text:
Team Good-But-Not-Quite-Good-Enough was at its good-but-not-quite-good-enough-iest in the second leg of their playoff series against the Colorado Rapids. The Columbus Crew won. And they tied. And they lost. And they did these things all at once. They won the game 2-1, their playoff series ended in a 2-2 tie, and they lost the postgame penalty kick shootout that determined which team would advance, 5-4. The end result was a good day at the stadium except for the bad result after the day's good result resulted in a deadlocked result. Or something. What a strange situation.
Exacerbating the oddness was the fact that the Crew created enough glorious chances to put a touchdown on the scoreboard. They were good enough to create, off the top of my head, at least nine chances that were more likely than not to become goals. And continuing with their year-long trend, they converted an incredibly poor percentage of them. Two for nine is just 22%. Even factoring out the one that Colorado cleared off of the goal line, which is certainly a credit to the Rapids, that still means that the Crew put only 25% of their incredible chances in the net. Nothing is automatic in soccer, of course, but even if they finished at just a 50% clip on probable goals, the game and series would have been a blowout.
And to be clear, I am talking ball-on-the-foot-of-the-final-player chances….not vaguely and ominously dangerous build-ups and pressure that might eventually lead to goals through the law of averages, not plays that could have been great chances if the final pass were better, not good chances that resulted from nowhere near certain distant threats (i.e. Ekpo's long range blast tipped over by Pickens, or Laurentowicz's free kick off the top of the crossbar for Colorado), and not counting things like "set pieces are always dangerous in the offensive third with Schelotto and Marshall on the field." I'm not even talking about the three heavily-contested headers won inside the six. I am talking dead red, ball on the boot, all that's left is to tuck it away chances. Chances where your brain, having watched thousands of soccer games, involuntarily thinks "GOAL!" and then has to reconcile inexplicable happenings, like, say, two breakaways that don't result in shots on goal, or, say, a living legend hitting a lazy pop fly on an uncontested shot from dead center at the 18.
Team Good-But-Not-Quite-Good-Enough was good to create the glorious chances that could have torn the series wide open, but not good enough to turn probable goals into actual goals. And that is indeed a glaring problem. Especially when it results in only a one-goal series cushion, which a talented duo like Omar Cummings and Conor Casey can instantly erase within the tiniest margins of time and space. Which they did, in the clutchest of fashions, with six minutes remaining in the series.
And when 210 minutes of soccer could not determine which team would advance, the series was decided by soccer's competitive Achilles heel, the penalty kick shootout. When Brian Carroll's do-or-die PK took a one-way flight to Didn't-and-Dead, the Crew's season came to an abrupt and unsatisfying halt.
I am not using Team Good-But-Not-Quite-Good-Enough as a pejorative, either. That just seems to be the most accurate descriptor of the Crew's first trophy-less season since 2007. They were good to take a Champions League quarterfinal lead on the road and at altitude versus Toluca, but not good enough to hang on. They were good to hit the 50-point mark for only the second time in club history, but they weren't good enough to hang in the Supporters' Shield race after September. They were good to lead the Eastern Conference for months on end, but not good enough to close it out. They were good to advance to the U.S. Open Cup final in a hostile environment, but not good enough in front of each goal to claim the prize. They were good to create enough chances to hang a touchdown on the Colorado Rapids and blow the playoff series wide open, but not good enough to finish them and advance to the conference final.
It was a good season, no doubt about it. And if it wasn't good enough to win any domestic trophies, well, that's the fate of good teams in any given year. This year, the Crew are in the same boat as Salt Lake and New York, with the fate of FC Dallas to be determined in MLS Cup. 2009 saw the empty-handed Los Angeles Galaxy miss the Shield by a point and lose the MLS Cup final on penalties. The 2008 Houston Dynamo captured nary a trophy. In 2007, Chivas USA had a good but not quite good enough season. And so on down the line. The 1998 and 2001 Crew teams are good examples here in Columbus.
It happens to someone every year. And while it will be weird not to unveil some sort of championship display in front of Toronto FC next spring, at least the Crew can show the video of goalkeeper William Hesmer scoring the goal that denied TFC their first-ever victory against Columbus in four futile years of trying. It's a not a trophy, but it's still awesome.
Anyway, moving on to some notes from elimination day….
The Crew dominated the match at the opening whistle. In the 4th minute, Eddie Gaven had the left side of the net to shoot at, but hit the inside of the left post. In the 6th minute, Andres Mendoza missed wide left on a breakaway. On and on it went. Great chances, good chances, half-chances, and dangerous opportunities began to pile up. Finally, in the 23rd minute, Eddie Gaven gently redirected a centering header from Guillermo Barros Schelotto in the six-yard box to put the Crew on the board.
"We came out on the right foot," Gaven said. "We were pretty much all over them for the first 20-30 minutes. We got the one goal, but we should have had more. I probably should have had three."
The lack of statistical production from the Crew's speedy wingers Robbie Rogers and Emmanuel Ekpo has been lamented for much of the season. It was a newspaper topic earlier in the week, and Crew coach Robert Warzycha rhetorically wondered how much better the team's results would have been if that production had materialized.
In the 70th minute, the answer appeared to be "cruising to the conference finals." After combining for one goal (Rogers) and no assists in the regular season, Ekpo and Rogers combined for one goal and one assist on a single play. Ekpo's incisive through-ball sent Rogers on a breakaway, and the 23-year-old sent a low shot past Rapids goalkeeper Matt Pickens to give the Crew a 2-0 lead in the game and a 2-1 lead in the series. Rogers celebrated by ripping off his jersey to earn an unnecessary yellow card, but such was the excitement of the moment.
"I was cheating because I saw the ball bouncing around in the middle," Rogers said. "Manu played a great ball to me. It was perfectly paced. The defender Wallace tried to take me down, so I was lucky not to fall. If it was in the box, I probably would have gone down and Guille would have scored anyway. But the goalie didn't come out. His positioning wasn't great, and he left his right side, my left side, open, and I just slotted it. I was excited because that made it 2-0, but I don't know why I took off my shirt."
The Crew were six minutes from advancing to the conference final, but the Rapids had other ideas. In a moment of perverse poetry, the Rapids answered an afternoon's worth of squandered Crew chances by burying an expertly crafted half-chance with their season on the line. On the right flank, Omar Cummings shimmied and shook in front of Shaun Francis until he created the necessary space to get off a quick cross. On the other end of the pass, Conor Casey bulled forth and wrapped his leg around Eric Brunner to get a toe on the ball and redirect it past Andy Gruenebaum for the goal that would knot the series at 2-2.
"Casey flashed in front of Brunner," Gruenebaum said. "It was a great ball in from Cummings, and Casey got a toe to it. I was a spectator. There wasn't much I could do."
"Blink of an eye," said Crew captain Frankie Hejduk. "One little play. Bam. It's disappointing. We had it in our grasp. We were six minutes away from being in the next round, but hats off to them. They battled back. It was a great play by them. Omar Cummings did well with it and Casey got a touch on it. Those two have been a lethal combo all year, and they did it to us tonight at the end. After that, we still had opportunities to put the game away. It wasn't like it was over when they scored. We had our chances to put the game away, but we didn't."
Indeed, the Crew had three prime all-that's-left-is-to-finish chances to win the game in the 30 minutes of extra time, not counting "almost" plays or heavily challenged chances like Lenhart's header off of a Schelotto free kick. Hejduk, Burns, and Lenhart (on his breakaway) coulda shoulda woulda notched the extra-time winner. Colorado had a grand chance of their own, but Mac Kandji hit his 108th minute shot right at Gruenebaum.
And since neither team got the winner, the series ended in an impasse. The tournament had to move forward, so it was time for soccer's traditional PK charade.
A crucial moment in the penalty shootout transpired in the top of the second frame. Colorado's Kandji sent a shot low to Gruenebaum's left. The Crew's keeper had a bead on it and got his hands to it, apparently making the save. Alas, the ball trickled to the post, banked off of it, and then eked across the goal line.
"It was kinda slow motion," Gruenebaum said. "If that ball stays up, it's pushed around the post, but it just got under me enough that it snuck in. I am going to have nightmares about that one because I have been in a lot of PK shootouts, and only once has it happened where I didn't make a single save. Even though you're not meant to save them, it's still frustrating. I always expect to save at least one, but it didn't happen today. They took their PKs well."
Like all of the Crew's almost-goals on the day, Gruenebaum's PK almost-save would come back to haunt the Black & Gold.
There is no crueler fate in soccer than to be the player who skies a decisive penalty kick. Unfortunately, that fate befell Brian Carroll. With the Rapids holding a 5-4 edge heading into the bottom of the fifth frame, Carroll sailed his shot over the bar, ending the Crew's season. He was quickly embraced by teammates, and then made a trek to the Nordecke before walking off the field. A stand-up guy, Carroll waited at his locker to confidently answer any and all questions about his losing launch.
"That's how it's decided in the World Cup and down to the MLS playoffs," he said. "The guys stepped up and all hit their PKs solidly. I picked my spot like I always do, and I just hit it a lot higher than normal. I can't really give you an explanation. I just didn't hit it good enough to go in."
Carroll has had past success in shootouts. In 2004, he converted his sixth-round PK, which proved to be the decisive tally in the Eastern Conference Final, propelling D.C. United to an MLS Cup berth. In college, he nailed a PK to lift Wake Forest over Clemson in the 2000 ACC tournament.
"I've been in that situation in the past in MLS and college and this is one of the only ones I've missed," he said. "It's a weird feeling. It sucks. But it happened. It's real. The only thing I can do is…I mean, it would be worse if I hung my head and didn't comment about how I thought we played solid and did a good job of getting forward and creating chances. We put in a better effort in this second leg than we did last year. There are a lot of positives that we can take from this heading into next year. The negative is that we are not moving on right now, and that's because of my missed shot. But that's how it goes. It's happened to better players than me. I don't know what else to say about it."
Carroll's teammates were supportive of their crestfallen midfielder.
"BC's fine," said Gruenebaum. "The guy has strong shoulders, even though he's already broken one of them. He's been the lynchpin of this team, and if we went back out there, I would want BC taking one of them. In training, every single one of his was perfect. I told him that sometimes it just doesn't happen for you. It is really unlucky that it happened to one of the greatest guys."
"It's not his fault," said Gaven. "It could have happened to any guy. There are a lot of things we could have done earlier in the day so that it didn't get to that point. He's been great for us all year. I'm sure he feels really bad right now, but it's definitely not his fault."
"We are all behind him," said Hejduk. "It takes a lot to have the balls to go up there and take one. Some players don't want to take one. He did it, but you know, some of the best players in the world miss penalties. BC's been a great player for us, and he had the balls to step up and take that responsibility. Unfortunately, it just didn't go in for him. As players, we all know that it's a lot of luck. You go up there, pick your corner, hit it, and then hope for the best. He picked his corner, but he mis-hit it. He's given us incredible effort all year, so we're not down on him at all. It's just how it is. And soccer players know how it is. Fans will be upset and think, 'How could he miss that?', but you've just run for 120 minutes and your body's tired. Sometimes you mis-hit it in that situation. Forwards mis-hit balls all the time. That's just how it goes sometimes."
In addition to the teammates themselves, even the offspring of BC's teammates rose to his defense.
"Can I say something for your article?" asked 12-year-old Nesta Hejduk. "Nobody can be mad at BC because what about the other 120 minutes before that? Everyone could have won the game before it went to PKs."
"That's right, it's a team game," Frankie said to his son. "That's why nobody's mad at BC. He tried his best, but it just didn't go his way. It's not his fault we got eliminated. We're a team."
Carroll appreciated all of the uplifting comments, both to his face and to reporters, even if the words didn't exactly ease the pain of the moment.
"Guys were extremely supportive and saying how important it was to have someone who wanted to take that fifth shot," he said. "I'm happy that they have the confidence to let me take that fifth shot. It means a lot to me, so it's a bummer that I wasn't able to pay it back to the squad by converting it."
Before I begin my PK rant, let us consider what Hejduk had to say about using penalty kicks to decide an elimination game or a playoff series…
"No soccer player wants to end it that way," Hejduk said. "When you're on the losing side, it's worse. When you're on the winning side, that moment is pretty sweet. I've been on both sides, and this side isn't cool at all. Before the PKs started, Pablo (Mastroeni) and I were talking in the middle of the field, saying, 'Really? This is what it has come down to? This sucks.' We didn't want to end it that way. We wanted to keep playing and play it out. But that's how the game goes and that is the tradition."
My position on PKs is in no way influenced by the fact that the Crew lost a playoff series because of them. Rather, it is influenced by the common sense notion that it is utterly ridiculous to decide an athletic competition by a separate contest different than the competition that preceded it. In the playoffs, all other American sports keep playing the actual sport until a winner can be declared. In soccer, all of that goes out the window after 120 minutes. It's stupid.
Frankie mentioned that it's tradition. Well, tradition is no reason to keep up with numbskull practices. I also understand that after 120 minutes, the players are near collapse, meaning the risks of injury, dangerous play, and craptastic soccer increase substantially. But this is only because of the rules limiting game day rosters and in-game substitutions. Who says it has to be that way for elimination games?
My solution is simple. For elimination games only, the first 120 minutes proceed as normal. But if no winner is determined after 120 minutes, the game moves on to sudden death overtime, switching ends every 15 minutes. And at that point, teams can sub in any unused player from the rest of their roster. So for elimination games, the coach declares his 18-man game day roster that can be used in the first 120 minutes, but the entire roster of 24 (and soon to be 30) dresses. Those extra players can start warming up during extra time, knowing that they will be subbed in if it comes to sudden death. For the players' safety, it would be a rule that any field player who started the match must be subbed out before the start of sudden death. All players would be capped at 120 total minutes.
This plan:
1. Protects players from exhaustion and injury by capping their playing time to the current limit of 120 minutes.
2. Allows elimination games to be decided by actual soccer. You know, the sport that's being played in the first place.
3. Calls team depth into the equation. While soccer's strict limits on game day rosters and in-game substitutions are a major component of coaching strategy, lifting these artificial limitations after 120 minutes in elimination games would allow team depth to contribute to a legitimate soccer outcome. I mean, wouldn't it have been great to watch a guy like Duncan Oughton pouring every ounce of his heart into extending the Crew's season?
The other aspect is that after every 30 minutes of sudden death, each team would be required to remove a player from the field. So the first 30 minutes of sudden death are still 11v11, the second 30 are 10v10, the third 30 are 9v9, and the fourth 30 are 8v8. If it's still tied at that point, as improbable as it would be due to fresh legs and increasingly open space, only then would penalties rear their ugly head. After all, the 120 minutes per player limit would exhaust all other alternatives.
Again, this has nothing to do with the Crew losing. I've always felt this way about penalties. But after hearing Frankie talk about how he and Pablo said they would prefer to decide it on the field, I thought I would vent a little and offer my dream solution. Not that it will ever happen.
(I didn't bring this up to any of the players because I figured that the day they got eliminated by PKs was not a fair time to ask them about my scheme.)
The locker room was disappointed, sure, but it wasn't a morgue. The locker room after the Open Cup final was painfully silent. This was different. I think there are a few explanations for that.
First is the fact that the Crew won the game, even if they lost the PK shootout. It's a weird set of emotions. Had it been a regular season game, it would have been a triumphant locker room, and the only lament would have been that the score could have been much more lopsided based on the chances. But this situation was emotionally confusing.
"This time, we actually won the game, but got eliminated on penalties," said Gruenebaum. "It's a weird feeling to win a game, then continue on and get eliminated on penalties."
"It feels strange because you win a game, but then lose penalties," Hejduk agreed. "You win but you lose. I don't know how to explain it."
The second explanation is that the coaching staff made sure the players remained positive.
"It's pretty much our coach," said Rogers. "Bobby (Warzycha) told us, 'Hey, we won. You guys played well. Sometimes you lose on penalties, but that's just how the game is. It can be cruel.' Next season, I am sure there will plenty of guys around to be motivated by this loss."
And the final explanation is that the Crew were just comfortable in their own skin. They knew that they gave their all. They knew that based on the chances they created, they are largely to blame for not winning the series outright. They knew that PKs are fickle. And they knew they gave a good account of themselves over a long and grueling season.
"It was a successful season," Rogers said. "We got to the Open Cup Final. We got out of our group in Champions League. We made the MLS playoffs again. We won today, but we're out."
Guillermo Barros Schelotto's postgame comments drew a lot of fire from MLSsoccer.com's locally reviled generator of contrived tabloid controversies, Simon Borg, but I feel that Borg completely mischaracterized the state of the Crew's locker room. I suppose that can happen when you come in from out of town and don't really know the guys that you are dealing with, and also start with a flawed and faulty premise that the "reality" was that the Rapids "were the better team in both the first leg and the second leg," although the chances and the scoreboard painted a very different picture. Apparently Borg wanted to see Crew players sobbing in the fetal position and declaring that the Rapids were unquestionably their thoroughly dominant masters. Instead, he saw a team own up to its own mistakes and recognize that its squandered opportunities on the day also squandered the opportunity to host the conference final.
Guillermo Barros Schelotto said that the Rapids were lucky that the Crew blew myriad chances, and that he felt that the Crew were the better team. He also twice congratulated the Rapids for advancing to the second round. How any of this was out of line with what transpired, or was out of line with professional decorum, is beyond me.
Anyway, here are some Schelotto quotes, reprinted here in their actual, unedited Guille-ese, as always.
"I think in the 90 minute we play for to win," Schelotto said. "We create big chance in the first half, but sometime it happen with the post and the line and we get only one. Then they score 2-1, finish penalty, we out. I think we tune the match in this game. I think we know what we were doing on the field today. Everyone in the stadium saw a very good team playing in the 90 minutes. They have Casey and they have Cummings and they got one possibility and they tied the game. That's it.
"I think we had a lot of great chances in the first 45 minutes. Somebody take the ball on the line, Eddie Gaven hitting the post one time, Mendoza got a possibility, Frankie got a possibility in extra time… but it can be difficult we get again out, because last year we were winning 2-0 and same thing today but same thing happen.
"I don't know how you explain, because I think we are better than Colorado. They get the second round. Congratulation for them, but I can feel that we are better."
Schelotto cramped up at the end of extra-time, right before the penalty kick shootout.
"Cramp, just in 120 minutes, for the last two or three minutes," he said. "But I feel good for shoot penalty kick. I think the penalties isn't true about soccer because we play much better than them for 90 minutes, 120 minutes, and we have to win. We have great chance. I know they had lot of chance in the first game in Colorado, but not like we had today. I think we are better, but they get the second round. Congratulation them."
Since Borg took great exception to Guille's comment that he feels the Crew are better, let us consider that there are many ways to evaluate "better." To wit, I have compiled the following chart that shows some prime considerations from 2010:
|30-Game MLS Season
|50 points (while waging a three-front war across the continent)
|46 points
|Regular Season head to head
|1-1-0 / 3-2 agg
|1-1-0 / 2-3 agg
|U.S. Open Cup
|Advanced to final
|Eliminated in MLS qualifying
|CONCACAF Champions League
|Eliminated in spring quarterfinal (4-5 agg vs. Toluca) // Advanced out of group stage in the fall.
|Playoff head to head
|1-1-0 / 2-2 agg
|1-1-0 / 2-2 agg
|Goals scored in PK tiebreaker
Was Schelotto supposed to consult the above chart, which didn't even account for the Crew's edge in prime ball-on-boot scoring chances in the series, and tell Borg, "Yes, by virtue of a penalty kick shootout, the Colorado Rapids have proven that they are unquestionably better than us!"
Besides, asking if the better team won is irrelevant because the playoffs are not about determining the "better" team in a general sense. They are about determining the better team on that specific day or on that specific week. And that's fine. I have no problem with playoffs. I love them. I love the big thrills and disappointments that come with do-or-die moments when everything is on the line. But I also recognize that the "better" team over the long haul may not win. This year's MLS Cup will feature #4 Dallas vs. #7 Colorado. That's fine by me. They earned it.
And with the above chart, I don't mean to imply that there was a huge gap in quality between the Crew and Rapids. This year had the best playoff field in MLS history. As the size of the league grows, the odds of a crappy team making the playoffs diminishes. The last playoff seeds this year had 46 points, which is a very solid total and easily the best playoff cutoff mark in MLS history. The Rapids are no slouches. In this series, neither team could beat the other over 210 minutes, so it went to penalty kicks. Literally the only advantage the Rapids have on that chart is a penalty kick shootout. But that's what it took to advance. The Rapids advanced fair and square. But I can completely understand why Schelotto or anyone else would feel that the Crew are "better" in the overall sense. It's not that hard of a concept to grasp.
Also worth noting for those who read Borg's hit piece, nobody on the Crew stated that they should have advanced in Colorado's place. They didn't badmouth the Rapids. (Except for Rogers griping about getting hacked in Colorado, but he said every other team does it too because "it's not rocket science.") Even Guille's "luck" comment was not a Rapids insult, but an admission of the Crew's failure, for which they paid the ultimate price. In fact, many players credited the Rapids for hanging in there and making a clutch play to tie the series with just minutes to play. So just know that the locker room was nowhere near as bitter or delusional as Borg seemed to imply, based a few honest and understandable responses to the overly broad and utterly irrelevant question, "Did the better team advance?"
But faux tabloid controversies are so much more fun to write.
As always, Frankie Hejduk was the last player left in the locker room. With the place pretty much cleared out, Hejduk reflected on the season.
"If there's anything that's more of a buzzkill in sports than this, I don't know what it is," he said. "It doesn't exist. This wasn't a fun way to go out, but I think we went out fighting. I think we can hang our heads high. [Note: I wasn't sure if he meant "we can't hang our heads" or "we can hold our heads high", but then decided that "we can hang our heads high" was its own kind of twisted linguistic genius that accurately summed up the situation.] We didn't give up all year, no matter how many games we played. We dug deep tonight to play those 120 minutes. I think we can hang our heads high. After all those games and the schedule given to us by MLS, we did our best. We have nothing to be ashamed about. We can be disappointed, but we can't be ashamed. We went out fighting.
"If you would have said before the season that you could be in the Open Cup final, could be in the Supporters' Shield race in September, could be in the race for the East with one game to play, could make the playoffs, and could advance to the next round of Champions League, I would have taken that in a heartbeat. It turns out that none of them really went our way in the end, except for advancing in Champions League, but it's not easy to play all of the games one after another, and to fly everywhere, and to try to be fresh week in and week out. In 2008, it was a whole different beast. You can't compare them. In 2008, we were fresh every single game. We were fresh week in and week out. But because of the amount of games this year, you can't always be fresh. You have to dig deep and play at 80% or 85%. I think we did well in handling all of those games and doing as well as we did.
"There are a lot of teams that would love to be in our position. The end results didn't really go our way, but I will take this season any day over many other seasons. I am sure a lot of players and a lot of teams would agree with me. We had plenty of victories this year. That was fun."
And with that, the Dude smiled and offered me a high-five. Then he walked away with his head hung high.
We've heard a lot about the Crew's brutal schedule this year, and Frankie's comments about playing at 80-85 percent freshness game in and game out got me to wondering about how schedule disparities impact the playoffs. After all, from a Crew perspective, the fresh 2008 team marched straight to the MLS Cup podium, while the weary 2009 and 2010 teams were eliminated in the first playoff round.
I was about to dig into it when I saw that the fine folks at Climbing the Ladder (http://usasoccer.blogspot.com/) beat me to the punch and spared me hours of research. They calculated playoff records based on a number of random factors, such as top goal scorer, away record, the comparative age of the two coaches, etc. You can read their blog for the full results, or for many other fascinating statistical nuggets. But in their research, they found that the number one predictor of first round playoff matchups is the difference in games played by each of the two teams.
Since the current playoff format started in 2003, there have been 25 first round series in which one team had played more competitive matches heading into the playoffs than did their opponent. The team that played fewer games has advanced in 18 of the 25 instances, for an astonishing 72 percent rate of advancement.
The magic number appears to be more than five games' difference. Teams that have played more than five additional games than their opponent are 0-7 in first round series.
Actually, a more practical cutoff seems to be more than three games. For series where the difference was three games or fewer, the team with more games is 6-7 in first round series. It's pretty much a wash. But teams that have played more than three additional games than their opponent are 1-11 in first round series. That's a .083 series winning percentage! And based on the 12 series sample size, the latter number calculates to being statistically significant at 98 percent confidence, so it does not appear to be a fluke. The only team to advance with a discrepancy larger than three games was the 2009 Houston Dynamo, who advanced past Seattle despite playing five more competitive matches than the expansion Sounders.
This year, the Crew played 42 competitive matches heading into the playoffs. The Rapids played 32. That ten-game spread is tied for the second largest in playoff history. D.C. United played ten more matches than Chicago in 2007, and Houston played a whopping 14 more matches than the Red Bulls in 2008. (So the Crew doubly benefitted from this trend in 2008.)
Although four or five or six additional games may not seem like a lot, the numbers go to show that the talk of schedule congestion is more than just lip service. There are now eight seasons of data to back up the notion that playing even a moderately heavier schedule than your first round opponent is a recipe for doom. And the fact that the CONCACAF Champions League group stage runs concurrent to the MLS stretch run seems to play a role in that. Since the CCL expanded to include group play in 2009, MLS participants have lost 5 of 6 first round playoff series. Maybe it's a hidden blessing that the Crew won't have to contend with that circus next fall.
Again, I must offer a big thank you to Climbing the Latter, as this section was calculated and written based on the research and raw data posted on their blog. If you enjoy the Mr. Numbers Nerd segments in my Notebooks, you should definitely bookmark Climbing the Ladder. It's a tremendous resource and a treasure chest of unique statistical compilations.
Changes will be in store for the 2011 Crew. That's for certain. The question is the matter of degree. Only goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum is out of contract, but an expansion draft looms, trades are a possibility, and some elder statesmen could be in contract option limbo.
No question mark is more prominent than Schelotto, whose contract contains a team option for next season. Guille got a lump in his throat when asked if he had played his last game.
"I don't know," he said. "I think no, but sometime you have to take a decision with the coach, with the manager, with the owner. I want to keep playing here because I feel good. I hope to stay here in Columbus. After December, they have the option for next year. If they do not pick up the option, I do not know what can happen."
At the postgame press conference, Crew coach Robert Warzycha dismissed the notion that it could possibly be the end of an era, depending on who doesn't come back.
"I don't think it's the end of an era, because as a team we're going to continue to win the games and we're going to continue to be successful," he said. "So maybe we're not going to be the same personnel, maybe we're not going to have the same players, but this happens every year. When we won the championships in 2008, and then last year, there were some new players. So it's going to happen next year. That's how leagues operate and how every single club around the world operates. You always want to get better."
When asked specifically about Schelotto, Warzycha said, "There's a lot of things coming up, so we'll see how it goes. Everybody's future is something we're going to discuss. We'll let everyone know when the time comes."
And so we wait…
Let's end this rambling mess with some fun items. When I saw Danny O'Rourke hobbling on crutches by the field before the game, I couldn't help but notice how out of proportion his legs were. Check out this photo:
His right leg (on the left of the photo) appears to be normal sized, but his other leg was practically bursting out of his jeans, Incredible Hulk style. Some might of have just assumed that he was wearing a leg brace under his jeans, but Danny gave me the real scoop on what happened.
"I thought I was just getting some stuff cleaned out of my knee," he said, "but they accidentally transplanted one of Emilio's legs onto me."
Not so coincidentally, Emilio Renteria, the Crew's ultra-muscular Venezuelan, also underwent recent knee surgery. Apparently, Dr. Edwards removes the limbs from the body, fixes them up, and then reattaches them when they are good to go. And in this case, the wrong leg evidently got put on the wrong body.
"It doesn't match the rest of me," O'Rourke said, "but it's ripped."
Laughing at the sight from afar, Duncan Oughton came over to take a closer look at O'Rourke's mismatched limb.
"Either he got one of Emilio's legs by mistake," Oughton said, "or Danny does steroids, but only in one leg."
As Nesta Hejduk and I knocked a ball around the empty locker room, I noticed the following drawing on the white board:
After assessing the artistic merit of the drawing, I asked 12-year-old Nesta if he was the one who had created it.
"No, my dad did," he replied. "He drew it for my little brother."
"What's it of?" I asked.
"A tree and a house," he matter-of-factly replied.
By now, you'd think I'd have a firm grasp of the fact that if you ask a stupid question, you can expect a stupid answer. But what I was really getting at was the specifics of the scene. When the elder Hejduk returned to his locker, I asked him about the drawing.
"That's our family," Frankie explained. "Dude, I don't have an artistic bone in my body, but I tried. That's me and my wife standing in front of the house. She's doing some gardening. She has some really big hands in this drawing, for some reason. Like I said, I can't draw. Anyway, it's a nice day outside, and we're out there, and that's Nesta on the swing and that's Coasten going down the slide. So that's it, dude. It's just our family having fun together."
While everyone would prefer to be prepping for MLS Cup, the offseason can offer its own solaces and silver linings.
I will try to keep this short, but again, I must admit that the Notebook is a production far greater than I can manage on my own. First and foremost, the players make it possible by graciously showing their personalities and sharing personal tidbits, answering ill-conceived and poorly articulated soccer questions to the best of their ability, and tolerating my snooping presence in general. This was especially true while I was embedded with them on the Seattle trip for the Open Cup final. They are a first-class group of guys that you can be proud to root for.
Heck, even Crew alumni Mike Clark, Jon Busch, Brian Dunseth, and Alejandro Moreno stepped up to make fantastic Notebook contributions this year. "Columbus 'Til I Die" may be more than a fan slogan.
Organizational support is also important to producing this gibberish. Dave Stephany has to put up with me the most, but T.J. Ansley, Jason Smith, Marco Rosa, Mark McCullers, Brian Bliss, Robert Warzycha, Rusty Wummel and the invaluable Tucker Walther always saw to it that I had what I needed whenever I needed it. And my "needs" can be a bit unorthodox from time to time. As Bliss said after proudly posing for a photo with his Bobby Dazzler shoes, "No other TD in the league is going to give you stuff like this." Whether that says more about my good fortune or Blissy's unlikely shoe fetish remains to be seen, but it's appreciated nonetheless.
Fellow media members remain a consistent source of camaraderie, information, and education. I continue to benefit from the professional experience and mental generosity of Shawn Mitchell and Craig Merz. Dwight Burgess and my Slovenian brother Neil Sika made great road trip chauffeurs, with their driving skills surpassed only by their ability to entertain me while doing so. Sam Fahmi and Jason Mowry kindly let me use their photos if I needed them to better tell a story. Patrick Guldan's unerring knack for asking the most poorly received press conference question week after week made me feel better about myself. Matt Bernhardt's insistence on publishing full transcriptions of postgame press conferences tacked several hours back onto my life. Jess Laicy sometimes kept me company on my press box stoop, and periodically provided me with yummy banana cupcakes. Dante being Dante is always a welcome part of my Crew experience. I could go on, but your eyes are surely glazing over at this point.
So before that happens, I will conclude by thanking you, the Crew fans who read my self-indulgently lengthy ramblings throughout the season. This whole endeavor is ultimately about bringing you closer to the team and giving you something fun to read until your legs go numb on the toilet. Your questions and comments throughout the year have been very much appreciated. I consider myself fortunate that Crew fans tend to be supportive, passionate, and massively awesome. So thank you.
Well, that's it for the Notebooks this year. I think I speak for everyone in Crewville when I say that February 22, 2011, can't get here soon enough.
Questions? Comments? Ever see a masked man in a raccoon-tailed chinchilla thong doing pushups in public in the Short North? Feel free to write at firstname.lastname@example.com or via Twitter @stevesirk


text:
Published Articles
Read the buzz about Omnivex
Browse the wide variety of industry publications that feature articles about us. Learn how we help organizations achieve their digital signage goals and how we are a leader in digital signage applications in many vertical markets.
Learn how Omnivex powered solutions work in various industries and environments; how we integrate into existing organizations and help transform their spaces into new experiences and how we exceed our client's needs and expectations.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Shouldn't matter. ... but if your talking about awesome beats (which is no where near "beats". Only htc users get to experience true beats) Anyway. ... you will have to delete dspmanager if your current mod comes with that.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Havent played much with it yet but wanted to point out something...hopefully a small bug and not a problem.
Flashed it, wiped cache and dalvik. Didn't use the phone for another hour or so when we got in the car and neither navigation nor Pandora could be heard more than a whisper even though the volume was cranked on the car stereo and on the phone.
I just opened the Walkman app and boom the sound came back. Closed the Walkman app and the sound stayed.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII on MetroPCS!
|Thread Tools
|Search this Thread
|Display Modes
Linear Mode


text:
Artist description:
teehehe :D this drawing is colored by my friend ^.^ i only did the lineart and let her color it at my house :) i dont know if im gonna keep it :)
Flash Draw Created Jul 10, 2010 640 x 460px Unless noted Copyright 2010 elowyn.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
XD that is really funny lol!
That Drawing Is So Adorable!


text:
Avoid summer brain drain at Mathnasium, where they offer a good, solid review of previous material and previewing upcoming concepts. Parents can choose from two different membership options in the summer. Summer only membership, called the Summer Pass, is available in 12, 18, or 24 scheduled visits. With this option, you pick the days you want your student to attend, making it easier to plan around summer vacations. The regular Mathnasium membership is always available in summer.
For more information, contact email@example.com or call (480) 460-6677.
Ahwatukee Foothills Mathnasium, 1345 E. Chandler Blvd., Suite 201


text:
In order to create a true community of disciples of the Lord, priests and bishops must prepare lay people with solid catechesis and train future priests to be holy and see their vocation as more than just a 'career', Pope John Paul II told a group of Filipino bishops today.
"One of the major contributions the Church can make in guaranteeing a solid preparation of the laity is to ensure that seminaries and religious houses are training future priests to be dedicated disciples of the Word and Sacrament," he said.
The Filipino Bishops from the Provinces of Caceres, Capiz, Cebu, Jaro and Palo met in Rome this past week for their Ad Limia visit. This was the second of three groups of bishops from the Philippines who are making a pilgrimage to the Vatican.
Training future priests is "a complex process that begins with the proper selection of candidates," said the pope. "In this regard, I recommend that you and your priests actively search for good, pious and well-balanced young men for the priesthood and challenge them to be not afraid 'to put out into the deep' for a catch of inestimable value," he said.
He also spoke of the four necessary components in forming a "good and holy priest ", namely: human, intellectual, pastoral and spiritual formation.
Referring to all Catholics, the pope said that "being a disciple of the Lord is not a whimsical decision but is instead a serious, loving response to a personal invitation.
"In fact, it is only through this authentic discipleship, based on loving solidarity, that the Philippines can begin to resolve the worrisome dichotomy between faith and life which plagues so many modern societies," he said.
Despite the rich Christian heritage of the Philippines, "there still exist certain contradictions among Christians and in Filipino society at large," said the pontiff. "These incongruities can only be rectified by your being fully opened to Christ's spirit, going into the world and transforming it into a culture of justice and peace."
The pope said that one of the ways to bring about this transformation is for the priests and bishops to ensure that the laity has at its disposal programs of spirituality and catechesis.
The pope also encouraged the Filipino bishops in their commitment to support and assist priests through ongoing formation. Such formation should promote "the priestly virtues of charity, prayer, chastity and faithful celebration of the liturgy, practices unappreciated or even rejected by modern culture and its media," added the pope.
"Today's clergy must be careful not to adopt the secular view of the priesthood as a 'profession', a 'career' and a means of earning a living. Rather, the clergy must see the priesthood as a vocation to selfless, loving service, embracing wholeheartedly the 'esteemed gift of celibacy' and all that this involves," he said.
"Celibacy is to be regarded as an integral part of the priest's exterior and interior life, and not just as a long-standing ideal, which is to be respected," he emphasized.
"Sadly, the lifestyle of some clergy has been a countersign to the spirit of the evangelical counsels which should be a part of the spirituality of every priest," he continued. "The scandalous behavior of a few has undermined the credibility of many. I wish you to know that I am aware of the sensitive way in which you have attempted to address this issue, and I encourage you not to lose hope."


text:
The language of holy love
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" Matthew 5:43-44 (NRSV). "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." John 13:34 (ESV)
Hate. Hate is an emotion we speak of so flippantly… "I hate brussel sprouts"; "I hate waiting in line"; "I hate the music they play today"; "I hate hot days"; "I hate …" We say we "hate" for mere inconveniences or dislikes. Hate rolls off the tongue with a matter of ease and unconcern. The Web site <dictionary.com> defines hate as: "to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward." Hate is an emotion of intensity and extremeness, an emotion that drives a person to act irrationally.
As I write this article the 12th anniversary of 911 is but a week away. Violent attacks against innocent people because of … hate. Violent attacks against innocent people because hatred so intense, so extreme, so irrational festered and evil erupted. A new enemy identified, retaliation the answer, strength and power jockey for position, mistrust and fear mushroom, hatred of "them" escalates, and so we live in a new norm. The norms of fear, hate, and power.
Yet, this new norm does not have to be the way we live. We have a crucified Savior. A Savior who was crucified because he proclaimed that God's grace and mercy are available to all people — even to those we deem as incredibly unworthy. We have a Savior who was crucified because he revealed that we humans envy control and dominance. We have a Savior who was crucified because of our hate and fear. We have a Savior who was crucified, but death was and is not the final step. We have a resurrected Savior because LOVE is more intense; love is more extreme than hate. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ loves God's people beyond our human understanding. It is through Christ's unfathomable love that we pray for better understanding between peoples. Founded in Christ's love we pray for increased dialogues between peoples of differing faiths. Grounded in Christ's love we pray for forgiveness, healing, and peace. Our living God is with us — here and now — Christ is shaping and molding us, teaching us to speak a new language, the language of holy love.
Though we will never forget. Though we will remember the pain and devastating loss, Jesus Christ is guiding us into a different norm — the norm of love. Christ's love that extends even to our enemies.
You are always invited and welcome to worship with us at Immanuel Lutheran Church (1226 E. Washington St. in Washington). Sunday services are at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and education for children and adults at 9:15 a.m. All people are welcome and invited as we gather all generations around the Word of Christ to experience God's norm of love and grace.
Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, Calif.--How's that beauty?
A short, 25 minutes' drive away are the beaches of Ventura County.
By reading and discussing the great books, with their vigorous — and sometimes conflicting — arguments, students learn how to discern the truth, how to distinguish it from error, and how to defend it. They become gradually ever more like Aristotle's exemplar of the liberally educated person, "critical in all or nearly all the branches of learning," able to live a truly free and humane life — a life lived in the truth.
The prison system tries to deal with behavior extrinsically. They use either punishment or incentives to try to change people. But I think the truest way to try to change behavior is to change the way people think and feel and believe. Where vocational classes deal with the external, liberal arts deals with the internal. And that's the biggest thing for me. It's dealt with my heart, and the way I see the world, and my filters. Kyle Orth
I took an electrical vocational course and got nothing out of it. I can wire a house, but it didn't change the way I felt about life. When I first applied to the Grinnell program, I thought I was wasting everyone's time, including my own. Through all the classes, my approach to prison life completely changed. It helped prepare me for when I was released. I knew I needed to change my life, and if it weren't for the Grinnell program I guarantee that I would not be here. I can't say thanks enough to everybody. Josh Anderson
The Liberal Arts in Prison Program, which oversees the First Year of College Program, is one of Grinnell's most popular programs with students and faculty alike.


text:
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Everybody Naked?
As a follow-up to my recent post Let's All Get Naked!, it seems that French booksellers decided to do just that to protest against the attempted censorship of the children's book Tous A Poil.
Good for them!
Posted at 9:38 pm Labels: books, censorship, nudity
|Your rating:
- Taryn Tyler said...
That is hilarious. Also so very French.
- 27 February 2014 at 18:03
- Simon Kewin said...
Looks like a typical day at the office to me...
- 27 February 2014 at 20:07
- fairyhedgehog said...
Taryn, I agree on both counts!
Simon, remind me not to visit you when you're at work.
- 27 February 2014 at 20:54


text:
Power line upgrade is now under way
American Transmission Company is just starting work to upgrade the power lines along a 30-mile route from Beloit Township to Elkhorn.
The existing 69-kilovolt system, which has been serving Rock and Walworth counties for several decades, no longer is adequate to accommodate the area�s growing power consumption.
�That area ... has really, really grown, and a 69-kilovolt system wasn�t enough to move power throughout the counties,� said ATC spokeswoman Mary Carpenter.
The upgraded system should be able to handle demand for several decades to come.
�We try to build something for the future,� Carpenter said. �This will take us out a couple decades before any work needs to be done in these communities again.�
Modifications and additions to the system will convert it to a 138-kilovolt system.
The project is divided into four phases:
-- Phase 1: Upgrading existing lines from the Turtle substation, 3925 S. Prairie Ave., to the West Darien substation, N9218 Foundry Road.
-- Phase 2: Upgrading existing lines from the West Darien substation to the proposed Southwest Delavan substation off County K.
-- Phase 3: Building new lines from the proposed Southwest Delavan substation to the Bristol substation, 6396 Mound Road.
-- Phase 4: Building new lines from the Rock River substation, 827 W. B-R Townline Road, to the Turtle substation, modifying substations along the entire route and converting the system.
People who live along the route �may not be seeing much of anything� in the way of construction, Carpenter said. Those who live in the area slated for new power lines probably have heard from an ATC representative, as the company needs to obtain easements before construction can begin there, she said.
The work on Phase 3 began in November, when the foundations for new utility poles were poured. Work on that phase will continue through the winter. New poles should be erected in spring.
Only the work on Phase 1 has been completed. Aging wood utility poles and wires were replaced with steel poles and new wires.
The entire conversion should be complete in spring 2009.
Unused power lines from Darien Township to Geneva Township will be removed after the conversion.
Project timeline
2003�Existing 69-kilovolt system from Beloit Township to Elkhorn was identified for upgrade.
2006�Upgrades made to existing 69-kilovolt lines between the Turtle substation and the West Darien substation for future operation at 138 kilovolts.
2007�New lines and substation facilities constructed between the West Darien substation and the proposed Southwest Delavan substation. The lines were built to accommodate 138 kilovolts, but it currently operates at 69 kilovolts.
2008�Construction of new lines between the proposed Southwest Delavan substation and the Bristol substation. Substation modifications and other line work to be completed.
2009�Entire route converted to 138 kilovolts.
2009-10�Unused lines to be removed.
Last updated: 4:03 pm Wednesday, December 19, 2012


text:
Best choice of WiFi chipset to work in AP mode?
Can you recommend some chipset, that has a stable driver, supporting AP mode? Stable is a keyword here. It doesn't have to be N as well, I can go with G if that helps.
I am creating a wireless access point out of a Debian Lenny box. I'm palying with Atheros based mini-PCIe card, madwifi driver and hostapd. I have to support WPA2. So far I managed to configure everything so it works but it's really unstable. I am getting a lot of problems with stuck beacons, so I guess I have to switch to something else.
Prism based cards are a good bet, and anything that uses the hostap driver (which is not the same thing as the daemon) should work pretty well too.
I have had problems with madwifi and Atheros in the past myself, it seems like it only works when it wants to. I have had pretty good luck with RTL8180 as well, though it wouldn't be my first choice.
|All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:41 AM.


text:
Silicon veteran joins Jasper's board
Post a comment
PARIS – Jasper Design Automation Inc. (Mountain View, Calif.) announced Lucio Lanza, investor, executive and innovator, has joined its board of directors.
Lanza (See picture) is managing director of Lanza techVentures, an early stage venture capital and investment firm he founded in January 2001. Since 2008, he has been a general partner and chief technology strategist for Radnorwood Capital, LLC, an investor in public technology companies.
"Jasper's potential is unlimited, and I am very pleased to join the board at this time of growth and innovation," Lanza commented. "It is an extremely well-managed company and committed to developing highly innovative products addressing the most important SoC design and verification challenges on the horizon."
In 1990, Lanza joined US Venture Partners, a venture capital firm, as a Venture Partner and was a General Partner. From 1990 to 1995, he was an independent consultant to companies in the semiconductor, communications and EDA industries, including Cadence Design Systems, Inc., and from 1986 to 1989, was CEO of EDA Systems, Inc.
Previously, he was with Daisy Systems Corp. as VP of marketing and then general manager of its EDA division.
Lanza served as a non-executive director of ARM until May 2010, and serves on the board of directors of PDF Solutions, Inc., a provider of technologies to improve semiconductor manufacturing yields. In August 2010 he joined the board of Harris & Harris Group, a publicly traded venture capital company that invests in nanotechnology and microsystems. Lanza also serves on the board of directors of several private companies.


text:
SEARCH RE-OPENED and EXTENDED
Campus Specific Information
The CUNY School of Professional Studies (SPS) offers innovative undergraduate and graduate level courses, certificates and degree programs, including CUNY's first online degrees. Drawing on CUNY's nationally renowned faculty and practitioners, SPS offers programs in a wide range of disciplines, including Applied Theatre, Business, Disability Studies, Labor Studies, Urban Studies, and Health Information Management.
The Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies is a collaboration between the University and New York City labor unions, for the purpose of serving the educational, policy and research needs of unions and their members. The Institute is comprised of two centers. The mission of the Center for Worker Education is to: 1) offer undergraduate and graduate programs to working adult students and union members; 2) expand access to colleges throughout the CUNY system; and 3) partner with labor unions and employers to address training and education needs of union members. The Center for Labor, Community, and Policy Studies conducts research, offers leadership development programs, hosts forums and national conferences, publishes articles, books and a national labor journal to promote debate on issues critical to labor's future and its policy role.
Reporting to the Associate Director for Worker Education, the Academic Program Manager for Urban Studies will manage all administrative aspects of the Institute's Urban Studies Programs. S/he will work in collaboration with the faculty, overseeing these programs to insure administrative adherence to academic policies and procedures. S/he manages curriculum development and operations of the program under the direction of a senior administrator.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Designs, implements and oversees a comprehensive academic program development plan.
- Consults with faculty and Institute leadership on curricular and other academic matters.
- Oversees outreach, recruitment, admissions, scheduling, registration, internship placement, and graduation reviews for undergraduate and graduate certificate and degree programs.
- Supervises Urban Studies team, including program coordinators, outreach counselors, and clerical assistants
- Serves as an expert resource regarding program policies and administrative procedures; makes recommendations to improve department policies and procedures.
- Assists Director and Associate Director with strategic planning to expand the program.
- Prepares analytical and statistical reports and assists in outcome assessment.
General Duties
- Manages curriculum development and operations of a College's specialized academic program under the direction of a senior administrator.
- Implements and monitors a comprehensive academic program development plan; makes recommendations to improve department policies and procedures
- Assists Director with outcome assessment and strategic planning to further develop program offerings
- Prepares analytical and statistical reports for management
- Serves as resource expert regarding program policies and procedures
- May manage professional and/or clerical staff
- May act on behalf of Director in his/her absence
- Performs related duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree and six years' relevant experience required
Other Qualifications
- Advanced degree preferred
- Higher education administrative experience preferred
- Knowledge of the academic fields of Urban Studies, Community Studies, and/or Public Administration
- Practical knowledge of urban institutions and community organizations
- Familiarity with public policy and the policy-making process
- Strong writing and oral communication skills
- Experience in program development preferred
- Supervisory experience
- Experience with student recruitment and enrollment management
- Ability to examine, evaluate and re-design administrative operations and procedures; ability to develop and implement new operational procedures
- Ability to analyze and solve problems
- Ability to use independent judgment and maintain records containing confidential student information
- Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a fast-paced, demanding, and complex work environment
$55,602 - $74,133; based on qualifications and experience.
***If you are unable to upload your cover letter through the system, please e-mail it to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Make sure to indicate which position you are applying for and that you have submitted your application online.***
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/IRCA/Americans with Disabilities Act Employer.
The Graduate Center complies with the Clery Act and copies of its annual report on security policies and statistics are available in its Security Office.


text:
Artist description:
When The sun goes in the VAMPIRES come out.
Flash Draw Created Oct 31, 2010 470 x 338px Unless noted Copyright 2010 Mew_Mew_Luva.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
Mew_Mew_Luva Oct 31, 2010
i did that in 1 day cause i wanted to enter the competition though im not going to win
Page 1


text:
Lorient stroll past Nancy
Lorient consolidated their spot near the top of the Ligue 1 standings with a convincing 3-0 home win over Nancy.
Last Updated: 01/09/12 10:51pm
Lorient consolidated their spot near the top of the Ligue 1 standings with a convincing 3-0 home victory over Nancy.
Goals from Ludovic Giuly, Lamine Kone and Alain Traore sealed the victory for Lorient, who would have been celebrating an even bigger triumph but for a missed first-half penalty from Traore.
The triumph leaves unbeaten Lorient with eight points from four games, two behind current leaders Lyon and one behind Marseille, who will look to continue their 100% start against Rennes tomorrow.
Nancy have now taken just one point from three games following their opening-day triumph over Brest.
It might have been a different story today, though, if Nancy defender Salif Sane had made the most of his chance on the edge of the area, but Lorient goalkeeper Fabien Audard got down well to make a decent save.
After that it was largely all Lorient, with Lucas Mareque being denied by Nancy goalkeeper Guy N'dy Assembe in the 13th minute before veteran forward Giuly put the hosts ahead six minutes later with a low shot.
Lorient had a great chance to double their lead in the 32nd minute when Sane fouled Yann Jouffre inside the area but Traore slammed the resulting penalty against the left-hand post.
The hosts had no need to be concerned though as two minutes later they had doubled their lead when Traore made amends for his miss by setting up Kone to head home.
Nancy briefly threatened again in the 58th minute when Joel Sami fired in a low shot which Audard needed two attempts to save, but Lorient were back on the attack soon after with Assembe denying Kone before Jouffre curled a shot inches over.
Assembe then kept out a powerful Traore effort, but just as it looked as though it was not going to be the Lorient striker's day, the Burkina Faso international finally got himself on the scoresheet in the 84th minute with a brilliant free-kick from outside the area that found the top corner.


text:
This post will show you that How to Install Adobe Flash Player on Linux 64-Bit Architecture for RHEL ( Red Hat Enterprise Linux )6.x and CentOS 6.x.
In This Post Adobe Flash Player Version is :- 184.108.40.206
Previously Adobe Flash Player was available in BETA version, So At that time you have to download .tar.gz file and then you have to copy/paste it manually to Plugin Directory. In This post we will install it using RPM as release is available.
I have tested this Adobe Flash Player on RHEL 6.1.
To Install Adobe Flash Player on RHEL/CentOS 6.x, Please Follow below method :-
1) Close Your FireFox Before Following any step.
2) You have to be root to perform this Howto.
[linux-ahmedabad@tejas-barot-linux-ahmedabad ~]$ su –
3) Now Download Adobe Flash Player 184.108.40.206 as per your preferred Method :-
Method 1:-
To Download it Via Firefox Just Click Here :-
Method 2:-
To Download it from Command-Line Execute Following Command :-
[root@tejas-barot-linux-ahmedabad ~]# wget http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/pdc/22.214.171.124/flash-plugin-126.96.36.199-release.x86_64.rpm
4) Now Change your Directory Where you have download Adobe Flash Player RPM :-
5) Now Execute Following Command to Install Adobe Flash Player :-
[root@tejas-barot-linux-ahmedabad ~]# rpm -Uvh flash-plugin-22.214.171.124-release.x86_64.rpm
6) Now Open Firefox and check websites like For Example :- www.youtube.com
Provided Link is from Adobe, So If link doesn't work or If you face any difficulties then please let me know by comment or sending me an e-mail, Mail Subject Must be "Flash Player on x86_64" otherwise mail will be ignored.
Please Click on Google +1 button and Add your ratings if this works for you and you like it.
Enjoy Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot Enjoy Ubuntu Enjoy Open Source Enjoy Linux
All Linux User's Blog Mobile Applications :- http://www.tejasbarot.com/download-mobile-apps/
Enjoy Flash Player on x86_64 🙂 Enjoy Firefox 🙂 Enjoy Linux 🙂 Enjoy Open Source 🙂


text:
Get the Best Priced Plymouth Tail Light Covers
- Fast Shipping
- 30-Day Return Policy
- Low Prices
Plymouth Replacement Taillight Cover
For cars that are respected for fuel efficiency, value and long lasting service life, car lovers count on Plymouth. Options that provide a more comfortable ride can increase safety plus handling. Elegant Tail Light Covers are straightforward to install using just tape or a screwdriver. Slick looking Tail Light Covers are no problem to put in and they will certainly offer you peace of mind on the roughest of roads, knowing that your taillights are protected. Motorists improve the appearance of a vehicle with Tail Light Covers, as they may be bought in a number of styles. High-quality Tail Light Covers can serve two purposes - they shield your taillights and also add to your car's style. Tail Light Covers come in different shades and colors like clear, smoked, or black to compliment your car's style and color. The Tail Light Covers are located at the rear of your vehicle, and protect your tail lights. Tail Light Covers are made out of a variety of materials including high-impact polymer.
Click to Enlarge Image is not vehicle specific
Our List Price: $52.98
Product SKU: GT4236
Product Note: BlackOut(TM); Smoke; 2 pc.
Inventory: In Stock
Condition: New
Shipping Options:
well pleased with the parts ordered and how quickly it was shiped
I received the parts I ordered in warp speed. Everything fit perfectly. Compared to all the sites I checked on the web the price I paid to ParksGeek was the lowest. I have recommended PartsGeek...


text:
Two Jamaica teens recovering well from truck crash
DANVILLE – Jamaica High School student Derek Darr, 18, was listed in good condition late Friday afternoon and basketball teammate Joseph Anthony Horner, 18, returned home this week after being critically injured in a car accident Jan. 10.
Darr, 18, of rural Fairmount, and Horner, 18, of Sidell, were returning to school from an internship at Koehn Motors Inc. when the pickup truck Darr was driving broadsided a grain truck at the intersection of 850 North 800 East Road. The driver of the grain truck was not injured.
"I couldn't believe it when I came upon it," said Darr's mother, Linda, who had rushed out to the accident when she heard the news. "I knew it was bad when I saw all of the cars."
This week has been easier, she said. The family expected Darr to be released Friday.
"I felt relieved when he was in rehab," said Darr's mother, Linda, of her son's recovery. "The last three days I kind of felt better seeing how well he's doing now."
It took rescue workers, some of whom were classmates, 45 minutes to remove Darr from his truck. He suffered a cracked skull and cuts to his face. He was released on Friday but will return to the hospital on Tuesday for surgery on his head and face, Linda Darr said.
Horner had a "really bad concussion", burns to his left arm, a cut above his left eye and bruising from the seat belt on his left side, said his mother, Marlena Holden.
Darr and Horner have been at Carle Foundation Hospital since the accident. Horner returned home on Monday.
"We just take it one day at a time," Holden said. "The Lord is really doing a wonderful miracle in his life with the healing."
Both moms said their sons' active lifestyles helped with their recovery. Community support, prayers and regular visits from friends have helped too, they said.
"The community was awesome," Holden said.
Darr has been "doing excellent" in rehabilitation and has recovered well, except for some headaches, Linda Darr said.
Horner has suffered a temporary short-term memory loss, but "that will heal when the concussion heals itself," Holden said.
Neither mom expects her son to return to school soon.
Linda Darr, estimating that it will be at least three weeks before her son returns to school, said her son will have a tutor; Holden said she's looking into an at-home school program for Horner in the meantime.
Doctors have said that concussion patients often tire easily, Holden said.
"If he can do something at home, it won't make him feel overwhelmed," Holden said. "He'd love to go back to school; he's a pretty active boy."
In the meantime, however, he has to momentarily resign his skateboarding hobby.
"He gets to enjoy quality time with his mom," Holden said.
News-Gazette.com embraces discussion of both community and world issues. We welcome you to contribute your ideas, opinions and comments, but we ask that you avoid personal attacks, vulgarity and hate speech. We reserve the right to remove any comment at our discretion, and we will block repeat offenders' accounts. To post comments, you must first be a registered user, and your username will appear with any comment you post. Happy posting.


text:
Calvin Klein Response:
This is a lift bra, but with strapless and size DD - it is hard to lift! You should try F2892
- which is not a strapless, but would really give you the lift you are looking for.
Tamera from Chico, Ca. , Us
Calvin Klein Response:
We unfortunately do not have petite sizes in our line any more. It sounds as though it just flat doesn't fit you.
HerRoom Response: We thank you for your feedback. A strapless bra is the ultimate test for wearing the correct bra size since it has no straps to cheat with the support. There are several other reviews by 30D women who gave it a 5 star rating. We respectfully feel you are not a 30DD but probably larger in the cups.
Calvin Klein Response:We're sorry that you weren't happy with your purchase. This bra usually runs really true to size, if not a tad big in the cup. We would recommend to watch our HerRoom Exclusive Bra Fitting Video in order to measure yourself properly to find your true bra size.
Stacy from Hebron, IN, USA


text:
Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum tissue lining the inner wall of the abdomen.
Peritonitis is usually caused by infection from bacteria or fungal infection.
Peritonitis can rapidly spread into the blood ( sepsis) and to other organs. This can cause organ failure and death.
Prompt treatment is important with peritonitis, so symptoms need prompt investigation.
Peritonitis symptoms
Peritonitis symptoms usually start with lost appetite, nausea and a dull stomachache.
This quickly turns into persistent, severe abdominal pain. The pain gets worse when the person moves.
Other signs and symptoms related to peritonitis may include:
- Abdominal tenderness or distention
- Chills
- Fever
- Extreme thirst
- Not passing any urine, or passing significantly less urine than usual
- Difficulty passing gas or having a bowel movement
- Vomiting
Peritonitis causes
There are two main types of peritonitis:
Primary spontaneous peritonitis is an infection that develops in the peritoneum.
Secondary peritonitis usually develops when an injury or infection in the abdominal cavity allows infectious organisms into the peritoneum, such as a burst appendix.
Both types can be life-threatening.
Peritonitis diagnosis
A doctor will begin to diagnose peritonitis based on a person's symptoms and a physical examination.
Tests may be arranged, including:
- Blood and urine tests
- Imaging scans, such as X-rays or CT scans
- Exploratory surgery
- Paracentesis, fluid is taken from the abdominal cavity and checked for infection
Peritonitis treatments
A person with peritonitis will need to be admitted to a hospital and closely monitored.
First line treatments are likely to be antibiotics through an IV drip or antifungal medication.
Depending on how the infection is affecting the body, IV fluids, drugs to maintain blood pressure, and nutritional support may be needed.
An operation may be needed to remove infected tissue if the infection was caused by appendicitis, a perforated stomach ulcer, or diverticulitis.
Many cases of peritonitis cannot be prevented, but additional risk reduction measures may be taken for those due to complications of peritoneal dialysis.
WebMD Medical Reference


text:
"Today" host Kathie Lee Gifford recently sat down with Glenn Beck to discuss his career, his new book, "Miracles and Massacres" and what he would change about himself if given the chance. During the segment, Gifford candidly told her co-host Hoda Kotb that she wishes people would have the opportunity to get to know Beck personally as she has.
"I wish people could know him the way I do," Gifford said. "I think it would change a lot of peoples' opinions."
During the interview, Gifford specifically asked Beck, "If there was one thing you could change right now about yourself what would it be?"
After briefly considering the inquiry, the radio and television host responded that he would like more clarity, patience and empathy.
"If you can have empathy and discernment, the world would be … a much better place," Beck said in the interview, which aired Tuesday.
Following this question, Gifford asked Beck why he believes some people try to demonize him.
"I don't know. I don't really care," he said, noting that he doesn't worry about it anymore. "Thomas Jefferson said, 'If it neither picks my pocket or breaks my leg, what difference does it make to me?'"
Watch the interview below:
Much of the exchange also focused on the central message in Beck's "Miracles and Massacres," a book that promises a "true and thrilling" look at American history.
"This started when I was with my daughters when they were very, very young and I'd pick them up from school and I'd say, 'What did you learn today' — and I realized that they were just memorizing dates and names," Beck told Gifford. "That's horrible. These are the greatest stories ever told. … With 'Miracles and Massacres' we have tried to tell the story. We're trying to connect you to amazing pieces of history."
Beck said he hopes the book shows people that American history isn't what most people thin it is and that "our miracles come from the individuals — and our massacres come from the collective that wants power."


text:
Openhand: about us
Welcome to Openhand: a Bridge into Higher Dimensions
Openhand is a unique approach to spiritual evolution. It is a way of tapping into the Benevolent Guiding Consciousness of the Universe and aligning with it in your life. It helps you unveil your True Self, remove karmic blockages and unfold your Divine Destiny. It leads to authentic, resilient and truly successful living.
The Openhand Approach aligns you with the natural flow of the Universe, to unleash authentic sense of being.
Openhand is uniting evolving people around a common sense of purpose and destiny - to unfold into a Higher Paradigm of existence, which can be accessed within, when we peel away the internal barriers and surrender to the natural expression of soul.
Openhandweb: a virtual community
Openhandweb is a virtual community led by its founder "Open". It unites evolving people around the world who resonate with our philosophy and evolutionary approach. Open's purpose is to embody and express the energy of Openhand in order to reflect and activate authentic beingness in others. He is supported by close colleague Aspasia and a growing global network of Openhand Facilitators. You can read our brief biographies below...
- Open: a Higher Dimensional Bridge...click here
- Aspasia: Community Coordinator...click here
- Openhand Facilitator Network: facilitators around the world...click here
Openhand Inspirational Book Series
Openhand transformational tools
- Openway...an enlightening process to attune your spiritual compass
- BREAKTHROUGH...a method for unleashing your Cosmic Self
- 5GATEWAYS...an illuminating route map for evolution
- DIVINICUS...revealing and processing humanity's karma
- soulmotion...moving meditation for attuning your soul
Graded courses for evolution
The Spiritual Courses we offer are geared purposefully in a sequential way...
- Openhand level 1 - "BREAKTHROUGH Intensive":
Understanding and Activating your Spiritual Evolution...full info
- Openhand level 2 - "5GATEWAYS Retreat":
providing a 'spiritual compass' for walking the spiritual path in day-to-day life...full info
- Openhand level 3 - "DIVINICUS Activation":
human story regression, final cleansing of karma, activation of your Spirit-Light-Body...full info
- Openhand Facilitator Program:
training & accreditation of your facilitation skills to become a positive force for evolution...full info
Facilitator Network
We feel divinely inspired to share the Openhand philosophy, tools and guidance with as many around the world as possible. So we're building a Facilitator Network to help people with their spiritual evolution. If you'd like a spiritual mentor, coach or facilitator to help you, you can find out more here....Openhand Facilitator Network
Contact and Mailing
To register as a member of Openhandweb...click here
To subscribe to our newsletter...click here
To email us...click here


text:
Valentine's Day: Give Us Your Best Cheesy Pick-Up Lines [SURVEY]
Valentine's day is generally set aside for people in relationships. It doesn't matter if you've been with your significant other for years or just a couple of weeks, chances are you'll do something romantic on that day. For single people, it is just a day to remind them that they're not in a relationship.
The days leading up to February 14 have some people trying to find someone special to spend the day with. Meeting new people can be difficult. People run into each other in all kinds of places. Bars, grocery stores even the library. Regardless of social situation, the ice needs to be broken. I'm a firm believer that just introducing yourself is the best approach. Obviously, others don't agree. If they did, there wouldn't be any cheesy pick-up lines.
Some of my favorites include:
- Are you from Nashville? Because you're the only ten I see.
- Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?
- If you were a triangle, you'd be acute one
I know there are a lot more. Take our survey and tell give us your best pick-up lines! But please, keep it clean.


text:
Helm-Wallace engagment
Rachel Helm of Lino Lakes and Scott Wallace of Chaska announce their engagement and forthcoming marriage.
Parents of the couple are Rod and Vickie Helm of Park Rapids and Jim Wallace of Chaska and Debbie Dayle of Douglass, Kan.
The bride-to-be is a graduate of Park Rapids Area High School and the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science degree in respiratory care.
She is employed at the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Her fiancé is a graduate of Eden Prairie High School and Minnesota State University-Mankato with a bachelor's degree in law enforcement.
He is a membership advisor for Lifetime Fitness in Fridley.
The wedding is planned for Saturday, July 18 at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Park Rapids.


text:
ACParadise Network: American Cosplay Paradise American Cosplay Experience American Cosplay Snapshots
Cosplayer turtleen > Costume of Kira Izuru (Bleach)
- Most Recent Photo
- 01-18-2013
- Series
- Bleach
- Character
- Kira Izuru
- Special Variation:
- academy + normal
- Year Completed:
- Construction Difficulty:
About this Costume
- Personal Thoughts:
- I've never gotten real pictures of these, oops. But Izuru will forever be a favourite character so I'm sure it'll pop back up later, quite happy with my wig, so, I'd like to.
Add a Comment


text:
We've got a new DaVinic in the works for us. This is would be a custom bike with greater tire clearance, long stoker compartment, chain guide etc, etc. The fine folks there have also changed up the rear suspension and frame in general. Thought some might like to see the photos of it.
Results 1 to 23 of 23
Thread: New Da frame photos
Similar Threads
Members who have read this thread: 0
There are no members to list at the moment.


text:
Info & Phones News Reviews › Forum
i730 VS i733
Does anyone know the difference between the new i730 and the i733? Are the features the same and it is just a different location or what? Thanks!
printed November 23, 2017
See this page online at:
Info & Phones News Reviews › Forum
All content Copyright 2001-2017 Phone Factor, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Content on this site may not be copied or republished without formal permission.
By registering, you agree to our Terms of Use.
We value your privacy and will never share your email address. (full privacy policy)


text:
Tag Archives: shortage
What exactly is a spectrum shortage?
Written by Rohan Samarajiva on December 20, 2011 — 2 Comments
When I was in government, I heard complaints of shortages of scarce resources and ability to earn adequate revenue all the time. I paid attention, but always verified. Specifically, with regard to claims of spectrum "shortage," there is a problem. It is true that without a minimum allotment (say 2.5 MHz for CDMA and 5 […]


text:
Artist description:
fast drawing, playing around with the program~
Flash Draw Created Dec 10, 2012 640 x 460px Unless noted Copyright 2012 Snowfox93.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
Nobody has commented on this drawing yet. Be the first!


text:
Greek mythology recounts the tale of the nine muses, goddess sisters who inspired all of literature, science, the arts, and music. Echoing the eternity of this legend, the MVSA jewellery collection is a tribute to Bulgari's own muses: gemstones.
Consent to use of cookies on first accessing BVLGARI website.
Bulgari uses cookies on this site to help provide you with a high quality browser experience. To find out more about the cookies used on this site and how to delete them, visite our Cookie Policy. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies.


text:
Raja Arsalan Khan
During the late 80s and 90s up to the earlier years of the 21st century, there was a lot of clamour about an imminent social change in the country, as many among the commoners were thinking bringing a change in their fortunes, while intellectuals took refuge in 'drawing rooms' to escape reality and predicted a new era based upon some grandeur principles. But unfortunately, what we have witnessed is quite opposite - a society paralysed by the inherent inertia.
It seems that all the debate about the socio-political change is missing something important because no one is able to either suggest a way out or, at least, formulate a strategy which provides a lead to move ahead.
If we have a close look at the debates, it seems that some topics are being ignored 'intentionally' and two mutually-related issues, social mobility and digital divide, are some of them.
Why do we not bother to make a serious attempt to study and understand social mobility as a phenomenon?
It has multiple dimensions, making it difficult to address all in a limited available space; therefore, I overlook some. Please apologise for this unavoidable omission.
Perhaps, we have, as a whole, rejected the very idea and accepted the destiny, albeit for one reason or the other. Given the nature of our society, an unhindered mobility within the society is a prerequisite to any meaningful progress, as an overwhelming majority is living in rural areas under the direct influence of tribal and feudal structures while majority of the urbanised lot is also hesitant and unable to bin the past.
This attitude has very serious consequences given the fact that various layers within the society and the state have even attached political leanings with the social status.
Hence, men and women have very limited options and they are at the mercy of jargons, making them difficult for them even to dream of a bright future. And those able to rebel are bullied both by the state and numerous other actors with deep horizontal and vertical penetration in the society. It also provides room to the advocates of redundant values to argue their case with impunity. Therefore, people are made hostage and they are unable adapt to the forces determining the market forces. Resultantly, unjustified division of resources coupled with their underdeveloped skills ensures that they experience exploitation, as something ordained by God.
There is no denying the fact that the class-based formal and informal education system is the most powerful tool to inculcate self-defeatism among the young minds. How and when? Details are obvious for the minds that do not reject the very word of science.
On one hand, the semi-clergy are unleashing a holy war to protect the indigenous in the name of religion while the well-funded progressive intellectuals are also doing the same albeit in the name of preservation of culture and 'anti-imperialism'. In this way, the individual has succumbed to an identity crisis and mental slavery and lost the will for a struggle at economic and societal levels.
The 'state' is the main culprit of the present mode of thinking because it is not in a mood to relieve the society from the 'unseen but mandatory burden' while capitalising on the available resources to occupy the space, more than what its requirements are. Hence, the state since 1947 is using every tool to generate fear among the masses that they would lose everything if they opt for a modern and progressive society. Therefore, even if someone is able to get into the next tier, he is mentally stuck in the past and carries and transmits the same mindset despite the 'monetary gains'. The result is that our ill-defined and quasi-middle class and the 'upper middle gentry' have aligned themselves with the state mantra.
There is a continuous effort on the part of the state and auxiliary actors to keep the redundant social relations intact. In fact, the room has been cramped for those desiring social mobility. The biggest example is of the futile and destructive 'development strategies' which have been adopted by the state with the help of non-state actors (NGOs). The strategies keep the majority unproductive and out of the race going on for the resources generated by the latest productive mechanism in the cities and towns. It also helps fortifying the primitive social structures, thus strengthening both the traditional and the recent additions to the elite.
Another problem is of the sentiments against modernity and change cultivated through a well-orchestrated manner.
The Japanese experience is a great example, as they decided in 1870 not to resist the ultimate and become a prey to paranoia, which proves the fact that social mobility also makes it near impossible for the existing structures to persist and forces the benefactors to modify, thus paving the way for a new set of socio-economic and political realities.
The only choice we have is to discuss and ensure mobility for 'all and sundry'. It requires economic interventions, which provides opportunities to individuals for personal advancement and minimises technological gap among various segments of society. The goal can be achieved through reducing the digital divide and resultant information segregation. Unless we are ready to do it, the power echelons will grow stronger while forcing the people to adhere to sermons and lectures, which are designed on Machiavelli's principles.
n The writer is a political analyst.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Raja Arsalan Khan


text:
I saw a sure sign of spring, spotting two robins in Ives Park. They were mugging a chickadee. Moral of the story: it is not safe to travel through Ives Park, especially if you are a chickadee.
©North Country This Week P.O. Box 975, 19 Depot St., Potsdam, NY 13676 315-265-1000 [email protected]


text:
Picture: Rod Stewart - Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster leaving private members club, The Arts Club - London, United Kingdom - Monday 2nd September 2013
Rod Stewart is plotting an ambitious double reunion tour that will incorporate the hits of his former bands the Faces and the Jeff Beck Group.
The rocker has held out on a full Faces reunion tour for years because the timing has never been right for him and old pal Ronnie Wood, but now he's interested in getting the band back together alongside guitar great Beck.
He tells Billboard.com, "Two of us (Stewart and Wood) are in both bands, so we could do half the show with The Faces, half with Jeff Beck."
His thinking comes as he, Beck and Wood prepare to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the first Jeff Beck Group album, Truth, but he admits the double reunion is an ambitious plan because Beck is still upset with him over a failed blues album project.
Stewart adds, "Whether Jeff would want to do it, there's two chances - slim and none. When Jeff's angry at you, he stays angry for a long time. We were going to do a blues album... but we couldn't agree on a great many things. I sent him a Christmas card, or emailed him a Christmas card, the year before last and never heard anything back.
"I think there's more a chance of the Faces doing something, but that has to wait 'til we know the Stones are finished."
Stewart has always maintained he won't tour with the Faces until Wood's gig as a guitarist in the Rolling Stones is over.
Tired of waiting for his frontman, Wood drafted in former Simply Red star Mick Hucknall to front the reformed Faces on a handful of shows from 2009 to 2012. These included the band's performance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame when the Faces and The Small Faces were inducted in April, 2012.


text:
Vitter Leading in 2015 Louisiana Governor's Race
In a new survey by North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling, Senator David Vitter leads the pack in run-off matches against three potential opponents in the 2015 race for governor.
Pollster Tom Jensen says Vitter has strong approval ratings, which will make him tough to beat.
"48 percent of the voters approve of him, 35 percent disapprove," Jensen said. "When you compare that with Bobby Jindal and Mary Landrieu it makes Vitter the most popular politician in the state."
In the survey of 664 registered voters, Vitter defeated democratic state representative John Bel Edwards in a possible run-off, and also came out on top against Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu.
Jensen says in a speculative run-off with Landrieu, Vitter received 48-percent and the mayor got 44-percent.
"He has the popularity and it looks like he could make it a race, if he decides to get in," he added. "It's just a question of whether he ends up doing that."


text:
Jailed rapist released early assaults again within weeksJune 8th, 2011 - 7:54 pm ICT by IANS
London, June 8 (IANS) A rapist, who was freed before fully serving his prison term, has been held for sexually assaulting another woman within a few weeks of his release, a media report said.
Fabian Thomas, 23, was released last December after serving only four years of an eight-year sentence for rape. He struck again in February, attacking a woman in a supermarket car park, The Telegraph reported Wednesday.
Thomas committed his first offence on New Year's Day 2006 when he twice raped and threatened to kill a girl, aged 17, in an alley in Taunton, Somerset.
He was sentenced in December 2006 to eight years in a young offenders' institution.
In December 2010, he was released. But he committed his second attack Feb 20 early this year, when he attempted to rape a 19-year-old in a supermarket car park, threatening his victim with a knife.
A Home Office spokesman said a review would be carried out into how Thomas was managed while on probation.
But women's groups and politicians here seized on the case Tuesday night as an example of the consequences of letting rapists out of prison early.
The Home Office is now investigating the case.
The case comes just weeks after Kenneth Clarke, the British Justice Secretary, had to apologise following his defence of government proposals to halve prison sentences for rapists who plead guilty early.
He had suggested that some rapes were less serious than others.
- Man jailed in Britain for raping drunk women - Sep 24, 2011
- Rapist leaves scar on woman's chastity: Court - Sep 02, 2012
- Narayanan asks media not to sensationalise rape cases - Mar 01, 2012
- Manu Sharma granted parole, barred from nightclubs - Nov 16, 2011
- 400 offenders in Britain raped again after release - Jul 16, 2012
- Ear Based 'Male Virginity Test' Frees 3 Convicted Rapists - Jul 02, 2010
- Rapist exposes himself to judge in Britain - Sep 21, 2012
- Two Russians jailed for raping 83-year-old woman - Jul 10, 2012
- Mexican footballers in trouble for mock gunplay - Oct 18, 2011
- Rapist jailed in failed attempt to abduct girl - Jul 28, 2012
- British soldier jailed for rape - Mar 10, 2012
- Alleged Kolkata rapist sent to police custody - Jun 09, 2012
- Malaysian Fritzl gets 40 years prison term - Jul 06, 2010
- Castration as punishment for rape? The debate intensifies - May 06, 2011
- Castration for rapist? Many women don't agree - May 03, 2011


text:
Kansas University entertained Iowa State on Wednesday night expecting a barn-burner.
It quickly turned into a block party instead.
The third-ranked Jayhawks blocked a school single-game record 14 shots and hit a scorching 65.4 percent of their second-half field goals to take the wind out of the No. 21 Cyclones, 89-70, at Allen Fieldhouse.
"It came together tonight, definitely," said KU junior center Scot Pollard, who led the way with a team- and season-high 20 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots. "We're definitely coming together. We were clicking on a lot of cylinders, but we still have room to improve."
KU's big men carried the day. Pollard and the other two starting front-liners, Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce, combined for 51 points, 23 boards and nine blocks.
"Iowa State played a lot of gimmick defenses," said LaFrentz, who had 17 points, 10 boards and four blocks. "So anything's possible. You could be wide-open on the perimeter or you could be wide open on the blocks. You never know."
Ironically, the Jayhawks set the school single-game block record without Greg Ostertag, their departed Big Eight career blocked-shots record holder. And they did it even though Pollard, at least, fought with himself not to swat.
The old school record was 13 against Montana State in 1976.
"I get a lot of silly fouls if I jump around too much, swinging at everything," Pollard said. "That's what I was doing in the first half. When Jacy Holloway comes in there, I was going over and he'd dump it off. I should know Jacy's not going to shoot. That's the shot-blocker in me. I'm trying to keep it inside and not let it out."
LaFrentz, a native of Monona, Iowa, didn't try to keep his personal motivation under wraps. LaFrentz, a sophomore, entered Wednesday's game just 1-2 against the Cyclones.
"It's always going to be motivation for me when we're going up against an Iowa school," LaFrentz said. "But I don't think I've set the record straight. Not yet. I'm just 2-2 against 'em."
Sure, but he's 1-0 against them this season and a perfect 7-0 against the league at the midway point. ISU fell a game back in the Big Eight race at 5-2, while K-State fell farther into third at 5-4.
And, yes, the Jayhawks were aware it was a 1-2 Big Eight showdown.
"Yeah, we knew it," junior reserve forward B.J. Williams said. "But I learned in high school just to treat it like any other game."
Still, Williams said, the Jayhawks didn't. They had eight of their 14 turnovers in the first half, when they struggled to a 40-36 lead at the break.
"In the first half, we were just really hyper," said Williams, who contributed six points and three blocks. "For some reason, we were excited about this game. I don't know why. We just came out too excited and out of our gameplan. In the second half, we were more in control."
Not to mention more in the zone.
The Jayhawks came out of the break and ran off five straight points. They took control with a 15-0 run from 13:11 to 9:19. And they put it away with a 14-3 run from 5:24 to 2:21.
"The second half was ... really good," LaFrentz said. "The first half, we made some stupid turnovers. But we're a little happier with the second half. We definitely stepped it up."
Copyright 2017 The Lawrence Journal-World. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. We strive to uphold our values for every story published.