go England were always in the face of the Kiwis with relentless pressure at the breakdown and in the tackle. Set piece was excellent. It was as if no one had told the English front row the experience of their counterparts as they were all over them in the scrum. Dan Cole may look like a veteran but for such a young international tight head prop he is outstanding, he has to be on the Lions team sheet. His big friend on the loose head, Alex Corbisiero looks to be on great form after having a pizza named after him. Only one line out went awry, but Tom Youngs was on point otherwise and his partnership with Geoff Parling is one for the long term. Youngs finally managed to combine his new found line out throwing with his ability to carry and what a combination it is. He made yards on every carry, and for someone who is very short for international rugby, showed size is not everything. On opposition line outs Tom Wood made a nuisance of himself not allowing any clean ball for the Kiwis.
Outside the set piece the forwards showed their potential and the class that everyone knows they have. With nearly the whole pack turning over ball on the ground shows we do not have a real need for one out and out fetcher at the moment. The defence our forwards provided was second to none. I have never seen a New Zealand team pressured like this, or put on the back foot the way England did. It was not just in defence, but also in attack as the forwards seemed to be more organised going through the phases and got some real momentum. Joe Launchbury looks at home in international rugby and gets around the pitch like another back row. Ben Morgan and Chris Robshaw were loving a chance to show what they could do ball in hand.
The New Zealand players clearly struggled against this as they continued to give away penalties that Owen Farrell would continue to convert into points. With each penalty that went over a lead and hopes of the nation would simultaneously rise.
One thing I was happy to see was Manu Tuilagi being used on first phase ball and carrying hard into the heart of the New Zealand midfield. As our most potent ball carrier it was surprising to see that this was the first time all autumn this happened, and what a difference it made. It may have been the reason why Conrad Smith rushed out in defence to cover Tuilagi when Brad Barritt made a break that led to his try. The best moment however was when he was used as a first up ball carrier off the line out and broke through the tackles of two IRB player of the year nominees, Carter and McCaw, to pass to Chris Ashton. Finally a chance to see a sight missing from English rugby, the 'Ash Splash', after he ran a tremendous support line, showing his class. Mike Brown showed his credentials as a left winger always looking for work, carrying strong and a great turnover on the right hand side of the pitch. Brad Barritt was a stalwart in the England back line, and Farrell's kicking was imperious and gave great confidence to the side.
England showed great belief on Saturday, even after conceding two tries in quick succession they still managed to come back and score three of their own. Stuart Lancaster showed great confidence in his entire squad after bringing on Freddie Burns for his first cap just after the hour mark. Having your first cap against the All Blacks you would think nerves were an issue, but Burns looked as settled as someone with thirty caps to their name. He had a couple of penalties, and a few lovely touches ball in hand. Lancaster has shown this amazing ability to give confidence and not let players be overwhelmed by a situation, this is evident with Launchbury and Burns this autumn, but also with many players during the six nations.
Tom Wood epitomised everything that was good about England. He put his body on the line, got in the face of the opposition and really put them under pressure, a key reason to why England won, they never let the opposition play. He is an abrasive player that England very much needed. A well deserved man of the match.
The match brought memories of 2002 flooding back when England beat the big three. Hopefully this confidence will be taken forward into the Six Nations and England can really do something special.
Henry Fraser - @henryfraser0
Posted on 12/04/2012
There are no excuses at Test level, only reasons to be found. That England turned up with the right mindset, plan and energy cannot be denied, however this game did reveal the low energy levels of the All Blacks. Whether that was down to the pre-game virus, or the effects of a long season, we may never know. Test rugby is all about finding the weakness and exploiting it, which the home team did.
The All Black forwards were not only sluggish, they played poorly as individuals, surrendering the collision area, the ball, and the momentum to a committed English pack. Just how much of that came down to an unsuitable gameplan would surely be one of the "rocks under the beach towel" Steve Hansen has referred to. Then there are selections, and the timing of substitutions.
In the halves, Aaron Smith had his first mediocre showing, proving the old adage that you never know what a halfback is really made of until you see them behind a losing pack. England identified the lack of protection being afforded to the scrumhalf, and the mistakes flowed from the wound. To compound matters, Dan Carter was well off his game for most of the match too and questions could be asked if he was actually 100% fit to play.
With those two key areas under pressure, England were able to take advantage and force kickable penalties, and score good running tries against a creaking defensive line.
That line failed because the All Black attacking tactic of recycling quick ball, going two passes wide to a running forward and repeating the formula means that if a turnover occurs, there are ready made mismatches for the opposition to exploit on counter-attack.
Perhaps relying on the tight forwards to play "loose" and control the space out wide, rather than arriving at the tackle and clearing out, is too reliant on the energy levels of the side - and the willingness of the opposition to commit to defence out wide rather than counter-rucking aggressively.
It was apparent that when the All Blacks hit the rucks in numbers, employed pick-and-go play for momentum and followed it up with well timed passing through the backs, they were far more threatening to the English line. Unfortunately for the New Zealanders, just when the comeback looked irresistible a pass was intercepted and the victory was England's from there on.
It is often said that more can be learned from a loss than a win. Maybe after achieving 12 wins, one draw and a solitary loss from 14 games it is pedantic to seek the lesson. On the other hand, it is against the New Zealand rugby mindset to simply accept defeat as a statistical inevitability. There will be subtle changes made to ensure the All Blacks will be back to their winning ways in 2013.
England's exceptional once-in-a-decade (thus far) winning performance will be stored as motivation and the rematch will be targeted for a redemption act, regardless of when, or where, it is played.
Sam Nelley - @Scorz_
November 30, 2012
Posted on 11/30/2012
When recently asked about Warren Gatland's period of absence from the Wales camp this autumn, Alun Wyn Jones said "Warren is here in his rugby mentality if not his body. His mantra is being carried on: hard work, being direct and not being afraid to play".
Though eyebrows may be raised in some quarters as to whether Wales have successfully translated that mantra onto the field in this campaign, it is fairly indisputable given a wider perspective, that his ethos has become ingrained in the Wales national set-up since his appointment in 2007, particularly when framed in the context of the preceding seasons.
In 2005, Wales became Grand Slam champions for the first time in 27 years playing a brand of rugby which delighted the masses in that glorious Celtic spring, but which also drew criticism, most infamously from Dick Best who controversially accused the Welsh of having a "game plan built on sand."
Despite the vitriolic backlash from the Welsh rugby public to Best's assertion, time somewhat vindicated his comments as the fortunes of that free-flowing instinctive side imploded, firstly during a tumultuous 2006 Six Nations campaign, when Mike Ruddock left his post amid the messy 'player power' dispute, and later, when they were knocked out of the World Cup at the group stages employing Gareth Jenkins' romantic, yet ultimately flawed 'Welsh Way'.
And then there was Warren.
The stony New Zealander's self-derived remit upon his appointment was to sweep away the sand on which Wales' twinkled toed class of 2005 had so gently tread and fill the subsequent void with a hard-setting concrete mix of set-piece stability, rigidity of structure and mental resilience.
Such was the importance Gatland placed upon regimented on-field routine, for Wales' opening game of the 2008 Six Nations away to England, his starting 15 included 13 Ospreys, Wales' leading region of the time. The team went on to record Wales' first Twickenham victory in 20 years and the Grand Slam that followed has been well documented.
Since that heady opening salvo in the job, Gatland's ideologies have had time to embed and evolve within the Wales set-up and the three-prong mantra cited by Jones has been evident, up until the end of this year's Six Nations at least.
The rigorous Polish training camps have seen Wales match and even usurp the best in the world game in the fitness stakes while the directness of their play was the pillar of this years' Grand Slam victory.
However, the fearlessness with which Wales profess to play has been seldom witnessed over the past 12 months and one wonders, now that Gatland is shorn of the guile and ingenuity of Shane Williams and while he seems unwilling to give the exiled James Hook and the enigmatic Gavin Henson a fresh chance to shine, whether the scales of style versus substance have not tilted too far to the other side.
The question with regard to Gatland's Lions stewardship is, how will his coaching traits and management style reflect on his Lions selection and the approach he takes to masterminding a series victory down under?
History suggests he will be looking to reap the benefit of familiar combinations and players seasoned at this, the most intense of international environments. Indeed, without the responsibilities of succession and evolution that he carries in his Wales role where his policies always favour the introduction of youth, he has been quite candid about the fact that he will not be afraid to turn to players in their latter years and even in the twilights of their careers.
When recently quizzed by journalists, doubtlessly angling at 'the' Jonny Wilkinson question, Gatland said: "Age will be no barrier to selection. If you're good enough, you're not too young, and if you're 35, 36 or 38 and playing well enough, then you'll get selected.
"The thing with the Lions is that you can potentially pick an older player to take on tour for three or four games. They might not have to train a lot. You might be able to take an older player who might struggle to get through a whole club season or even struggle through an international campaign."
Seemingly, with limited preparation time and with results being the only definition of success, the way Gatland handled that 2008 England match may be an accurate yardstick of how he will approach the tour.
Stylistically, Gatland may well argue that the slump in Wales' creative output may be down to the personnel at his disposal. The majority of coaches endeavour to devise a game plan which gets the best out of what is available, which in Wales' case is a crop of physically imposing, direct, athletic backs and it is by utilizing their strengths, that he is aiming to prosper. On the other hand, he may simply put it down to a blip in form.
Either way, to suggest that a man with Gatland's CV as one-dimensional would misguided if not ignorant and with his net cast that much wider for this assignment he may well see strength in say, a ball playing 12, a willow-the-whisp type winger or a constructive backrow linkman and tailor his approach to suit.
Whatever the final outcome, his squad selections during his Wales tenure have never been short of something from left field, so expect the unexpected which may well turn out to be a liberal sprinkling of sand to add to that archetypal concrete mix.
Paul Barry - @Bazwaldo10
Bringing out the best in England
Posted on 11/30/2012
Just over a year ago English rugby was in turmoil following a World Cup to forget and New Zealand were on top on the world. One year on and not much has changed. New Zealand have gone twenty games unbeaten, and England are still struggling against the best in the world.
With no chance of making a top four seeding now for the 2015 World Cup draw, England have nothing left to fight for but pride. No one expects England to win this one, it's just a matter of not being left embarrassed like the other northern hemisphere nations this autumn. However, there are still many English supporters that believe England can upset the odds. There seems to be something that leads them to believe Twickenham could see something special, maybe it is the confidence the squad has in each other. Many still believe that this team has under achieved this autumn with a game they should have won against Australia and a game they could have won against South Africa. A win at the weekend would wipe away all the woes that have gone before.
Moving on from the physicality of the South Africans, the English pack has to go up against the ruthless and ever mobile Kiwi forwards. There is no change from last week in the pack that went so well against the South Africans. Scrum time could one area where England have the upper hand, especially with Alex Corbisiero back, turning England into a very tough team to beat up front. The only thing that needs to be tighter is the line out. If there is one thing England have proved is that the forwards love to get ball in hand and try to take the game to the opposition. It is not just with the ball where England have to front up, but also the breakdown. New Zealand are ferocious when it comes to the breakdown, they are relentless on opposition ball and turn over a lot in the process. It is vital that England secure clean ball, and quick ball to not allow New Zealand a sniff at a turn over. The forwards will have to carry hard and make sure support is always present on someone's shoulder. James Haskell and Courtney Lawes will offer huge impact off the bench as big hitters and ball carriers.
There is only change in the backs as IRB player of the year nominee Owen Farrell comes in for the injured Toby Flood. Farrell will be opposite fellow nominees, Dan Carter and Richie McCaw who will be looking to get into Farrell's face all game long. The spotlight will be on Farrell after his nomination especially against two past winners. The balance of skill and power in the opposition back line is amazing so shutting it down early is key. Brad Barritt will be key in defence, and some big hits from Manu Tuilagi would not go amiss. An organised attack is key and one with few errors is even better, as New Zealand thrive on turnovers and the counter attack. This also means that Ben Youngs and Farrell have to be deadly accurate with kicks out of hand and the chase has to be as fast and strong as has ever been. New Zealand exploited the poor kicking massively against the Welsh last week and got huge reward from it. Tuilagi is key in providing England with go forward and our biggest weapon in breaking through the Nonu / Smith partnership.
One thing England have to do is be clinical when they are in a scoring position. Too many times basic skills have cost us dearly. New Zealand can go games with very little possession but still out score any team, so taking chances are key. If we can starve them of possession more than most teams, even better.
There is no doubt New Zealand will come out all guns blazing. Returning back to the home of English rugby, and on McCaw's final game before his sabbatical, and leaving with a win would cap off a tremendous season. It is always great to welcome the best team in the world, and even greater to beat them. There is something special about playing New Zealand at Twickenham on an autumn Saturday that can really bring the best out of players.
Henry Fraser - @henryfraser0
November 28, 2012
Posted on 11/28/2012
I was hoping there wouldn't be much to write about this weekend, just a nice relaxing post about how Tonga battled bravely up in Aberdeen but ultimately had too little time together as a team and too little belief to overcome bold Scotland, who managed to salvage some pride.
Sadly it turned out that Tonga were bold and fiercely proud, and Scotland were lacking the belief, both on the pitch and in the stands. Although in the latter case it was more a matter of disbelief than anything else.
Now we have an Autumn International whitewash to go with our Six Nations whitewash and our early World Cup exit last year.
Amidst the gloom there was the triumph of another good result against Southern Hemisphere opposition and a winning tour in the summer. There were encouraging signs from the pro-teams in the summer. It seems like an awful long time ago.
As usual there were a handful of good performances in the dark blue. As usual it was different players to the previous week. Henry Pyrgos was perhaps the lone exception as he continued to run the game at pace and looked sharp. His service was reasonable too which is always nice on the odd occasion you get quick ball.
This week Sean Lamont and Stuart Hogg ran everything they could and although they didn't always get far you cannot fault their effort. Hogg put his heart into the jersey and was clearly emotionally and physically drained by the end. In the pack Al Kellock stood out, marshalling the line-out and several mauls that probably deserved more points than they ultimately earned.
But as has been the case with Scotland over a decade or more, there was an all too familiar descent into headless-chicken mode when in need of points that made capturing the crucial tries – any tries – harder the more effort they put in.
Like a rabbit caught in a snare, the more they struggle, the tighter the noose.
What is needed in Scottish minds is cold calculation of the sort dished up to them by New Zealand in the first test.
They have a pack that on its day will put them in the positions required to score. But when there is not belief that a try will result if the ball goes out past 9, it all too often results in the pack trying to find holes that simply are not there.
Would McCaw ever say "hang on lads let's stick it up the jumper, those mugs Carter and Sonny Bill will never score."
The forwards can often seem like they're tired of watching the backs failing to score almost as much as we fans are. It's cruelly ironic, as in Tim Visser and Stuart Hogg we have two of the most potent finishers seen in Scotland shirts in the last decade – had the ball ever gone out that far when it came to the crunch.
Coach Andy Robinson is not the first to have battled this problem, and in the post-match press conference on Saturday he cut a dejected and angry figure. He looked like a man unclear if he any longer had a solution in mind, and so it came as little surprise when he cut his losses on Sunday. He left behind a hefty contract, which confirms that Robinson is a proud rugby man above all else.
By Monday we were left wondering: who will lead the team now? Scott Johnson and Sean Lineen wait in the wings. Wayne Smith offers a tantalising hope, having some loose connections to Scotland and having been a recent visitor on a coaching exchange.
And yet more questions: would a top rated coach even want to take on the 12th-ranked rugby nation?
Rory Baldwin - @ScotRugbyBlog
France building solid foundations
Posted on 11/28/2012
A first victory in seven years against Australia, an unbeaten November and the return of the prodigal son – it's been a pretty successful set of autumn internationals for Philippe Saint-André.
Of course all is not perfect – the momentum from emphatic wins over the Wallabies and the Pumas was somewhat stalled by a gritty success over Samoa. But after four years of ups and downs there is the feeling that something concrete is being built here.
Fred Michalak will always be described as mercurial in the same way that Richard Hill is apparently still underrated – though no one can explain by whom. The truth is Freddie has turned into a pragmatic ten who makes the right decisions more often than not. Of course he is still capable of those moments of magic, as Kurtley Beale can testify after being left for dead in the build-up to Wesley Fofana's try in Paris.
But more impressive has been his immaculate kicking from the tee – the range is limited but inside 40m he is deadly – as well as his immovable first up tackling. Where the playmaker in France has always been the scrum-half, Michalak took control and performed in every game.
If he was the pick of the backs, Louis Picamoles looked every inch the world's best No.8 for two Tests. His quiet display against Samoa cannot be ignored, but only New Zealand would think twice about starting him.
This November was also marked by the performances of two distinct groups – the returnees led by Michalak, and the next generation – headed by Brice Dulin. Michalak, Florian Fritz, Yannick Nyanga and to a lesser extent Benjamin Kayser, all looked as comfortable as they ever have for Les Bleus – Fritz in particular, was exceptional in keeping Samoa at bay. Meanwhile Dulin and Maxime Machenaud kicked on from their successful tour to Argentina, with Yannick Forestier and Jocelino Suta also taking their chances.
There are still problems to resolve, Fofana is an adequate stop-gap on the wing, but he doesn't look happy there and we don't see his best. Having three looseheads in a matchday squad so that you can fit in Vincent Debaty is not a viable solution against the best scrummagers. And as much as this was an autumn of regeneration, the likes of Gael Fickou, Pierrick Gunther and Jules Plisson remain untested at this level.
The Six Nations will give an even clearer indication of where this team truly lies – trips to Dublin and Twickenham present a challenge on form and history respectively. Head into the summer tour with New Zealand having won the Six Nations – or even the Slam – and Saint-André will really have us believing.
Antoine Bonnin - @Rugby_en_bleu
Ireland still consistently inconsistent
Posted on 11/28/2012
Alexander the Great once said; "Upon the conduct of each, depends the fate all" - Ireland's world ranking fate was decided by the conduct of the entire team, seemingly clicking into gear simultaneously and taming Los Pumas. From prop to full back, Ireland managed to totally outshine their opponents and record a comprehensive 46-24 win.
Argentina failed to control or contain an Irish attack that managed to run in seven tries and dominate in almost every aspect of the game. This was Argentina's 12th game of 2012, at times they did look lethargic and by the hour mark it was clear most of the Argentina team had their minds on the plane home. The Puma's pride somewhat dented after what had a been a convincing enough display on the tour so far.
Craig Gilroy is the name on everyone's lips after his magical footwork led to Ireland's opening try - and rightfully so. Gilroy has become the talk of the town and there are some already predicting he has is seat booked on the Lions tour this summer. Described as Ireland's answer to Shane Williams, Gilroy has at very least got the attention of and Irish audience. His abilty to spin out of tackles and shift effortlessly from one foot to the other adds an exciting dynamic to the Irish wing.
Alongside the hopes being placed on Gilroy, the importance of Johnny Sexton seems to grow by the week. Of the six tries scored while he was on the pitch this weekend, he scored two, set up two and chipped the ball up for another. Although he didn't receive the Man of the Match award, Sexton did control the match and showed why he is considered one of the stand out No.10s in world rugby. Striking the up-right twice from set kicks seem totally insignificant as a result of the work load Sexton put in around the pitch.
From a personal point I'd have liked to see him finish out the full 80, there's an unhealthy logic in Ireland that Ronan O'Gara is required to come on for the last 10-15 minutes to make sure Ireland see out the game or have an experienced head on should a drop goal be required. With all due respect to O'Gara's skill set and experience, Sexton is a three time Heineken Cup winner, I'd have every faith in him seeing out a match for Ireland.
In what can only be described as bizarrely laughable, Ireland have the potential to go into the World Cup draw ranked as the fifth best team in the world. Should England lose to The All Blacks and Wales lose to Australia, Ireland will be officially ranked as the fifth best team in the world. This is despite the fact that since the last World Cup, Ireland have managed just a win over Argentina and a draw against France in their matches against rival top eight sides.
Going into the autumn series, if you had told a fan they would be missing two former Lion's Captains, two European players of the year and two of Ulster's biggest names - you'd have questioned their sanity if they predicted a top five place and yet here we are.
Credit must go to the Irish set up for their performance against Argentina, it has been a terrible year in terms of results for Ireland and there has continuously been talk of things just aren't clicking but they will. Ireland never looked like scoring a try against South Africa and then two weeks later against Argentina they never looked in danger and you felt every time they had ball in hand something could happen.
The problem with this? Ireland continue to be consistently inconsistent. The big performances are often there waiting to be unleashed, but it seems as though Irish fans know that it wont happen on a regular basis. It can be argued that Ireland pulled off three big performances this year and yet only came out with one win on those occasions. The draw in Paris was a missed opportunity, the second test in New Zealand which saw Ireland come so close to that first win against The All Blacks, but ultimately they felt short. Finally, when needed they managed to get the 'big win' over Argentina.
The Irish camp will reassemble in 2013 for the Six Nations, and by then the talk of a Lion's Tour will be creeping into every performance, Ireland need to look forward and consider what is at stake. Having secured the top eight ranking for the World Cup Draw, it is now time to start building towards that World Cup. The younger players that are breaking in, Earls, Zebo, Gilroy, O'Mahony, Henderson et al will all want to leave their stamp while the outgoing guard of O'Gara, O'Driscoll, O'Connell, Best et al will all know that this could be their swan song. The upcoming Six Nations marks a turning point in Irish Rugby, the passing of the guard, the Argentina and Fiji games offered a glimpse of what could be on offer with Ireland's new wave but the old boys dogs won't be lying down for these pups, they too share the dream of having a lions roar.
It's amazing how a single test can take scepticism and turn it to optimism, from the glum outlook of the Springboks game to the brilliant display against Argentina - Ireland finished the year on a high, but 2012 is a still a year that fans and players will want put to the back of their minds. The only way is forward, right?
November 27, 2012
Taking the positives from another defeat
Posted on 11/27/2012
After the summer tour and a draw in the final match, it looked like England would take their opportunity to beat South Africa. Alas, this was not the case.
The recent history between the two sides tee'd this game up perfectly. Even after the disappointment of last week there seemed a buzz around Twickenham. An expectant crowd still packed out the home of rugby in the worst of the weekend's weather. The anthem was sung with as much gusto as ever, even with a heavy South African support in the stadium.
All the pre-match talk was surrounding the physicality the visitors brought and how England needed to match it. England had clearly learnt from their summer trip, after the first two games where they gave South Africa a chance to get their power game started, and it could not be stopped. It was England who got the early upper hand and showed great pressure, with every forward showing great determination to make right the mistakes made on tour. An early missed penalty from Flood saw no early reward for the hard work.
Fortunately the penalty conceding scrum from last week had vanished, and it was replaced with one that came with reward. Alex Corbisiero was great on his international return against the team he got injured playing at the beginning of the summer. He won penalties in the scrum and showed hard work around the field. The scrum was back on track, but the smoothly functioning line out creaked and never really looked on point. Tom Youngs came into the autumn series as a hooker who struggled in the line out but one that offered a lot in attack as powerful ball carrier. The first two games he could not miss a line out and struggled a bit around the park, this match however he struggled in the line out but was tremendous with ball in hand. One country that you have to be seriously accurate against with the line out is South Africa, they are masters of that area. The day Youngs combines his accuracy in the line out with his open play strength, he will be a really asset to English rugby.
Youngs was not the only forward who carried well. Geoff Parling showed he is not only a consistent performer, but one who can have an impact as an international player. Every carry got past the first defender - it was his best game wearing the red rose. Parling's young apprentice Joe Launchbury does not look out of his depth, even against some of the best in the world. He was everywhere, a lot of the time doing a brilliant job of tidying up other players' mistakes. Ben Morgan had some strong carries, but tried too much and sometimes got caught too upright and unable to get some go forward.
Saturday's match was not one for the backs. The conditions dictated the game, and meant it was one for the forwards. However I still feel there is some lack of organisation in attack. Our most powerful threat is undoubtedly Manu Tuilagi. So it was somewhat surprising to see him unused in the whole of the first-half, it was not until the 45th minute he was given the ball. On only his third carry he sailed through the defence brushing aside Pat Lambie. Why is he not being used as one of our big carriers? Brad Barritt was as solid as ever, and once Jonathon Joseph is back in form, Lancaster will have a real headache on his hands.
Another occurring problem England have is not being clinical enough. Too many times we have been attacking in the opposition twenty-two and unable to come away with a try, a lot of time due to handling errors. One chance that should have been taken was off Tuilagi's interception, and maybe Chris Ashton should have backed himself rather than passing. Maybe a sign of a player who has not scored in ten games. We pile up huge amounts of possession, but struggle to convert possession into points.
Weighing heavy on Chris Robshaw's shoulders was the ghost of last week's not taken penalties. Every decision was right until the final penalty. With a few minutes left on the clock, England needed four points to win. In this instance fans would have welcomed going into the corner and to at least go down fighting. His lack of inexperience really showed, but should not distract us from the rest of his performance.
One thing England can take away is we only lost by one point to the second best team in the world. The try we conceded was extremely unfortunate, and not conceded through a lack of poor defence. Chances were there, the forwards really fronted up in difficult conditions but attacking organisation is still a worry.
Henry Fraser - @henryfraser0


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Hello, My name is Angelina and welcome to,"JoJo & Eloise". Life is a wonderful journey and I am so grateful for the, "Simply Sweet Things" it has to offer. I am a sinner saved by grace ( John … [Read More...]
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on February 4, 2013 - 5:10 PM
It was a good question – so good that it stood out for me as the most compelling moment in all of Super Bowl Sunday.
That's saying a lot about a Sunday that featured an unexplained 30-minute blackout in New Orleans' Superdome, a visually arresting performance by Beyoncé and a terrific football game that literally went down to the final seconds.
Susan Spencer on "CBS Sunday Morning" was doing a phenomenally interesting report on winning and losing. And, for obvious reasons, one of her major interview subjects was Jim Kelly, who quarterbacked the Buffalo Bills to an unprecedented four straight Super Bowls in the 1990s and lost every one.
Spencer's question was this: If you had a choice between going to only one Super Bowl and winning it or four Super Bowls and losing all four, which would you choose?
She obviously expected him to answer one and winning. So did I.
Kelly's answer was that he'd rather have the four losses than one win. That didn't sound to me like the old Jim Kelly, but that was the point. This is a new, mature man, not a competitive athlete in his professional prime dedicated to the old Vince Lombardi credo "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing."
This was a man not only capable of reflecting seriously on winning and losing, but of saying this about the four losses in four straight history-making appearances: "I'm at ease now. I'm at a peace of mind, peace in my heart now, knowing what we accomplished, even though we didn't win them. I feel all right with that."
He looked the part, too – of a man who believed what he was saying, even though it occasioned no special joy within him to say it.
The most fascinating part of Spencer's report on the psychology of victory and loss was an interview with a psychologist who pointed out – with suitable illustrations – that if you look at a string of photos of Olympic champions accepting their medals on the podium, the gold and bronze winners almost invariably evince joy and triumph, but the silver medalists seem unable to shake an expression of loss, confusion or sorrow. They have the look of those convinced they didn't quite measure up.
It was a rather startling way for CBS News to kick off Super Bowl Sunday, but then strange things can indeed happen when you ask people who aren't indentured sports folk to think about our greatest sporting event – an event so popular in our culture that it is virtually a national holiday. (All that's required now would be the highly unlikely step of Congress declaring it one.)
The most subversive appearance of all on Super Bowl Sunday was critic Andrew O'Hehir's bracing piece in Salon on "Football's Death Spiral," as brilliant, unorthodox and truly thought-provoking as anything I've ever read on Super Bowl Sunday. O'Hehir speculated on the effects of current news on the very foundations of pigskin culture in America – not just the revelations that rocked Penn State's program (and caused the removal of Joe Paterno, a man thought to be a secular saint in sports), but the research showing the high incidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) among former players.
O'Hehir wasn't someone rubbing his hands with glee, but a self-described football fan wondering very seriously about the future of the sport he loves. He wrote that he, along with so many others, wouldn't let his kids participate in modern programs for the sport as currently constituted. The suicide of legendary San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau – in which he made a point of not shooting himself in his head, so that his brain would be pristine for posthumous research – seemed to O'Hehir the light of revelation in the tunnel that may well turn out to be an oncoming train.
But there we were, as always, at what is arguably the year's greatest television event, ready to drink and nosh and party and tweet every transient thought into ravenous cyberspace. And on Super Bowl Sunday, we were actually rewarded with a terrific game and a half-hour power outage that reminded us all that:
1. All the money and know-how America's Entertainment-Industrial Complex can possibly muster can't guarantee that everything on live television will go off without a hitch.
2. The Superdome was, not long ago, a home of last resort for a great American city that withstood a punishment named Katrina that was one of the great natural catastrophes in American history.
The TV ads that have become an integral part of Super Bowl Sunday were a massive disappointment, I thought (and was joined, it seems, by a social media majority). What continued this year was the total dominance of the Chrysler's understanding of the nature of Super Bowl Sunday. Where everyone else wants to show sexy jokes and street cleverness and TV screen reflections of all the carousing that Super Bowl watchers presumably wish they were doing, Chrysler has, for years now, taken it upon itself to give us cinematic poems to the state of America.
It began with Eminem and then Clint Eastwood giving us post-bailout Detroit as the ultimate symbol of a reborn Rust Belt city. Both came from Portland's ad agency Wieden+Kennedy. A Sunday Jeep spot called "Whole Again," from Detroit's Global House, had Oprah Winfrey narrating a powerful little ad about soldiers returning to civilian life from overseas (an incredibly intuitive spot, considering the role of Jeeps in military operations since World War II).
Almost as sublimely retro – but even more unexpected and powerful – was the Richards Group's discovery of an old radio piece called "God Made the Farmer" by Paul Harvey, whose melodramatic radio corn is well-remembered by some of us, but to the majority demographic in America may well be redolent of an ancient civilization. And that was the beauty of what Chrysler did.
Whether they actually sold any Ram trucks with the ad is beside the point. They sold a powerful old radio pro's vision of bedrock America to a Super Bowl audience that is open – as much as at any other time of year – to feeling, not thinking about, what it means to be American.
So what Chrysler again did on Super Bowl Sunday was give the year's biggest TV audience the ability to look at itself in the most flattering spiritual mirror – one cleverly and carefully constructed. It was, in a poetic way, the equivalent of an ad saying, "You deserve a break today." It made everything else look wan indeed: the terrible Volkswagen and Oreo ads; the oldsters partying down for Taco Bell; the tubby, red-cheeked nerd making out with the supermodel for Go Daddy.com; Audi's fantasy of a boy emboldened by driving Daddy's Audi to suddenly lay an unexpected kiss on the tall prom queen, even if it meant getting a black eye from her kingly date.
Few misunderstood the nature of the event as much as Calvin Klein, whose headless male underwear models couldn't have been less likely, at $4 million a minute, to appeal to a Super Bowl majority audience. It was, no doubt, intended as the beefcake answer for women and gays to all the rest of the day's cheesy cheesecake – some of which, to quote Stephen Colbert, seemed aimed at "14-year-old boys making $500,000 a year." It ended up making the right point at the wrong time in the wrong way.
On a holiday when Americans are supposedly celebrating the way America plays, Chrysler was smart enough amid all the juvenile drivel (some, admittedly, quite funny) to pay for a couple of spots of inventive, well-edited praise of bedrock American self-imagery guaranteed to make the whole event seem bigger than it really is. Truth, of course, is something else altogether.
But there, from a couple of ads, was something way beyond winning and losing.
email: email@example.com


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Groups Starting
This page links to websites for all the schools where we have sent a Group Starting Packet. If you want to start a group at your school, check this list to see if there is anyone there who would want to team up with you.
We audit this list about once a year. If you find a listing here that includes erroneous information or is clearly not active, please contact us and let us know. Thanks!


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Millcreek police investigating threat at Walnut Creek Middle School
Millcreek Township police said they are investigating a reported threat found in a restroom at Walnut Creek Middle School this morning.
The threat was discovered by a student, Millcreek Police Chief Tom Carlotti said. It's not known when the threat was written, he said.
School officials notified parents of the matter this morning. The notification stated that a credible threat did not exist and the students at Walnut Creek were safe at all times.


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So she got a chill out quiet time on the couch.
And pretty soon those two [that can not stop aggravating each other] were trying to make each other laugh from couch to chair.
I sat trying to work, while watching over their chill out quiet time, SO FRUSTRATED LET ME TELL YOU but yet so heart bursting at the seams.
This is just the younger two. Mix in the two bigs that know the art of mind control and manipulation and oh the tears, the fighting, the screeching like a girl (they're boys). In a fit of I've had it! I took away the Wii for the week.
And today is the first day of spring break.
We'll be forcing ourselves to have a lot of chill out quiet time and I'm kind of looking forward to it.


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On April 10, 1963, Patty Wiley went househunting in New London, Conn., where her husband John's submarine, the Thresher, would be based after sea trials that were being conducted 160 miles north, out of Portsmouth, N.H.
While she was at a friend's house in New London, Walter Cronkite reported that evening that the Thresher was missing. Later, Navy representatives arrived to inform Patty - who, like her husband, was an Altoona native - that the sub was lost, with no hope of rescue.
Her parents drove up from Altoona the next day to bring her home.
Article Photos
Courtesy photo
John Wiley of Altoona shakes hands with President John F. Kennedy in 1961. Wiley was killed when his submarine was lost in 1963.
She never went back to Portsmouth, where she and John had set up housekeeping as a recently married couple a few months earlier.
Never, that is, until this weekend - where the Navy is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Thresher's loss, the most catastrophic loss ever for a U.S. submarine.
It was probably a small hole that killed the 129 crew members and civilians aboard the Thresher, the most advanced attack submarine of its day.
There had been problems with silver-braze welds in pipes on the craft, but they hadn't been considered overly serious.
However, when the Thresher was deep in the ocean, past the continental shelf, off Cape Cod that morning, one of those welds in a seawater piping system may have given way.
"Seawater piping system" means the water inside the pipes was under the ambient pressure of the ocean.
The hole was probably 2 to 5 inches wide, according to a Navy report declassified in 1993, as detailed in a New York Times article then. A much smaller hole, just a quarter-inch wide, 400 feet below the surface would jet like a fire hose, the article stated. A 1-inch hole - still smaller than the one presumed to have caused the disaster - at that depth would be "something beyond the imagination of most of us," according to Vice Adm. E.W. Grenfell, as quoted from a prior article by the Times in 1993.
It was "cut-you-in-two pressure," said Kevin Galeaz, former nuclear submariner, now commander of Thresher Base U.S. Submarine Veterans, the group that organized this weekend's ceremonies.
Based on informed speculation and probability, the stream from the leak shorted out an electrical panel that controlled the nuclear reactor that powered the sub, according to Galeaz and written reports, including a Wikipedia article on Thresher.
The electrical shutdown triggered an automatic shutdown of the nuclear plant, leaving the sub without means of propulsion, if the operator followed prescribed procedures and cut off residual steam to the turbines that powered the sub, so as not to cool the reactor too quickly, according to the article.
That would have left the captain without the means to surface normally, by driving the craft upward using its dive planes.
Instead, he would have needed to blow the ballast tanks.
But shortly after sending compressed air into those tanks, the airflow slowed or stopped, probably because ice formed in debris strainers due to moisture in the system and the cooling effect of the expanding pressurized air, according to Galeaz.
"Boyle's Law," he said. "Pressure, volume and temperature."
Whatever ballast the air displaced before stopping wasn't enough to offset the weight of the water that flooded the engine compartment, so the sub sank past the classified maximum depth the hull could withstand, according to Galeaz.
The sub rescue ship Skylark was nearby, and at 9:13 a.m. its crew heard a transmission from the Thresher, "Experiencing minor difficulties. Have positive up angle. Am attempting to blow. Will keep you informed," according to a JAG report on the Court of Inquiry findings on the disaster.
On its acoustic phone, Skylark heard the stopping of the ballast air, according to Thresher Down, a 1987 article in Mechanical Engineering Magazine.
Then it received a garbled message that ended with "test depth," according to the magazine article.
Then the Skylark phone operator heard the "distinctive groans and clanks" of the sub breaking up, according to the article.
Eventually, Skylark found an oil slick near the site, and other vessels located debris.
Two months later, a crew of the Trieste, a deep-diving submersible, spotted a "yellow object," a plastic shoe cover with metal snaps, the kind of safety boot worn in a reactor compartment, on the ocean floor in that area. It bore Thresher's ship designation, SSN-593, according to a UPI story from 1983.
Sailing on the Thresher was John Wiley's dream job.
He applied for it, because it was "elite," Patty said.
He had graduated from the Naval Academy in 1961, had gone to Admiral Hyman Rickover's nuclear powered sub school at New London, then to nuclear training at Windsor Locks, then to the Thresher in December 1962.
He was a lieutenant junior grade.
He was a good athlete at Altoona Catholic High School and had once held the Catholic High/Bishop Guilfoyle record for points in a basketball game.
He played freshman football at the academy - stopping after he broke ribs in practice the following spring, which set him behind in his schoolwork and made him realize he had better focus on his studies, according to his brother, Tom, a retired Secret Service officer who lives in Annapolis, Md.
He scored close to a perfect 1600 on his college boards, according to another brother, Frank of Altoona.
He was recruited by Ivy League schools, Tom said.
His academy grades were good enough that he received his diploma directly from President John Kennedy, according to Frank.
"He was always kind of like a superstar," said Frank, who was 8 when the Thresher sank.
Most important, however, he was intuitive in his understanding of people, without being judgmental, Patty said.
He had "a deeper sense than most people had of what people were about," she said.
It's valuable in any walk of life "to understand your fellow man," but especially for a military officer, she said.
After John's death, his father withdrew, Tom said.
"He got quiet," he said.
Their father had been a fireman, then an engineer-driver for the Pennsylvania Railroad.
He died several years later in a car accident after he may have blacked out due to diabetic shock, Tom said.
Tom, a fullback on the freshman team at Purdue, went back after the funeral to resume spring practice and was "not really into it." They moved him to guard.
Their mother relied on her Catholic faith.
Both parents accepted it as God's will, according to Mary Wiley, Frank's wife.
They accepted a lack of information about the disaster - much even now remains classified, and they didn't seek to assign blame, according to Mary and others.
It was a different time then, she said.
His mother "just knew he was gone, and that was the main thing," Mary said.
It actually took her three years, according to Justin Wiley, Frank and Mary's son.
"She waited every day for him to come home," Justin said. "She was in denial."
On the third anniversary of his death, however, she stopped hoping.
With 37 attendees, the Wileys were to have the biggest contingent at this weekend's ceremonies, Galeaz said.
The ceremony is about creation and perpetuation of memories.
Getting family survivors and former sub crew members together, with the help of pictures, artifacts, family storyboards and the location of the sub's construction and launching, helps the memories resurface and generates emotion that gives those memories sticking power, according to Galeaz.
On encountering submariners who once served with their loved one, Thresher families "light up," he said. "Stuff comes out that's incredible."
The women will get roses, and a petal from each will go into the water of the harbor where the Thresher first got wet, along with a commemorative wreath.
In an initiative called "immersion" - pun intended by Galeaz - current academy seniors destined for sub service will shadow surviving family members for the weekend.
"They have to remember what happens if you make a mistake," Galeaz said. "What the cost of failure is."
As an institution, the Navy remembers, according to Galeaz.
After the disaster, it had a "come to Jesus moment," which led to a thorough evaluation of deficiencies in the Thresher and the overall sub program and reforms that have prevented any recurrence.
"There were deficient specifications, deficient shipbuilding practices, deficient maintenance practices, and deficient operational procedures," according to a 2003 statement by Rear Adm. Paul Sullivan to a Congressional Committee in 2003. Most importantly, more than 400 silver-braze joints may have been substandard, based on then-new ultrasonic tests in the yard prior to Thresher's last run, according to Sullivan.
The legacy, however, of the Thresher is SUBSAFE, a program to "provide maximum reasonable assurance of watertight integrity and recovery capability" in subs, according to the Thresher Base website.
It involves designers, builders, crews and maintenance workers and includes "non-negotiable requirements," annual training, audits, independent oversight and lots of redundancy, according to the website and Galeaz.
In the 50 years since the program began, only one U.S. sub, the Scorpion, was lost, and it wasn't SUBSAFE-certified.
Exhibit A for its effectiveness: the San Francisco, a sub that while running "quiet," with no transmissions that would have allowed it to detect an obstacle ahead, smashed at flank speed into an undersea mountain, he said.
A website picture, after the sub was recovered without sinking, shows the smashed front end.
One crew member died, from injuries from the shock of the collision.
But it remained watertight.
The Thresher families learned that their loved ones didn't die in vain, Galeaz said.
In the years after his death, John Wiley has remained a "palpable" presence in the family, said Mary.
A picture of him receiving his diploma from Kennedy was "front and center" on top of the TV in the living room.
His portrait, painted by a nun who taught art at BG, hung on the wall.
"His athletic and academic achievements were so striking and his loss had been so keen," she said.
On the day of the disaster, when the sub was out of contact, but not yet known publicly to be gone, 8-year-old Frank wanted to go to a friend's birthday party.
When his father told him that story many years later, he still felt guilty, Justin said.
"Strange for me to observe," Justin said. "How could that feeling still be there?"
John's death also made an impression in the community at large.
At the memorial service in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, the mayor and the bishop of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown were there, according to Mary Ann Courtney of Chester County, John's sister.
The church was filled, she said.
Years later, a priest connected with Bishop Guilfoyle told a family member that all the nuns at Mount Carmel Elementary School cried over John's death.
Even now, people he doesn't know, on hearing his name, will ask him if he's related, Frank said.
No long ago, "an old guy" who heard Justin's last name at a popular local bar asked if he was related, and on hearing he began "choking up," Justin said.
To questions from her children when they moved into the area after living out of town for years, Mary explained, "It was sort of like being related to [the late teacher-astronaut] Christa McAuliffe and being in her hometown."
When John's mother died, and his siblings encountered his effects, "they were kind of afraid" of them, Justin said, as if they were "sacred."
Patty, who is remarried and now lives in Massachusetts, initially hesitated to speak with the Mirror about her husband.
She hesitated two years ago when author Ellen Fitzpatrick called for permission to use a commiserating letter Patty had sent to Jackie Kennedy, after the president's wife, too, became a widow. Fitzpatrick wanted to include it in a book she was planning called "Letters to Jackie: Condolences from a Grieving Nation."
She hesitated more recently when Boston NPR host Robin Young called to interview her about that letter, which was published in the book and will this fall be featured as part of a Discovery Channel documentary.
Patty, whose last name is now Kelleher, hesitated because she felt her memory of John was "fragile," "delicate," and feared exposing it to the world would damage it.
"Even though this was a national event, I always thought of it as something very private," she said. "There's a certain sense of being undone when something so personal or sorrowful becomes public."
She's still not sure it's for the best that it became public.
But at some level it may be, because in sharing it, "you realize you're one of many," she said. "Everybody has loss."
On April 10, 1963, when Tom returned to his room at Purdue after football practice, he found his roommate listening to Tom's transistor radio.
That was strange, because it hadn't been working for months.
"How'd you get it to work?" he asked.
"I just turned it on," his roommate replied.
They were tossing a football back and forth when news came on about the Thresher.
Tom went downstairs to get further information from the TV, and when he came back up, prepared to go home to Altoona because of what happened, the radio was again non-functional.
It had worked just long enough to get him the terrible news.
"He was my idol," Tom said. "He set the standards for us."
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 949-7038.


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Hellsing Ultimate
Seras and Her Really, Really Big Gun
Clip | TV-MA
When assassins attack the Hellsing Manor, it's up to Seras and Walter to fight them off. The rogue vampire Alucard is the Hellsing Organization's deadliest instrument in its mission to protect the British Empire from satanic ghouls and Nazi freaks. He is not alone in his assault on the occult; the master has a servant. Policewoman Seras Victoria accepted Alucard's gift of dark salvation after falling in the line of duty, and now the remnants of her human soul struggle against her growing vampire urges. Together, they haunt the shadows as a sinister force of good – and tonight the foggy streets of England shall flow with the blood of their evil prey.
Official Site: www.funimation.com/shows/hellsing-ultimateHide Details


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on May 7, 2013 - 11:03 PM
, updated May 8, 2013 at 6:19 AM
As our waistlines expand and the cost of health care continues to increase, it's little wonder why there has been an increased focus on wellness. May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.
Philip L. Haberstro, the longtime director of the Wellness Institute of Greater Buffalo & Western New York, sat down with The Buffalo News' Brian Meyer to talk about efforts to promote healthy lifestyles. Here is a summary of the interview, which is part of the weekly "In Focus" series.
Meyer: Your mantra at the institute is "creating healthy communities." Yet we're seeing Americans grow more obese than ever before. We're seeing some studies [point to] troubling trends. Do you ever feel like maybe you're in the wrong business?
Haberstro: Not really, because while we recognize ... that physical inactivity has become an issue, if you remember years back ... I was very involved with the anti-tobacco movement. You can go back all the way to 1964, and at that time, one in two adults in America were smokers. Today, it's one in five. So we have changed the culture in America in that direction, and I anticipate we're going to be able to do the same thing [with fitness]. ...
Meyer: I alluded to some studies. There was one published last November in Men's Health. It put Buffalo near the bottom as it related to heart health ...
Haberstro: There's some evidence, certainly, that we're not as healthy as a community. But as you know, you're sitting with a guy who is a member of the Buffalo All America City Committee. And we have proven in the past that when we come together as a community, we can address these issues. A lot of good things are happening. If you just take a ride (or walk) in South Buffalo, or even here in downtown, you're beginning to see more bike lanes. ... We are making some of those environmental changes that will allow us to be more physically active. ... The number of farmers' markets ... We're getting people to be more conscious about eating better. ... It doesn't happen overnight. We didn't get overweight and inactive overnight. And some of those factors go beyond us. They're societal factors.
When I speak to the public and I ask them, "Did you walk to school when you were a child?" Most adults did. Today it's different. So we've come up with antidotes. We've got the Walk Our Children to School Day, which is in the month of May. We work with the City of Buffalo on the district wellness policy. [It's] very important that we get the young people out of the schools and into a healthy lifestyle. Another place where there has been good success in Buffalo and Western New York is workplace health promotion. We'll be over with the healthiest employers initiative at the convention center in the middle of the month ...
Meyer: Let's talk about legislating wellness. A big controversy in New York City – a plan that would basically raise the legal age for buying cigarettes from 18 to 21. Good or bad idea?
Haberstro: There's two sides to that coin, as you know, in all of these things. I mean if a young person is [old] enough to go to war for our nation, it's always the classic argument you hear. On the other side of the fence, we don't want to be in a society that promulgates ill health. So [it's] a balance between personal responsibility and societal elements, and a lot of times the societal piece comes through public policy.


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It is my true privilege to serve our veterans in the United States Senate. As the longest serving member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am proud to partner with our veterans groups on important legislation and to stand behind our veterans at every turn.
I can think of no greater honor than working to help those who have served and sacrificed for us to enjoy the many freedoms we have as Americans.
Veterans are our heroes. We have a profound respect for veterans because, time and time again, these men and women have answered the call of duty with distinction, honor, and courage. We owe veterans nothing less than our complete gratitude, our loyalty and our best efforts to serve them once they return home.
That transition home and adjustment to life after combat and military service is difficult. Our veterans who return home are juggling so much. I often talk to veterans about trying to find jobs or re-tooling their job skills for an ever-changing economy and job market, coping with injuries, finding a place to live and homes for their families - all while finding their way back into the rhythm of everyday family schedules and daily life.
Our veterans deserve to be supported in all of those transitions.
It is up to every one of us to do our part in our communities, our churches, our workplaces and our families to show our veterans our thanks. On this Veterans Day, I also want to thank all the veterans who have partnered with me to help move forward laws to support our veterans.
Thank you to every brave soldier who told his or her story and helped us pass the Mental Health ACCESS Act of 2012. I co-sponsored that law to improve access to support services and care for veterans and their families because too many soldiers and families are suffering with PTSD and even suicide. This law puts a focus on improving VA mental health services and better training providers of those services.
Thank you to every veteran who is dedicated to furthering their education and to those who help veterans realize that goal. Just as the Congress did following World War II, we created the Post 9/11 Bill, which helped more than 590,000 servicemembers, veterans and other beneficiaries go to college this year.
Finding the right school and navigating government benefits can be time consuming and confusing. So, this year I supported the GI Bill Consumer Awareness Act that requires the Department of Veterans' Affairs and Department of Defense to work together to make sure that our veteran scholars have easy-to-understand information about schools approved for GI Bill funding, and a trained counselor at every school to discuss available service member benefits.
Thank you to every veteran who shares their military skills with all of us when given the opportunity of a good job when they return. I have heard from so many of you. As a result of our conversations, I introduced a bill that eases the commercial driver's license application process for Armed Forces members and veterans. That bill is now law and now more veterans can put their military training to use for jobs right here in West Virginia - whether going to work as a professional driver for our thriving manufacturing industry or for our booming natural gas sector. This is a win-win for veterans and industry in West Virginia.
For those veterans looking to work in other fields, I cosponsored legislation signed into law last year to help veterans get job skills training when they return home. And I continue to support a bill that encourages the hiring of veterans as firefighters, law enforcement officers, first responders, or EMT workers. Our service members and veterans are proven leaders and model workers who should be welcomed as great assets in any workplace.
Our veterans make incredible sacrifices for our country, and I am absolutely committed to seeing they get the care and benefits they deserve-across the board.
Providing veterans with health care, education and job support services are important ways to show our deep appreciation for the immeasurable contributions they have made for our country. This Veterans Day, may we also all take time out of our busy schedules to pay tribute and thank our selfless veterans. And, please, keep our active duty West Virginians currently serving our country and protecting freedom all around the world in your thoughts.
While Veterans Day is set aside to honor our veterans and service members, I encourage you to show your respect and gratitude each and every day. They've earned it.


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Santos "Sandy" Perez Amaya
Nov. 8, 1952-Nov. 13, 2012
Age: 60
Residence: Greeley
Santos "Sandy" P. Amaya, 60, of Greeley, died Nov. 13, 2012, at North Colorado Medical Center. Santos was born Nov. 8, 1952, to Reyes and Josephine Amaya in Brady, Texas.
Santos married Kay (France) Sylvester on June 22, 2007, in Greeley. Santos was a certified welder.
Memorial contributions may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and/or the Weld County Humane Society, care of Stoddard Funeral Home, 3205 28th St., Greeley, CO 80634.
Please go to www.stoddardsunset.com to sign online guest book.
Valerie Rae Kerbel
Jan. 4, 1961-Nov. 9, 2012
Age: 51
Residence: Greeley
Valerie Rae Kerbel, 51, of Greeley, passed away Friday, Nov. 9, 2012. Valerie was born Jan. 4, 1961, to Harvey and Shirley Kerbel. She was employed at UNC and then at Aims.
Valerie is survived by her sister, Laura Lee; brother, Scott David; mother, Shirley Kerbel.
Valerie was preceded in death by her father and grandparents.
Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, in Scottsbluff, Neb., with interment following.
Visitation from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday, at Dugan-Kramer Funeral Chapel in Scottsbluff. Tributes may be left at www.dugankramer.com.
Deeply loved and missed, but safe in the arms of our Lord.
Ruth Eunice Connell
March 3, 1941-Nov. 7, 2012
Age: 71
Residence: Greeley
Ruth Eunice Connell, 71, of Greeley, passed away Nov. 7, 2012.
She was born March 3, 1941, in Loma, Colo., to Joseph and Victoria Maldonado.
She is survived by her husband, Edwin Connell; two sons; four sisters; one brother; and nieces and nephews.
Ruth enjoyed 27 years of marriage to the love of her life, Ed. Private family service pending.
View the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at www.moserfuneralservice.com.


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Mrs. Leah Kohn
Jewish Renaissance Center (JRC), New York City
This class addresses a broad range of topics on women and Jewish spirituality, law and philosophy, with special attention given to the many ways in which Judaism speaks to women, even (or especially) in modern times. The course material is geared for students at all levels of Jewish education and observance, but with a special emphasis on keeping all classes accessible and friendly to beginners. The subjects covered will include equality between men and women in Judaism, faith, prayer, relationships, and feminine intuition.
Women in Judaism is presented in conjunction with the Jewish Renaissance Center (JRC), a learning institute located in New York City. The JRC, under the direction of Mrs. Leah Kohn, is dedicated to the unique spiritual and intellectual needs of today's Jewish woman. The school offers quality education and personal guidance through Daytime and Evening Classes, Sunday Seminars, Winter and Summer Weeks of Learning, Lunchtime Learning for Professionals and ASHIR – A Professional Women's Association.
The JRC may be reached with your questions simply by replying to a class message, or by writing to [email protected] . For information on JRC classes and programs please send email to [email protected], visit the JRC website atwww.JewishRenaissance.org , or call 1 (888) CLASSES.
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Imagine this: You walk to the corner store with your paycheck loaded on an electric card and slip it into an ATM-like machine. You take out a short term, high interest loan, download $60 into a savings account, transfer 40 bucks to your checking account, pay your electric bill, send fifty dollars to your sister who lives overseas -- and, oh yes, purchase that George Forman grill you've been eyeing. Finally, the machine spits out $31.35, coins and all, in cash that you requested. You do all this with one swipe of the card.
What is so tellingly futuristic about this scene is not the technology – we're pretty much already there. It's the virtual walls you just crashed through which, for now at least, separate various forms of financial and commercial transactions.
No walls have arguably been more impenetrable than those between banks and check cashing stores, more politely known as financial service centers. Like the kind of neighborhoods they are associated with, check cashers have operated for years on the other side of the tracks from bank branches, kept apart by regulatory boundaries and divergent business cultures.
But lately, driven by new technologies and a growing appreciation for the enormous, untapped profit and market opportunities in low-income neighborhoods, maverick providers of traditional banking services and check cashers have been taking pages from each other's playbooks and, in some cases, even collaborating. This experimentation will not only shape the course of neighborhood banking in New York and nationwide, but also redefine who and what is considered part of the banking mainstream.
Different Worlds
Commercial banks, thrifts and even most credit unions have long looked down their noses on check cashing operations, and, by extension, the predominately low-income people who use them, concluding there was either too little profit to be gained, or too much respectability to lose, in this gritty business.
On the other hand, check cashing operations, which offer products and services like money orders, pre-paid debit cards, utility payments and remittances, dominate certain inner city turfs by deliberately shunning the alleged white collar elitism of the banking industry. The 660 check cashing centers in New York specialize in serving customers in search of a simple financial transaction, rather than the institutional relationship sought by retail bankers.
Despite their different worlds, a few banks, such as Chase and Banco Popular, have over the years attempted modest, fairly low-impact, forays into check cashing or have, on occasion, purchased check cashing operations. Yet none have brought non-traditional financial services into the core of their business or have used these so-called "fringe" services to link customers to banking products.
Outside New York, however, some banks have been testing check cashing services in their branch lobbies alongside traditional teller lines and are creating new financial service prototypes.
Pioneering In The Bronx
Taking careful note of developments in areas such as California and Ohio, the Checkspring Community Corporation, headquartered in the Bronx, currently has a bank charter application pending in New York State. If its charter is approved, Checkspring will be poised to introduce a more fully integrated bank/check casher business model, the likes of which the New York City market has never seen.
Some of this territory has already been traveled through a collaboration between RiteCheck, a prominent check cashing chain, and Bethex Federal Credit Union, both of which serve low-income populations in the Bronx. In 2001 they piloted a program in which members of Bethex accessed their accounts through RiteCheck storefronts and cashed their checks at RiteCheck for free or at a reduced fee (In PDF Format) . The program worked so well that RiteCheck is expanding it to include partnerships with several new credit unions.
As options for electronically transmitting cash increase, and use of the traditional check diminishes, check cashers are trying to find new ways to engage customers and add value to their lives. In May of this year the Financial Services Centers of America (FiSCA), the trade association for check cashing operations, announced the roll-out of a "revolutionary", "All Access" Savings Program, which promises to provide "underserved Americans greater access to mainstream financial services" by giving check cashing customers the ability to make electronic deposits in federally insured, interest bearing, savings accounts.
7-Eleven and Wal-Mart In On The New Trend
While a few industry watchers I talked to in New York see these developments as more or less isolated events, Jennifer Tescher, the Director of the Chicago-based Center for Financial Services Innovation, views them as part of a certifiable industry trend and realignment. She insists that "the entire financial services industry is dramatically changing in ways that weren't even possible five years ago".
Tescher points to the rise of the non-bank sector in financial services as an indicator of how segmentations within the financial services universe are dissolving. In 2003 the nation's largest convenience store chain, 7-Eleven, using their own "virtual commerce" technology, placed kiosks in a thousand of its convenience stores machinesthat enabled customers to conduct ATM transactions, cash checks to the penny, purchase money orders, send wire transfers and pay bills.
A year later Wal-Mart raised the bar. Wal-Mart offers check cashing, money orders and wire transfers while also providing banking services in "Wal-Mart Money Centers". Some analysts believe Wal-Mart, which targets low-income customers and is the world's biggest retailer, is trying to create a physical and psychological, environment for the customer in which banking, alternative financial services and shopping are collapsed into a single retail experience.
A Gold Rush In Low-Income Financial Services
The sudden "discovery" of the low-income financial services niche by retailers and mainstream bankers is propelled by the explosion in the alternative financial services industry. The lure of this market comes at a time when banks are finding intensified competition in middle class, suburban markets. Meanwhile, branch presence in low income areas has been steadily declining over the last thirty years. One quarter of Black and Latino families, as well as 25 percent of all American families making less than $20,000 per year, don't have bank accounts.
The very idea of a "fringe" economy is somewhat misleading. About a quarter of the nation's gross domestic product reflects unreported income and a study conducted by Social Compact, which promotes business investment in inner city communities, estimates that Harlem, a poster child for fringe financial services, has a $1 billion cash economy. And as low income families look for ways to move cash around, check cashers are there to serve them. The alternative financial services industry is racking up an estimated $200 billion in transactions annually.
Of course alternative financial services are widely viewed as exploitative of poor people, particularly in states where there is a lack of regulatory restraint. Customers have very little opportunity to save and build assets using alternative financial services, and whereas banks have some semblance of a mandate to give back to communities where they do business because of the Community Reinvestment Act, check cashing operations have no such obligation.
But in the end, financial service centers are so compelling to their customers because they provide convenience and a wide range of options, with few questions asked: Money orders function as checking accounts. Where banks place holds on checks, check cashing offers immediate liquidity. Pre-paid debit cards, otherwise known as stored value cards, can facilitate everything from long distance phone calling and credit card purchases, to bill paying and, now, even limited-service savings accounts. The fact that check cashers charge, some say, unreasonable fees, is in a way no different that what low-income people expect from a bank or any other kind of capitalist institution doing business in the â€hood.
The Filene Research Institute, which studies issues affecting the future of credit unions, believes so much in the future of alternative financial services that it has created a program that counsels credit unions on how to offer check cashing products. Citing what they see as the declining relevance of credit unions, thrifts and banks in certain areas, Filene issues a stern warning to depositories of all stripes: Begin adopting the ways of the check casher or perish.
Some banks have clearly seen the writing on the wall.
Union Bank of California (UBC) owns and operates over 50 hybrid financial service outlets, in which check cashing services are offered in banks and stores, and banking services are offered in check cashing locations.
KeyBank, just one of many enthusiastic UBC disciples across the country, has created "KeyBank Plus", a separate product (and teller) line designed especially for low-income customers without bank accounts. Officials from KeyBank maintain that, once a customer enters a Plus branch, Key creates conditions that will prompt that customer to establish a long term - and higher profit margin – relationship.
"The banking industry has done an amazing job of sending messages of exclusion through its product design and minimum balances." says Edna Sawady, chief operating officer for community development at KeyBank. "At banks many customers fear that they won't qualify for something…In check cashing lines you don't run the risk of being rejected".
Rising Challenges and Criticisms
Regulatory agencies will be challenged to catch up to, much less stay ahead of, these changes because the fundamental elements that help us make distinctions between financial services industries -- the deposit, the check, the branch, credit -- are themselves moving, morphing targets.
Pre-paid debit cards, for example, are exploding in popularity and operate in a virtually unregulated environment. As pre-paid debit cards are used to perform traditional banking functions, like checking, what classifications and regulatory jurisdictions will be applied to monitor and standardize their use?
Financial service entrepreneur Joe Coleman of RiteCheck, a co-engineer of the RiteCheck/Bethex collaboration, is leery of banks encroaching on his territory. He thinks RiteCheck and credit unions like Bethex, whose products are designed for low-income people, have a future together because "we have the same customers"
New York poses its own particular restrictions for check cashers. One notorious service that is popular throughout the country, pay day lending, a type of short term, very high interest loan, is illegal in New York. More importantly New York requires that licensed financial service centers cannot operate within 3/10 of a mile from one another and cannot charge a check cashing fee exceeding 1.5 percent of the check's face value.
But ultimately, it is the low profit margin on fringe financial services (Coleman calls it "1 million people with a dollar") that is most daunting to institutions who don't measure success by the number of live bodies in their lobby. Even Joy Cousminer, president of Bethex and Joe Coleman's collaborator, acknowledges this tension. "Check cashers lose less money on a bad check than on a slow line. With us, it's exactly the opposite."
Cousminer also doubts that banks are actually interested in building relationships with poor people and believes banks are in fact keeping their check cashing and banking customers distinct and separate.
Whether banks using integrated bank-check cashing services are making money on the check cashing side, or through the "migration" of customers to the bank side, or both, is unclear. At least one of the bank representatives I spoke to refused to disclose that information. What is clear is if Checkspring, or any other New York bank, faithfully follows the UBC and KeyBank strategy, and doesn't mind masses of poor people in its lobby, it stands a fighting chance of turning a profit after a few years. UBC has been at it for thirteen years and Keybank is preparing to expand its program dramatically. Once one bank pulls it off in New York, others might follow.
Not everyone thinks this a good thing. Sarah Ludwig, executive director of the Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Projectfears that banks will, in trying to turn a profit, give shorter shrift to the goal of building a bridge between the underserved and asset-building opportunities. "We've got this massive problem of low-income people needing essential financial services," says Ludwig, "but now banks are starting to provide services that not comparable to the services that are provided" in middle class areas.
For Ludwig, and many other advocates who are highly critical of the check cashing industry, alternative financial services are a symptom of the problem, not a solution. "The fringe products that banks offer will look cleaner and meet regulatory standards, but the bottom line is they are still inferior products…There is an unequal, two-tiered financial services industry…We shouldn't try to serve the low-income market in a way that perpetuates this segmentation."
Coleman shrugs off this criticism. "In banks there is a middle class prejudice. They want to sign you up. They think everybody wants to be like them...I know we are helping people. We are helping them build their lives."
Mark Winston Griffith, a founder of the non-profit Central Brooklyn Partnership and a fellow at the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, has been in charge of the community development topic page since its inception in 2003.Â


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Accelerated Genetics New Brand Emphasizes People, Products and Pride
Accelerated Genetics New Brand Emphasizes People, Products and Pride
At the company's national sales meeting last week, Accelerated Genetics unveiled in dramatic fashion a new brand and corporate identity. The new look pays homage to the company's 70-year history while focusing on the three things that will continue to carry the cooperative into the future—it's people, products and pride.
"As part of our 70th anniversary celebration, we wanted to do something to pay tribute to our cooperative's rich history that also helped us set sail for a bright future," says Joel Groskreutz, Accelerated Genetics President and CEO. "Our new brand is reflective of both our heritage and our opportunity."
As part of the rebranding process, Accelerated Genetics surveyed employees and customers, in the U.S. and across the globe, to assess their perception of the cooperative. The process identified three clear areas that, when combined, create unique opportunities for Accelerated Genetics in the dairy marketplace:
• People – "We know we have the best people working for us. Their expertise, longevity and commitment to bringing solutions to our customers is second to none," says Groskreutz.
• Products – Accelerated Genetics features the most complete lineup of genetics to fit the needs of any dairy and beef producer. In addition, the cooperative offers top-shelf nutritional products to support early calf and fresh cow needs.
• Pride – "It's easy to take pride in our cooperative when we have great people and great products. Our pride shows through in everything we do, and our customers recognize and appreciate the commitment we have to their business," says Groskreutz.
The new logo reflects the essential elements of the rebranded cooperative. The red triangle, part of the cooperative's logo since the beginning, represents the company's history. The three black bars to the right of the logo signify the people, products and pride focus.
"We appreciate our history, but we're confident that we are correctly positioned to take advantage of future opportunities," says Groskreutz.
Accelerated Genetics is a global provider of bovine genetics and research, reproductive services, and solution-based animal health products. With a focus on People, Products and Pride, the Accelerated Genetics vision is to be the producer's trusted first choice.
Click to see the video introducing Accelerated Genetics brand!


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Does anyone have a tape of last nights Wings/Sharks game? I'm looking for a master, if possible. Please email me at email@example.com if you do.
Thank you.
Wings/Sharks 11/26
Started by oldredbarnman, Nov 27 2005 06:12 AM
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