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The Seahawks' so-far stout run defense will be tested this week by the Giants' 1-2 punch of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, so the key will be getting to them before they can get started.
Up 24-7 entering the second half, the preferred modus operandi of any team is to run the ball to help run the clock.
Not the Atlanta Falcons. Not in last week's two-point win over the Seahawks, anyway. On their 10 running plays in the second half, four resulted in lost yardage and on six others they gained 3 or fewer yards.
What gives? Not the Seahawks' run defense.
"I think Seattle did a great job of making adjustments at halftime," Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said after that 24-7 lead became a 30-28 victory at CenturyLink Field. "They did a good job of bringing safeties down into the box against our run game … they did a good job of taking that away from us."
Make that another good job. Entering Sunday's game against the 3-1 New York Giants at the Meadowlands, the Seahawks have not allowed a 100-yar rusher and only two of their first four opponents have cracked triple digits – the Steelers (124) in Week 2 and the Falcons (121) last week.
In the Seahawks' opener at San Francisco, the 49ers' Frank Gore averaged 2.7 yards on 22 carries – compared to 4.2 yards in the 49ers' other three games. Last week, the Falcons' Michael Turner averaged 2.7 yards on 26 carries – compared to 5.6 yards in the Falcons' other three games.
"We really have an identity in our base defense, and we take pride in stopping the run," said middle linebacker David Hawthorne, the team's leading tackler the past two seasons and one of six players with 20-plus tackles this season.
This week, it's the Giants' 1-2 punch of 264-pound Brandon Jacobs, who has averaged 8.3 yards against the Seahawks in his career (27 carries for 223); and Ahmad Bradshaw, who averaged 4.8 yards against all teams in his first four NFL seasons and is averaging 4.1 yards this season while leading the Giants with 228 rushing yards.
"We've already faced some good backs," Hawthorne said. "These guys are just two more. Jacobs is an enforcer, and Bradshaw is smaller but he enforces just as well. So the key to stopping those guys is you've got to be physical, early and often. These guys, they bring a load."
As they did in Seattle last season, when the Giants ran for 197 yards against the Seahawks. But in that game, the Seahawks played without Red Bryant and Brandon Mebane – who provide almost 650 pounds of run-stuffing power.
Both are back, so it's no surprise that when defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is asked for the secret to the Seahawks' success at stopping the run this season he starts with the obvious: The increased size and disruptiveness of the line.
That would be 323-pound Bryant at the five-technique end spot; 311-pound Mebane at nose tackle, after he played the three-technique position last season; 325-pound free-agent addition Alan Branch at the three-technique; and Chris Clemons at the "Leo" end spot, where the 254-pounder is an underrated player against the run.
"We're pretty good sized up front, and I think that's a big key," Bradley said. "And they're good. They take a lot of pride in defending the run."
The front-to-back key is, of course, gap integrity – a term that gets a nod of agreement from the players, but can elicit snickers from others. It's a funny term that has a funny way of deciding the outcome of games. Each player is responsible for a gap, and must hold his ground. If just one gap is vacated, that's usually when the opposition breaks a long run.
via Grounds for optimism.


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Lowered tensions are welcome, says NAVID SHOMALI - but a neoliberal deal won't help the Iranian working class
So Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has officially declared the end of the reckless round of adventurous rhetoric and foreign policy pursued by his country's Islamist regime in recent years.
Citing a mandate to "create a new era of relations between the people of Iran and the rest of the world," Rouhani revealed that the conservative religious leadership had given him "complete authority" to do a deal with the United States.
That country's President Barack Obama's rapprochement with Rouhani was in stark contrast to the rhetoric of his 2012 election campaign, when he competed with his Republican rival to threaten Iran with attack.
Both Rouhani and Obama represent a departure from the aggressive approach of their predecessors, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and George W Bush.
Analysts have rushed to celebrate the dawn of a "new era" in Iran.
But they ignore the fact that the main driver for change is located elsewhere. The fact is that for almost two years the Islamic Republic has found itself in a dangerously tight corner - courtesy of eight years of disastrous policy-making by Ahmadinejad.
This has isolated the country internationally, devastated the economy and brought Iran to the brink of a catastrophic conflict with the US and its Nato allies.
The theocratic regime has had to endure intense economic and diplomatic pressure exerted by the US and EU.
This proved a poisoned chalice, in particular for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In the face of the real possibility of a ruinous conflict with the US and its allies the regime was forced to change tack.
Easing international tension is a welcome change for the Iranian people, especially if last week's events bring about a lifting of economic sanctions.
And the communist Tudeh Party of Iran also sees it as providing space for the left and progressive forces to further expand the campaign for peace and human and democratic rights in the country.
Iran has a dollar-based "import-led" economy relying on the export of crude oil. This makes it an easy target for the US as far as sanctions are concerned.
Structural distortions in the economy make it hostage to parasitical speculators in finance and property. Their destructive, non-productive activities are powered by the export of crude in return for the import of vast quantities of consumer and agricultural goods.
An unholy alliance between the powerful bureaucratic bourgeoisie and the merchant capitalists has ensured the continuation of this system.
And - with the support and encouragement of the IMF - Iran has undergone two decades of neoliberal economic restructuring.
Mass privatisation and the removal of energy subsidies under Ahmadinejad have put enormous downward pressure on working people's living standards.
Over the last two years this sick economy has created huge resentment and prepared the ground for mass uprisings.
In the past 24 months there have been hundreds of strikes and industrial protests in the country.
But because of the shackles placed by the regime on trade unions these have remained isolated and are easily brought under control.
The main contradiction in Iran is between the people and the interests of the political elite and economic oligarchy - custodians of a lucrative, unjust and corrupt economic system.
It's a contradiction that cannot be resolved and poses a growing threat to the survival of the regime.
The power structure in Iran is complex, accommodating various competing factions which are interdependent. The key factions frequently confront each other - but they quickly close rank under the cloak of the Supreme Leader when faced by any serious challenge.
They know that the danger of "regime change" does not come from the West. It comes from the Iranian people seeking fundamental socioeconomic change and democratisation.
That's why the regime attributes all its problems to forces beyond its borders and is now looking to the West as a potential ally, seeking a deal to shore up its position.
Far from being a breath of fresh air at home, Rouhani's economic plans are a continuation of a 25-year neoliberal trend.
Economic "restructuring" has already created a large and powerful private finance sector.
Rouhani's cabinet is composed of neoliberal right-wing reformers. And a book co-written by him and his advisers advocates the "free market" as the solution to Iran's difficulties.
The new president prioritised meeting the head of the IMF during the UN general assembly in New York - a strong pointer as to where Iran is heading as it "comes in from the cold."
His government is working on a strict monetarist programme with plans to extend the "flexible labour market" by diluting and removing workers' rights.
Attacks on workers will build on the systematic suppression of independent trade union activity in Iran during recent years.
These measures are in line with the Washington Consensus and will be seen as positive signals by US and global corporations.
Any rapprochement between Iran and the US will rest on economic interests - and Rouhani will have a hard time satisfying Iran's oligarchs that their own interests will be safe.
The senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards in particular have built up a huge role in the economy and now comprise a "bureaucratic bourgeoisie" whose fears had to be managed by Khamenei himself in the run-up to Rouhani's speech.
The ayatollah called for "heroic flexibility" - that is, compromise.
But no compromise between the US and Iran's corrupt elite is likely to prioritise working people's living standards.
Nor does Rouhani's cabinet offer much hope of democratisation. His Justice Minister Pour Mohamadi was a key figure in organising the execution of thousands of political prisoners in the 1980s.
Fundamental reform in Iran is barred since the ruling clergy will see any major democratic, social or economic change as a threat. The character of the regime remains anti-people despite the election of Rouhani.
The Tudeh Party of Iran supports any lowering of tension between the US and Iran. It has called for years for all disputes to be resolved by negotiation in accordance with international law.
But all negotiations must be transparent and in the interests of Iran's people.
The theocratic regime has placed our country in a weak position. It has turned to the West to save itself.
The US and its allies must be prevented from exploiting this opportunity to push forward their plans for a "new Middle East."
Navid Shomali is secretary of the Tudeh Party's international department.

subset: commoncrawl


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Blog Archives
New MIZA X
Thanks to our collaboration with IsoAcoustics, we will replace the current version of MIZA X, that features built-in height adjustable speakers stands, with a new version that comes with a pair of Zaor Isoplanes, featuring IsoAcoustic's Aperta delivering superb acoustic isolation and thus a much better Stereo image and transparent low.
Cut off date is the 1st of November.
All orders received after that date will be fulfilled with the new version, the MIZA X2.
Abbey Road Institute Australia
First pictures from Abbey Road Institute Australia.
Just Music Berlin
A litte view on the interior equipment we realised for the new Just Music super store in Berlin.


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Boasting an endless array of fascinating sights and a stunning landscape, the East Midlands is surely one of the most diverse destinations in the UK. The perfect location for a getaway, a short break to the region offers the chance to explore some of Britain's most exciting counties including Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Rutland. While they each retain their own flavour, Derby, Nottingham and Leicester are the three of the main places of interest and all are easily within reach of East Midlands Airport.
Flight frequency: Daily
Currency: GBP (£)
Population: 4,533,000
Situated in the heart of England, the East Midlands presents the opportunity for adventure at every turn for the whole family. The huge variety of landscapes in the region is a main draw, with the chance to explore three of the UK's biggest cities – Derby, Nottingham and Leicester. A hub of industry and development, the East Midlands is home to the world's first factory, Sir Richard Arkwright's Cromford Mill, as well as many other world heritage sites and beauty spots. There are endless lavish manor houses to explore and if you're keen to get outside, you'll find spectacular views and castles dotted around the adjacent hills.
Just 25 minutes from the airport, Derby is a cosmopolitan and vibrant city with plenty of attractions for visitors to enjoy. Nottingham is around a 30 minute drive or a short journey by public transport from the airport and boasts the alfresco beauty of Sherwood Forest, famous for being the home of the legendary Robin Hood. Leicester is slightly further away from the airport at around 40 minutes by car or an hour using public transport, boasting a number of museums and galleries, as well as impressive shopping facilities.
The East Midlands is noted for its food, notably for manufacturing some of Britain's most iconic produce including Red Leicester and Stilton cheese, Lincolnshire sausage, pork pies, the Bakewell tart and the Bramley apple. Leicester, the 'capital of the East Midlands', is well worth a visit if you're looking for fine dining or a memorable nigh out. Famous for its curries, a trip to the famous Belgrave Road offers the chance to indulge in some of the finest Indian cuisine this side of Mumbai. This huge area has something for everyone in the evenings – home to a huge student population, Leicester has plenty of bustling nightspots and a long tradition of fine international dining. Purchase one of our cheap flights to the East Midlands with Flybe and experience the culinary delights for yourself.
The East Midlands boasts one of the most enviable shopping scenes in the UK, with the East Midlands Designer Outlet being a main draw for those that like to look good for less. There are over 70 fashionable label stores to experience, from Ben Sherman to Kurt Geiger and Fiorelli. Each of the main cities boast thriving high streets with all the shops you know and love, but if you're looking to splash the cash at an American mall-type experience, why not try the famous Highcross Shopping Centre in Leicester? A must for those seeking retail therapy, this precinct brags hundreds of high street shops and brilliant boutique stores, a huge restaurant complex and a deluxe 12 screen cinema if you're looking to catch a movie.
Why not pay a visit to Nottingham on your trip to the East Midlands? Around 30 minutes from the airport, the legendary location is known affectionately as the 'Queen of the Midlands' and is steeped in history. Celebrated for being the birthplace of the world-famous literary icon Robin Hood, no trip to Nottingham is complete without a visit to Sherwood Forest. A walk in the woodland will take you to the majestic 800 year old Royal Oak – the 23 tonne tree which, according to local lore, was the hiding place for Robin and his band of Merry Men. A vibrant city with plenty for visitors to enjoy, Derby has long been a place of interest and is located just a 25 minute drive away from the main airport. The compact location is particularly good for people who enjoy exploring new places on foot and as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, there are a plethora of museums where you can learn more about England's enthralling past.
East Midlands Airport is well served by local transport and there are a number of options for your journey to and from the airport.
IATA code: EMA
Name: East Midlands Airport
Address: East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Derby, DE74 2SA
Telephone: +44 (0)871 919 9000
If you are flying from East Midlands and would like to take your car, there are a number of parking facilities available, including a short stay and a long stay car park. There's no need to book in advance, although if you do, you'll save money. There are also pick-up and drop-off points that are free of charge through the 'Shuttle Plus' scheme, which is signposted upon arrival. From here, you will be able to get a free transfer to the terminal. You can also use the short stay car park for picking up and dropping off. It is priced at £2 for 30 minutes. You can pre-book online with us: http://parking.flybe.com
The airport does not have its own railway station but it is easily accessible from East Midlands Parkway, Derby and Nottingham train stations. Nottingham and Derby are connected to the airport by the Skylink bus service which operates every 30 minutes, every day of the week. The best way to travel between East Midlands Parkway and the airport is by taxi. These are provided by Arrow Cars and can be arranged in advance of travel at a cost of £5.75. More details on how to do this can be found on the airport's website. It is also possible to get a bus from the airport to the various towns in the surrounding area.
Arrow Cars provide the taxi service at the airport and taxis can be booked in advance if required. There's an office located opposite Arrivals and all major credit cards are accepted.
It is possible to hire a car at the airport upon arrival. It is not necessary not book in advance, but you may wish to in order to secure your desired vehicle and the best possible deal.


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Hindu tailor hacked to death in north Bangladesh
Dhaka (PTI): A Hindu tailor was hacked to death by unidentified men near his workplace today in north Bangladesh, the latest in a series of brutal attacks on intellectuals, activists and minorities in the Muslim majority country.
Nikhil Chandra Joarder, 50, a resident of the Dubail village under Gopalpur upazila of the Tangail district, was hacked to death this afternoon.
"Three young men riding a motorcycle have come to Nikhil's shop around 12 PM and called him to nearby road on which they hacked him. The killers left the spot promptly after the incident," Gopalpur police station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Abdul Jalil was quoted as saying by Dhaka Tribune.
The attackers left a black bag at the spot, which contained three to four bomb-like objects, reports said.
Asked about the possible motive behind the attack, Jalil told reporters that a case was filed against Nikhil in 2012 for making a "derogatory" comment about the Prophet of Islam.
He had been arrested for allegedly making the comments and then released. "It can be the reason for the murder," The Daily Star quoted him as saying.
There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months specially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.
In the latest attack, a liberal professor was brutally hacked to death last Saturday by machete-wielding ISIS militants who slit his throat using sharp weapons and left him to die near his home in Rajshahi city.
Two days later on Monday, Bangladesh's first gay magazine editor was brutally murdered along with a friend in his flat in Dhaka by Islamists. Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed with machetes, one inside his own home.


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The Journal of Business and Media Psychology (JBMP) is a web-based, peer-reviewed journal and accepts contributions from all areas of applied psychology, business and media psychology. The journal addresses a national and international audience and sees itself as an open access publication of scientific knowledge.
Research is used to solve practical problems
The JBMP aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Articles published in the JBMP are to be underpinned by theory and illustrate practical and useful insights. Authors are urged to describe the implications of their results for science and practice.
Economic Psychological Investigations are versatile
Business psychology is an important sub-discipline within applied psychology and has increased steadily in recent years. The JBMP covers a wide range of topics and publishes mainly empirical articles from the original business psychology practice fields of market advertising, media psychology, human resources and organizational psychology.
Current Release
- Issue 1 – 2016
- Seniority and Gender in Job Interviews – The Effects of Interviewers on Applicants
- Validation of an adaptive personality questionnaire for selection and development
- Don't ask a chameleon about its color: Context effects on self-reported career-orientation and work-life-balance


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Figure 6:
Phylogenetic analysis of the conserved amino acid sequences containing domains I to VIII of the putative RdRp from 13 dicistroviruses, 5 iflaviruses, 4 picornaviruses, and 3 unassigned viruses (bold). Virus abbreviation, Genbank accession number of the virus sequence, and amino acid residues of aligned sequences in a specific ORF (5′ proximal ORF of dicistroviruses, otherwise an ORF number is specified) include the following. Aphid lethal paralysis virus (ALPV) [AF536531], 1661–1955; Black queen cell virus (BQCV) [NP620564], 1317–1585; Cricket paralysis virus (CrPV) [NP647481], 1423–1697; Drosophila C virus (DCV) [AF014388], 1415–1693; Himetobi P virus (HiPV) [AB017037], 1441–1710; Plautia stali intestine virus (PSIV) [NP620555], 1465–1739; Rhopalosiphum padi virus (RhPV) [AF022937], 1625–1916; Triatoma virus (TrV) [AF178440], 1446–1716; Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) [AAG13118], 1566–1837; Homalodisca coagulata virus-1 (HoCV-1) [DQ288865], 1446–1716; Kashmir bee virus (KBV) [AY275710], 1594–1864; Solenopsis invicta virus-1 (SINV-1) [AY634314], 1052–1327; Taura syndrome virus (TSV) [AF277675], 1770–2036; Infectious flacherie virus (IFV) [AB000906], 2618–2888; Sacbrood virus (SBV) [NC002066], 2522–2790; Deformed wing virus (DWV) [AJ489744], 2556–2826; Kakugo virus (KV) [AB070959], 2556–2826; Varroa destructor virus 1 (VDV-1) [AY251269], 2556–2826; Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) [AF308157], 2011–2264; Hepatitis A virus (HAV) [NC001489], 1904–2161; Human parechovirus (HPV) [AJ005695], 1871–2117; Simian picornavirus 1 (SiPV-1) [AY064708], 2119–2368; Solenopsis invicta virus 2 (SINV-2) ORF 4 [ABQ01575], 1814–2081; Kelp fly virus (KFV) [YP415507], 3015–3272; Solenopsis invicta virus 3 (SINV-3) ORF 1, 1848–2107.


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Over the past years, many law professors and other academics have undertaken the daunting task of coding the number of congressional overrides of Supreme Court decisions concerning statutory interpretation. In this article, Professors Christiansen and Eskridge present the results from their most recent empirical study identifying these overrides. Using improved methodologies and a better understanding of the inner workings of Congress, Christiansen and Eskridge have worked to identify every statutory override that has been passed in Congress since 1967. Based on this data, they analyze the relationship between the Supreme Court and Congress while also identifying several patterns inherent in the data. Christiansen and Eskridge identify several factors that increase the chance that Congress will override a decision of the Supreme Court. Finally, they consider several normative issues and present suggestions for the institutions that create and elaborate upon policy in the United States.
Congressional Overrides of Supreme Court Statutory Interpretation Decisions, 1967–2011
- 0
- August 3, 2015


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This is my first time uploading something on dragoart and i hope you will like it.The pic is of bad quality but it wouldnt work any other way. :D
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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So maybe you figure the Dallas Observer wants to do stories to help Laura Miller get elected mayor because she used to work here. I think the same way--paranoid.
If that's what you think, you're wrong. Right now Miller and her husband, state Representative Steve Wolens, are officially not speaking to the Observer, they're so mad at us over the story Thomas Korosec did on Wolens' law firm, Baron & Budd ("Homefryin' with Fred Baron," March 29, 2001). Wolens, in fact, has threatened to retaliate against the Observer and its sister paper the Houston Press.
As for me, I'm really not much of a mayor-picker. About the best I can do every once in a while is to be a mayor picker-onner.
All of which is irrelevant. The most important point I possibly could make in the scene I am about to paint for you is that the central characters are not Laura Miller or Steve Wolens, and definitely not Jim Schutze or anything to do with the Dallas Observer.
It's Saturday morning, March 31. I'm asleep. My phone rings. A neighborhood activist in the Bachman Lake area tells me hurriedly--running down a list of names to call, a little breathless, no time for chit-chat--that Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price and a group of protesters are outside Oak Cliff City Councilwoman Laura Miller's house with a bullhorn and placards that say, "Laura Miller is a bitch," "Laura Miller is a whore," and "Laura Miller has penis-envy."
I know exactly what it's all about. My source knows I know. It's about the campaign Miller and fellow Councilwoman Donna Blumer are carrying out to get more information from the FBI on corruption charges against Dallas Chief of Police Terrell Bolton.
The caller gives me Miller's address. I throw on clothes and get to Oak Cliff as fast as I can. But not fast enough. I arrive just after Price and the protesters have gone. Most of the cops have left. This is what I see when I get there:
Wolens is on the stoop with his three young children and a cop. The children, ages 5, 8 and 10, are still in their pajamas, very upset, flicking away tears. I have seen these kids before: They're not easily upset by grownups. These are politics kids. I remember running into Miller in the grocery store when she had the littlest one in the cart: The minute we started to talk City Hall, the little boy put both palms to his ears and muttered to himself, "Oh, no, she's talking."
But today they are scared. They're frightened, because what happened here early this morning wasn't politics. The law recognizes the difference between controversial words and fighting words. John Wiley Price, whom I have known and watched for almost a quarter century, certainly knows the difference. Bitch and whore and penis-things about the kids' mother are not political discourse: Those are male fury words, spoken right before the bitch gets the spit slapped out of her mouth. Kids feel all of that in their guts.
So first I overhear Wolens showing the children that the police officer has a gun. He's telling them something like, "See, the officer has a gun and a stick, and the officer is staying here in front of our house. The officer won't let anybody hurt you." ...words a father says to wash away the near-physical pain of a child's fear.
Then the kids go in the house. I'm supposed to be talking to Miller, who doesn't want to talk to me because of Baron & Budd, but I keep eavesdropping on Wolens and the cop. Wolens is being very nice, very decorous, trying not to put the cop on the spot, but he's asking if something can't be done about the illegal aspect of the protest--not the words, which he doesn't mention, but the amplified bullhorn.
Apparently the bullhorn, which is against the law in a residential neighborhood, was tossed into somebody's car the instant the cops showed up. But there are witnesses who heard and saw it before the cops got there, including some neighbors, who are willing to sign complaints.
The cop is shucking and smirking and back-pedaling, and it's all about please now, Mr. Wolens, now don't put us in this position, we don't want to get cross-wise with the chief.
Terrell Bolton. That's whose name comes up again and again in this dialogue in front of Wolens' home. Wolens is asking if there isn't some way they can do something without getting into trouble with Bolton. The cop is clearly worried about trouble with Bolton.
And finally it strikes me: What Wolens told the kids isn't true. The police will not protect them.
There is threat here, real threat--the air is still thick with it. Bitch and whore; your mother wants a penis. Those words hover right at the edge of smashing somebody's face. There's not an ounce of persuasion in those words, not a breath of moral argument. Those are bloody-knuckles words.
But the police, God bless them, are weaseling. Miller tells me later that the cops told her, "Headquarters is in our ear every minute when we're out here."
Get it? Implicitly or explicitly, this is the chief's deal. The people with the "bitch" and "whore" signs are his brownshirts. The cops, gosh and darn and give us a break, don't want to get caught in the middle. Whether the police know explicitly that the chief set this up or just assume it, their perception, conveyed grudgingly to Wolens in front of me, is that they can't do much for him because if they do they will get into trouble with the chief.
The rule of law has been suspended here this morning. Suspended by the attackers. Suspended by the cops on the scene. Suspended by The Dallas Morning News, which had people at Miller's house before I got there and deliberately reported not one word of this for several days until they had no choice. The rule of law was suspended in the gutless silence of the Dallas establishment that said nothing for days.
Price was out there calling Miller a bitch and a whore and making sex jokes about her in front of her kids to settle a host of personal scores, including payback for her March 1991 D Magazine story, "The Hustler," in which three unnamed women were quoted accusing Price of rape. But Price also was in front of Miller's house with the implicit permission of the establishment in Dallas. You will never convince me otherwise.
I spent most of that afternoon on the telephone. In one of those conversations, I found myself chatting with a politically astute person who happens to have the ear both of the rich white guys downtown, on some issues, and of the black political establishment that works for them.
I said, "I can't believe Price doesn't understand what he's doing with this stuff."
"He's electing Miller mayor."
"Come again?"
I explained. Nobody knows whether Miller will run for mayor the next time the job opens in 2003, but she has given broad hints that she will. If she does, her biggest hurdle will be the perception that she's a liberal, maybe because she's married to one, maybe because she used to work here. (I don't know why people perceive the Observer as liberal, unless it's that Dallas thing where "liberal" means any kind of iconoclasm or pot-stirring, whether truly liberal or libertarian conservative. As far as I know, we just try to tell the truth and sell newspapers.)
Miller's dramatically growing base of support over the last two years has been in conservative North Dallas, perhaps because of her close association with North Dallas council member Blumer, an extreme social conservative, and maybe because Miller has earned a reputation for Ayn Rand-style individualism in an atmosphere of cowering conformism.
Whatever. Nothing helps her distance herself from the bleeding-heart thing better than having John Wiley Price beat up on her.
I explained it. Long silence on the other end of the phone. Quick goodbyes.
I have good reason to believe that my two-bit theory was relayed to some decision-makers in or near the Price camp and that Price, whom I have always considered politically smarter than his white handlers downtown, saw the wisdom in it. I think it's why they called off the protests--not because Bolton or the mayor or Olympics booster Tom Luce or Belo/Morning News chairman Robert Decherd or any of those fine fellows ever recognized the sheer un-American immorality of what was going on in front of Steve Wolens' house. I think the idiots called it off because it hadn't occurred to them sooner that there would be a backlash and that the backlash would work for Miller, not them.
And here is the last point, which was supposed to be the first one: This is all about those children. Or your children. Or your parents. Or you.
If they can suspend the rule of law at Wolens' house, they can suspend it wherever and whenever they choose. Don't think for a minute it can't be you next. From what I've seen, this police chief gets mad at people very easily.
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It made me sick to stand there, watching a man try to reassure and protect his kids, and what he's really doing, in a very quiet way, is begging. Cajoling. Wheedling. Asking for the protection of the law.
But the protection of the law is just not there for him.
I don't pick mayors. But I'll tell you one thing. Terrell Bolton is dead as police chief. He cannot continue to be the chief of police after this. Whatever happens after he leaves, I don't know. But we all need to take a major reality check. There is no way this man can continue to be the chief of police.
He needs to go, sooner rather than later. It's not about Miller or Wolens. It's about those kids and the rule of law.


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If you find yourself bored in Buffalo this weekend, you're not looking too hard for something to do.
Saturday and Sunday, the Battle On The Blacktop 3-on-3 basketball tournament is happening in the area between the Historic Courthouse and the Old Clear Creek School.
Games tip-off both days at 8am and go throughout each day.
For more information, click on the earlier story at sheridanmedia.com:
The Sheridan/Johnson County Model A & Pioneer Car Club will be offering a swap meet this Saturday morning from 8am until noon, at the Tire Rama at 1892 Coffeen Avenue in Sheridan.
You don't have to be a member to enjoy the swap meet.
For more information, click on the story from earlier this week at sheridanmedia.com:
And beginning Saturday afternoon and going until everyone goes home, is the 11th Annual Wild Bunch Luau at ther Johnson County Fairgrounds.
All-you-can-eat roasted pork with all the trimmings, beverages, prizes and live music will all be part of the fun times.
More information can be had from our earlier story here:
Get out and enjoy one or all of the fun events Buffalo and the area has to offer thisa weekend.


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Police on Thursday night found no hostages and no gunman after responding to reports that an armed ex-employee of Homeboy Bakery was holding people hostage inside the downtown business.
"At this point in the investigation it appears to be a criminal threat, not a hostage situation," Sgt. Ryan Whitman said Thursday night. Friday morning, police clarified and said the incident did not involve a criminal threat.
Police received the call about the situation about 10:22 p.m. in the business, which is located in the 100 block of Bruno Street near Chinatown, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
At least 20 police patrol cars were at the scene as officials investigated. Six employees were escorted out of the building as police searched the building. Streets were reopened just before midnight after police determined no gunman and no hostages were at the scene.
The alleged suspect came to the business and threatened one of the employees, Whitman said.
Police have identified suspect but are not actively searching for him as of Friday morning. A manager at Homeboy Industries says that the suspect is former employee.
Whitman added that police are interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage to confirm additional details.
The car of one of the employees that was parked outside the building was vandalized, according to police. The tires were slashed, police said.
Homeboy Bakery is part of Homeboy Industries, a successful gang intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry program that offers counseling, education, employment and even tattoo removal to gang members.
Details about what prompted the call about a hostage situation were not clear.


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Resident Evil 6
This game =[
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LiquidFuze180 5 years ago#11
Now let's watch the diehard fans rip my post to pieces for having an opinion.
ME1 and ME Trilogy coming out for PS3 (sometime around Nov 6) rejoice
WhiteRequiem777 5 years ago#12
LiquidFuze180 posted...
I felt the same way when I played Leon's campaign. Well, at least the Mercenaries is fun.
How DARE you have an opinion! I spit on your post HHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKK puh-TOOH!
"sorry teach, 2+3=7, because i don't want to hear your sound argument that it is, 5." ~rickimaru
LiquidFuze180 posted...
I felt the same way when I played Leon's campaign. Well, at least the Mercenaries is fun.
Nah, it's cool. At least you've played the game before saying you didn't like it. I only hate the people who ***** about the game without even playing it.
"Oh, are they merely crying, father?"
"Yes, true weeping is yet to come." - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Mavado 2 Nitara (Topic Creator)5 years ago#14
It does feel like a COD campaign put into an RE sort of context. A story that attempts to appear complex by being all over the place and having a lot of explosions. The graphics while somewhat better than RE5 are not as polished. The controls are pretty stupid. I can work with them but they are not intuitive at all, in fact they are amazing in how much they make no sense. Cover mechanic is terribly implemented. There is -a lot- of shooting. The template so far feels like "open door with partner, shoot/run around a lot/QTE or cutscene, rinse repeat". While you could argue it was sort of similar in RE5, that game at least felt like it had some heart in it, and the game design had more of a balance between exploration and shoot-outs, it wasn't a straight up "keep pushing forwards shooting" sort of deal.
Playing RE6 reminds me of better games that it rips off, like RE4 (Bringing Leon back from 4 to star in a main-line title and they put him in this along with Chris who we saw most recently...lol), Vanquish (third person shooting on current gen done right. Want to implement rolls/slides/cover? All they had to do was look at this ****ing game) , Uncharted 2/3 (all those character animations/little cinematic set pieces or touches that made me cringe and think "You don't give a **** about mindlessly ripping off a popular series like Uncharted in a main-line RE game...you keep on almost impressing me Capcom.")
I already know Capcom are rubbish this gen, but it still comes as a surprise when they readily and so boldly ruin a series as well known as Resident Evil with such a straight face and do not even see how bad this "new RE" is. They actually think this was the best course of action to take, to imitate popular, critically acclaimed games and graft something together using the RE franchise then call it a day. Its just more proof that Capcom is the same company as last gen and before only in name.
They are purely business oriented and not concerned about any sort of innovation or quality. RE6 is all the proof that words cannot quantify. Most of us already know this and stopped feeling upset about it a while ago, I know I did. Anyway, rant over. All I can say is I bought RE6 hoping for something great, hoping that my fears of it being bland and crap were just me succumbing to negative thoughts. I was naive.
Do you like our owl?
Rickimaru91 5 years ago#15
El_Zaggy posted...
I feel bad for people who bought this game and are trying to justify their purchase by convincing themselves and others that this is a good game.
So all the enjoyment I'm getting from the game is not real? A lot of people may not like the game but then there's a lot of people who do, it certainly isn't badly made. I haven't had a problem with controls or gameplay mechanics and it's far from being similar to COD. Did we even play the same game?
Mavado 2 Nitara posted...
Capcom beat Activision before Black Ops II released, I guess thats mission accomplished for them. Played through Leon's campaign for a few hours, got onto chapter 3. Am already tired of it. The controls are convoluted, the shooting is tiresome and I am not following the story at all. Makes me want to play Vanquish if I'm honest. Same sort of game just not a complete mess. Not a troll topic. A very disappointed RE fan topic. =[
The game is fun but damn after beating Chris's campaign I wanted to just stop playing. The entire Chapter 5 section was horrendous yet the rest of the chapters were fine, even if there were many cheap deaths, but I gotta say the final boss for Chris was terrible, worst boss fight in any game I have played, and the cheap deaths was ludicrous!
Like I said the game is fun, and I am enjoying a lot of the story, characters (I really like the new ones more than I thought I would.) I miss upgrading guns but I can deal with the perk system, the melee is fun, but there are some issues from cheap deaths, areas way to dark (a flashlight would solve that.) the camera is a bit wonky but not to bad once you get used to it, no manual (yes a minor gripe but I am noticing a lot of stuff I didn't know about now that I beat one campaign.) There is a TON of content which is nice as you can dig into the lore and such.
Good game, with some issues and its not as bad as people make it out to be, personally I gave this game a 7.5/10 many good points with some bad design choices and that last boss for Chris was terrible.
http://www.terra-comic.com --> Terra: a Science Fiction Webcomic / Updates every 15th of the month.
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|[The Mercenaries] The numbers and all you need to know ver.2


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From the New York Times bestselling indie author, the conclusion to the sexy contemporary romance that began in Collide, about a woman torn between her seemingly perfect boyfriend and a dark, mysterious stranger.
"Do you know how scary it is to want something so bad you're willing to change your whole life for it?"
Emily Cooper is ready to risk everything to be with the man who has consumed her thoughts and dreams since the fateful day they met. Unraveling fast,… (more)
Publisher: Atria Books (September 17, 2013)
Collection: Atria Books
Format: EPUB
Page count: 416 pages
File size: 1.1 MB
Protection: DRM
Language: English


text:
Newport Laboratories honored with award from U of M
WORTHINGTON -- Further verification of Newport Laboratories' mission, quality and growth arrived Wednesday in the form of a new honor bestowed by the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM).
The Worthington-based company was named the CVM's Distinguished Research Partner of 2012 at a Twin Cities recognition event. Representing Newport Laboratories were president Dr. Randy Simonson, research and development director Ben Hause and Dr. Russell Bey, as well as two colleagues from Newport Laboratories' parent company, Merial.
"Once a year, the CVM holds its 'Points of Pride' day, and as part of that they recognize a company that's provided a lot of support and advice to the research at the veterinary college," Simonson explained. "This is a real honor for Newport."
In accepting the award, Simonson presented a short overview of Newport Laboratories' relationship with the CVM.
"I talked about how we've partnered with them on numerous types of research and in education -- almost 40 percent of our professional staff members hold technical degrees from U of M," Simonson said. "We've supported research in the excess of $1 million, and we have published papers and worked on committees together.
"We've also provided externships and internships for vets and graduate students to work with outside laboratories, and we've shared diagnostic information."
In its awards citation, the CVM called Newport Laboratories "a leader in innovative research" with an "industry-leading commitment to high quality vaccine development and production." It also said Newport is a company that has been "extremely generous in its support to the College...at many levels."
"In addition to partnering on cutting-edge research, Newport Laboratories has continuously supported and supplemented CVM educational programs," the citation continued.
Newport Laboratories is widely acknowledged as the nation's largest manufacturer of custom vaccine for the animal health industry, the CVM also reported.
Simonson, who was personally awarded the CVM's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2001, is pleased that Newport Laboratories' contributions to his alma mater are appreciated.
"Education and research at a land-grant university are extremely important to a company like Newport," said Simonson, noting he had taken the opportunity to discuss Newport and its connection with the U of M with Governor Mark Dayton during the governor's visit to Worthington Friday morning. "We need to continue to promote that."


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Photographer's Note
This is a small waterfall in the Rouken Glen country park, Glasgow. It was shot in the early evening on a cloudy day. I used f22 with exposure time of 2 seconds.
Nobody has marked this note useful
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rudiceuppens (555) 2011-11-16 22:37
A classic well done picture of a waterfall.
Greetings, Rudi
weetrees (79) 2011-11-23 5:13
Thanks for the info
Will have to get up there some day and get this fab wee waterfall :-)
No_One (4) 2012-04-15 10:27
Very nicely done, and the arch in the background framing the top part of the waterfall adds so much. I love these type of long exposure shots (because I cant do them!!) and this is a wonderful example.
- To LOOOK13: Hi (1)
by Aruns, last updated 2011-11-17 06:12
- To weetrees: Hi (1)
by Aruns, last updated 2011-11-28 12:59


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Washington - The administration of President Barack Obama came under mounting pressure on Sunday to arm rebels facing an emboldened and regrouping military, amid charges Washington missed recent chances to oust Libya's strongman.Obama has insisted that all options, including military action, remain on the table with respect to Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi's forces have unleashed deadly airstrikes on rebels and civilians in efforts to crush an uprising in which thousands are feared dead.But with the administration cautioning that a decision on a no-fly zone was still far off, US lawmakers and former officials appearing coalesced around the likelihood that supplying weapons to the outgunned rebels was a way forward."I assume that a lot of weapons are going to find their way there (to rebels in Libya) from one means or another over the course of the next weeks," Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairperson John Kerry, from Obama's Democratic Party, told CBS's Face the Nation.Ex-governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson, a former US ambassador to the United Nations, also said it was time to "covertly arm the rebels" and enforce a no-fly zone over Libya.And Stephen Hadley, national security adviser to Obama's predecessor George W Bush, said Washington should look at the potential for funnelling arms to Gaddafi's opponents."Obviously, if there is a way to get weapons into the hands of the rebels, if we can get anti-aircraft systems so that they can enforce a no-fly zone over their own territory, that would be helpful," Hadley told CNN.Kerry said a no-fly zone should be set up in conjunction with allies, but warned that direct military action would be "trickier".Third major war front for US?"The last thing we want to think about is any kind of military intervention, and I don't consider the fly zone stepping over that line," Kerry said."We don't want troops on the ground. They don't want troops on the ground."Defence Secretary Robert Gates has warned that imposing a no-fly zone begins with direct military action, as it would require bombing raids to eradicate Libya's air defences, thus potentially dragging the United States into a third major war front after Iraq and Afghanistan.But both Kerry and Republican Senator John McCain - two of the most renowned combat veterans in the US Senate - downplayed the risk and complexity of such a move."That's actually not the only option for what one could do," said Kerry. "One could crater the airports and the runways and leave them incapable of using them for a period of time."There were other ways of displaying US might to Tripoli, including the use of military transport aircraft to fly Egyptian refugees out of Tunisia, and the recent arrival in the Mediterranean of two US warships with marines on board."We have made the presence of American military felt for that purpose," Kerry said.A former Tripoli regime member complained that Washington has missed a key opportunity to end Gaddafi's four-decade grip on power.US accused of dragging feet"We asked for help when he was on the ropes," said Libya's ex-minister of immigration Ali Errishi, who resigned shortly after the uprising began nearly three weeks ago, along with several key Gaddafi loyalists and military figures."They were dragging their feet, I don't know why."He also stressed he had "no doubt" Gaddafi would refuse to negotiate terms for his own departure."This is a man who has shown that there's only one choice for Libyan people: Either I rule you or I kill you," Errishi added.Rebels have taken control of much of Libya's eastern half, but Gaddafi's well-armed forces have gone on the counter-attack against rag-tag groups of rebels who are often armed only with AK-47 assault rifles.McCain, Obama's 2008 rival for the presidency, said a no-fly zone would "send a signal to Gaddafi" that Obama was serious in his call for the Libyan leader to step down."It would be encouraging to the resistance, who are certainly outgunned from the air," he told ABC's This Week."We can't risk allowing Gaddafi to massacre people from the air."He backed off from direct military engagement but noted Washington could also provide technical assistance and intelligence capabilities.
So the US want to support terrorists against a government.
How do you arm the rebels covertly if you have just announced it on international media?
Obama wins the Nobel peace prize, then sends 25 000 troops to Afghanistan, starts gun running weapons to rebels and "doesn't rule out the option" of a preemptive tactical nuclear strike on Iran...nice one. The Nobel prize lost all its value.
Let them kill each other. Why must US help? Libya has small oil reserves. The greater than thou Islamist countries, who always condemn any US actions, must come out and help.
Yes sure, why does it have to be US sending troops or suggestin war on other country leaders. Where is China , Europe and Africa itself.


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aww! I love the unsent letter!
Author's Response: Thank you! I'm glad it's lovable, I was wondering if it was a little too mushy. (:
update soon, please! :D
Author's Response: I'll try, but the next chapter might take a long time in coming. Blame it on school!
this fic is amazing
it's a great idea to have a compitition even though it would be mean to james
i feel i can really symaphise with the characters when i reaad this because you have written it so well
keep it up
Author's Response: I'm really glad that the characters feel real enough that you can feel for them. And thank you for saying that I write well! And yes, it's mean to James, but he'll just have to suck it up and be a man. :D Thank you for dropping by!
Very nice! I really like how you incorporated the letters. I can't wait until the next chapter! It's very good writing!
Author's Response: Thank you!
Good start on your story! I liked how you incorporated the letters. =]
Author's Response: Thank you! I hope you'll enjoy the rest, too. (:
That was great. I dont really like Amelia that much but oh when she fins out Lily and James love eachtother i bet shes gonna get mad and tell james it was a bet and then lily and james will break up for a while and then they'll realise they love eachother soo much. Gosh did i tell aeveryone the plot?? Soorry my bad!! =]]
Author's Response: Nice try, but no. (:
The tension is so hilarious! Keep it coming.
Author's Response: I'll try! Thanks for dropping by. (:
I really loved this chapter!!! You have developed the story in a very nice manner. The characters are so real and well-developed. I personally feel that you have a lot of talent at writing and I am eagerly awaiting the updation of the next chapter!!
Author's Response: I'm glad you felt that the characters seemed real. I'd love for readers to sympathise with them, you know, and they can't actually do that unless the characters feel real enough. Thank you for the compliment, I wish I can live up to it! And thank you for the review! It's nice to know what you people like.
it's coming along nicely! i'm looking forward to the next chapter.
Author's Response: And I hope I'll get it out soon. (: Thank you!
haha cute! i love the way you describe lily's charactor. but i kind of feel bad for james. it isnt fair to him. but anyways update soon!
Author's Response: Yes, it is, isn't it. Poor James. I hope you'll continue reading this fic!
Was that the end, good start....
If you keep it up it will be great
Author's Response: Thank you!
Hey, this is soo cool! Damn u, i wish that i could write that good! But i have no hope... so i might as well keep reading other people's stories!!! This is great and i want to read the next bit!! Plz, if u can, post it soon!!!!
Aussie Girl
Author's Response: I hardly write well! There're tons and tons of people who can write better than me. Still, thanks for the flattery all the same. (:
good, wheres more!
Author's Response: I'll try to crank out the next chapter as soon as possible, but I have quite a lot of things to juggle at the moment, so it'll take quite a bit of time.
it was brilliant the letters were funny
Author's Response: They were? Thanks for the review!
that was interesting.......it was good
Author's Response: I'm glad you think so, and I hope you'll continue reading it! Thanks for the review!
I like the letter aspect to say the least,
although on the other hand it slows down the plot a bit.
Author's Response: You're right! It does slow down the plot. But Lily would hardly say "yes" so easily to James, wouldn't she? Thanks for the review!
lololol very funny and cute :D
Author's Response: You really think so? Thanks for the review!
It was good. I liked Lily's sort of down-to-earth personality and James' persistence. I can't wait for the challenge!
Author's Response: I'm glad you liked her personality. I hope you didn't find James too persistent, though. I didn't want readers to think he's the kind who asks Lily out three times a day or something. Because I don't want James to be that annoying and persistent. (: Thanks for the review!
Great start! I loved the part with the letters, especially the unsent one. I can't wait to read more!
Author's Response: I hope you'll stick around to read more! I can't wait for MNFF to be restored-- thanks so much to the lovely mods who're helping its restoration! Oh, and thank you for the review!
absolutely wonderful! can't wait to read the next chapter.
Author's Response: I'm glad you want to read the next chapter. Thank you for your review! :D


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Rock Harbor Lane, 9:25 p.m. Wednesday A resident told police someone climbed the fence and peered throw the window.
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200 block of Cambridge Avenue, 11:40 a.m. Tuesday Someone is suspected of stealing a phone.
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400 block of East Meadow Drive, 3:56 p.m. Monday Someone allegedly stole a laptop computer.
100 block of El Camino Real, 3:57 p.m. Monday Items were stolen from a business.


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A historical look at the uniform numbers for the new Patriots: #39, Brandon Browner
We are in the dead zone of the NFL year folks, that time between the end of mini-camp and the start of training camp. There's not much to go over that hasn't already been over-analyzed – so with that in mind here is the thirteenth in a series of historical perspectives on who has previously worn the uniform number of the 2014 additions to the roster of the New England Patriots. Unless noted otherwise all the players listed took part in at least one regular or playoff game in the season listed for the Patriots.
Brandon Browner is the latest members of the Pats to don the number 39; here is a look at those who have preceded them to wear that jersey over the years during the franchise history of the Patriots. For those of you who immediately thought of Sam Cunningham, congratulations and thank you for your longevity as a fan of the Patriots.
39 – Corner Brandon Browner
– The 6'4″ defensive back went undrafted out of Oregon State, and signed with Denver as a rookie free agent in 2005. He never played in a real game for the Broncos though, spending all of '05 on injured reserve due to an arm injury, and was released at the start of the 2006 training camp. He immediately signed with Calgary, and spent four seasons in the Canadian Football League. During that time he had 12 interceptions, two touchdowns, made 206 tackles, was a three-time CFL All-Star, and won one Grey Cup with the Stampeders.
After the 2010 season ended Browner signed with Seattle. In his first NFL season he started every game for Pete Carroll, with six interceptions and two pick-sixes, and was named to the Pro Bowl. He was suspended for the first four games of 2012 for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, reportedly for Adderall. He missed some time last season with a groin injury, and then the NFL suspended him again, for missing drug tests while he was in Canada and not under and any NFL contract; he will miss the first four games of the 2014 season. In his three years with Seattle he had 117 tackles, 39 passes defensed, ten interceptions and three forced fumbles. Browner signed this off-season with the Patriots after drawing interest from the Jets, Washington, Saints and Raiders as well as from the Patriots and Seahawks.
Browner uses his 6'4″, 220 pound body to his advantage with a very physical style of play; even bigger receivers struggle with his pressure. He pushes the envelope when it comes to the five-yard bump zone, resulting in him being among the league leaders in penalty flags thrown in his direction. He is the type of player that you love if he is on your team and detest if he is an opponent, in a manner that is not unlike that of former Patriot great Rodney Harrison. While he does not have elite speed or athleticism, he makes up for that with a long reach and being able to get receivers off their routes at the line of scrimmage. Nick Underhill notes that "when his man could cut over the middle, he often released that player and continued down the field. It is unclear if this wrinkle was because Browner lacks lateral quickness or if was simply the design of the defense. The results were mixed the few times he tracked his man over the middle".
The bottom line is that his addition to the team strengthens both the top end talent as well as depth in the New England secondary. Browner will be a guy worth watching in preseason, to see how it changes the Patriots defense.
2010-12: RB Danny Woodhead
– After his home state school (the University of Nebraska) did not want him, Woodhead followed his older brother Ben to Division II Chadron (Nebraska) State College. There he had a record-setting career, and was a two-time Division II Player of the Year. He rushed for 1,840 yards as a true freshaman, and two years later set an all-division NCAA record by rushing for 2,756 yards. In his four years at Chadron he ran for an NCAA record 7,962 yards, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Despite his illustrious college career and gaudy stats, he was not invited to the NFL Combine. At his Pro Day he posted a 4.33 40-yard dash time and a 38.5 inch vertical, that would have been among the best at the Combine, but still went undrafted. The Jets signed him as a rookie free agent in 2008, but he suffered a knee injury in training camp and spent his entire rookie year on the Reserve-Injured list. The following year the club gaffed badly when they waived him on September 14, 2010, to make room for WR David Clowney. Clowney had one reception for the Jets that year, and finished his NFL career with 22 receptions.
The Patriots swooped in and signed Woodhead, though many fans (and even some media members) openly speculated that the transaction was done solely to obtain information on the Jets, whom the Patriots were playing that week. Woodhead took over the roster spot that had been vacated by Laurence Maroney (see below), and was inactive against the Jets; over the next 2½ seasons that would happen just one more time, over a span of 51 games. Kevin Faulk was injured in that Jets game, and would go on season-ending injured reserve with a knee injury. Any concerns were quickly dispelled as Woodhead stepped right in as the new third down back and performed as well if not better than Faulk. He played in 14 games with six touchdowns and 926 yards from scrimmage in 2010, averaging 5.6 yards per carry while catching 34 passes. Before the season was over the Patriots had seen enough productivity to sign him to a two-year extension. Although he is just 5′
8″7″, he showed great toughness as a pass blocker. With his superior receiving ability to go along with his shiftiness running with the ball, comfort in lining up in the backfield or split wide as a receiver, Woodhead created mismatches and headaches for opposing defensive coordinators.
The next season Woodhead helped the Patriots to a 13-3 regular season and a trip to the Super Bowl, and in 2012 he helped was a vital part of the team that went 12-4 and made yet another trip to the AFC Championship Game. In March of 2013 his contract with the Patriots expired, and he elected to sign with the Chargers. Shane Vereen was ready to take over as team's new third down back, and Woodhead most likely saw more job security – don't forget NFL contracts are not guaranteed – in San Diego than he did in New England. With the benefit of hindsight, the Patriots should have made more of an effort to re-sign him, but at that point in time nobody knew that Vereen would break his wrist in week one and miss nine weeks, or that Aaron Hernandez would go on a killing spree. New England's loss was San Diego's gain, as Woodhead set new personal NFL single-season highs last season with 1,296 all-purpose yards, 1,034 yards from scrimmage, 76 receptions, 605 yards receiving, six touchdown receptions, and eight total touchdowns. Thirty one of his receptions went for first downs, which was the second-most in the NFL for running backs; that was a large reason why San Diego led the NFL in 2013 in third down conversion percentage. He also rushed for a touchdown in the playoff victory at Cincinnati, for his second post-season score, and once again did not miss a single game.
Woodhead finished his career with the Patriots with nine starts and 45 regular-season games played. He rushed for 1,199 yards, which is 25th all-time in club history. His 4.8 yards per carry ranks fifth among those with at least 100 carries, and is second behind only Steve Grogan among players with at least 200 carries. Woodhead also rushed for ten touchdowns, which is 24th all time. His 92 receptions are 50th among all players and 15th for running backs, and the 982 receiving yards rank 46th for all players and 8th for running backs. He scored a total of 88 points, which is tied with Julian Edelman for 52nd most in franchise history, and his 14 total touchdowns rank him in a tie with Edelman, Tom Brady and four others as 45th most in club history.
2006-09: RB Laurence Maroney
– In three seasons at the University of Minnesota, Maroney averaged 6.0 yards per carry while rushing for 3.933 yards and 32 touchdowns. He was one of three players in Big Ten history to rush for over 1,000 yards in each of their first three seasons, and finished second in school history in rushing yardage and rushing touchdowns. The Patriots selected him in the first round, 21st overall, in the 1996 draft. In his rookie season he led the Pats and finished second in the NFL with a 28.0-yard kickoff return average, and led the team is rushing yards seven times. Maroney finished the year second on the team to Corey Dillon with 175 rushes for 745 yards and six touchdowns.
In 2007 Dillon was gone, so Ellis Hobbs took over the kick return duties. Maroney rushed for 835 yards and he scored three touchdowns in the playoffs, tops on the team in the post-season. In the two conference games he rushed for 244 yards, but was limited to 36 yards in the Super Bowl. The next season in the opener against the Chiefs he averaged 5.1 yards on ten carries, but the next week he had just 16 yards on eight carries against the Jets. Maroney suffered a shoulder injury in that game, and after missing two of the next three games he was placed on injured reserve.
After averaging 4.4 yards per carry in his first two seasons, Maroney averaged 3.9 yards in 2009; perhaps more disconcerting was that he fumbled four times after fumbling just once in his first three seasons. Whether it was a lingering physical or mental effect of the previous year's injury, he seemed far more likely to dance in the backfield than he had previously, infuriating many fans. Still, he led the team with 757 yards on the ground and he rushed for nine touchdowns, and at one point rushed for a touchdown in six consecutive games.
Maroney did not get on the field for the second or third 2010 preseason game, and when he finally saw some action in the final August game it was with the backup offense. Even so, it seemed unlikely to many that his job was in jeopardy; the options were either players well into their thirties (Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk), or the relatively inexperienced BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who had mostly been used only on special teams the previous two seasons. Maroney was inactive for the week one game, and the Pats were able to unload him to Denver when the Broncos found themselves in a bind at the position. Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter and Andre Brown were all still recuperating from training camp injuries for the Broncos, and LenDale White had been placed on IR. Meanwhile in Foxboro, Maroney had plummeted down the depth chart behind Taylor, Morris and Law Firm, with Faulk as the third down back; a 4th round draft pick for Maroney – a free agent the next year – was a steal.
Four days after Maroney was traded the Pats signed Danny Woodhead to fill the open roster spot. Any concern over who would replace Maroney was soon forgotten; that season Woodhead gained 926 yards from scrimmage and scored six touchdowns, while BJGE rushed for 1,008 yards and 13 touchdowns, while never fumbling the ball. Maroney gained just 124 yards from scrimmage in four games with the Broncos, averaging 2.1 yards per carry. He was inactive in every game from week ten on, and then was arrested for possession of weed along with a firearms charge (and later acquitted), in his hometown of St. Louis in the off season. No teams showed any interest in free agency until Washington worked him out the following October, but no offer for a contract was made.
Maroney finished his career with the Patriots with 2,430 yards rushing, which ranks 14th all-time, just behind Leonard Russell and ahead of Mosi Tatupu. His 21 rushing touchdown is tied with Antowain Smith for ninth most in club history, and his 1,062 kickoff return yards is 20th in franchise history. Maroney had 24 total touchdowns, which ties him with Terry Glenn and Andy Johnson for the 24th most on the club's all time leader board.
2003: FS Shawn Mayer (wore 23 in '04)
– At Penn State, Mayer led the Nittany Lions in tackles in junior and senior seasons as he finished his career with 252 tackles (147 solo), five interceptions, 1½ sacks and eight tackles for loss. The Patriots signed him as an undrafted rookie free agent on May 2, 2003, but he was released as part of the final roster cuts on August 31. The Pats signed him to their practice squad the next day, and activated him to the 53-man roster on October 19. He ended up playing in nine games and ranked fifth on the team with 13 special teams tackles, and was on the roster for all three playoff games. In the Super Bowl 38 victory against Carolina, Mayer was on the field at safety for most of the second half after Rodney Harrison got hurt. He made one tackle in that game, which ironically was against former high school teammate Ricky Proehl. In 2004 Mayer made the roster out of training camp in part due to his versatility and special teams performance, and played in the first three games, mostly on special teams, before being released on October 5.
As a member of the Patriots, Mayer played in twelve games with 17 tackles, plus three playoff games with four tackles. In terms of memories about playing with the Patriots, he says that "Bill Belichick is one of the best to run the team like a business" and that "he's a real smart guy and puts a lot time in to put together winning teams. He also states that he still stays in contact with Asante Samuel, whose locker was adjacent to his, and that Tom Brady "is a very good guy, down to earth, and real quiet, not saying much and very professional in what he does".
The Falcons signed Mayer and allocated him to NFL Europe in 2005. He was an All-NFL Europe player, tying a league record with three interceptions in one game, while setting a Hamburg Sea Devils single season record with five picks. Cleveland sent him to NFL Europe again in 2006, but when he returned he tore his MCL during training camp. The Browns gave him an injury settlement, and after one more trip to NFL Europe his playing days were over.
After hanging up his cleats, Mayer worked until 2009 as a personal trainer at HealthQuest in his native New Jersey, specializing in speed and agility training. Mayer then spent one year as an assistant football coach at South Brunswick (NJ) High School, and was a defensive backs coach at Fairleigh Dickinson. He then spent one year as a special teams coach and player development coach at Rutgers, and in 2013 was the defensive backs coach at Widener University. Today Mayer has moved on from coaching football, and is a commercial insurance agent at Farm Family Insurance in Hillsborough, New Jersey.
1999: CB Rico Clark
– A three-year starter at Louisville, Clark was an All-Conference USA selection and finished his college career with 264 tackles, six interceptions and 24 pass breakups; the picks and passes defensed still rank in the top ten in the Cardinal's history. Perhaps overshadowed by teammate Sam Madison, Clark went undrafted and signed as a rookie free agent with Indianapolis in 1997.
Clark played in all 16 games in 1998 for the Colts, but during the season a former Louisville student sued Clark and four other one-time Cardinal football players for damages for beating him during a pickup basketball game in 1995. After the Colts released him during the 1999 training camp, Cincinnati claimed him off waivers. He played in eight games with one start before the Bengals released him on December 14, with Bruce Coslett continuing a revolving door of corners for his 31st-ranked defense.
Two weeks later the Patriots signed Clark when they were down to just one healthy corner. Ty Law had just been placed on IR with a broken hand, starter Steve Israel had an ankle injury and Tebucky Jones had a knee injury. That left backup Kato Serwanga as the only healthy corner. Three days later he played in his one and only game with the Pats, a 20-3 victory over Baltimore, as the third corner behind Serwanga and another newly signed player with a very brief career with the Pats, Terry Billups.
In 2000 Clark played for Amsterdam in NFL Europe, but that game with the Patriots was the final one of his NFL career. He played in a total of 29 NFL games with three starts and two interceptions over three seasons. In 2001 Clark played for the Memphis Maniax of the XFL, registering 48 tackles and one interception.
1988-91: RB Marvin Allen
– In 1987 Allen led Tulane – then coached by current Texas coach Mack Brown, in his third season as a college football head coach – with ten touchdowns rushing, and was second on the Green Wave in receptions and receiving yards. After graduating from Tulane, the Patriots selected Allen in the 11th round, 294th overall, in the 1988 draft. A solid 5'10" 208 pounds, he was seen as being more of a fullback than tailback. Allen played in the first eleven games of his rookie season almost exclusively on special teams, excelling on coverage units while also 18 kicks for an average of 21.7 yards before missing the final five games with a left shoulder injury. In the 1999 season opener against the Jets he ripped off a run of 18 yards, but then injured his right shoulder. He did not play after week five, eventually landing on IR for the second straight season.
The Patriots released Allen at the end of training camp, but re-signed him on October 29, 1990. He played in each of the final nine games of the season, temporarily replacing John Stephens as the primary ball carrier. In his first start he rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown against the Colts, but the losses kept coming for Rod Rust, and eventually he went back to Stephens as his starting back. In 1991 he played in 15 games, again excelling on special teams. On October 20 Allen recovered a fumble in overtime against Minnesota to set up a game-winning Jason Staurovsky field goal. That gave new head coach Dick MacPherson his third win of the year, tripling the amount of victories the Pats had the previous season, and at 3-4 Patriot Nation was full of renewed enthusiasm for the team. Unfortunately that was the pinnacle of the Macpherson era; the Pats would go 5-20 over the next year and a half, bottoming out with the names Lisa Olson and Zeke Mowatt dominating the headlines the next season.
Allen fortunately missed all that turmoil – during the 1-15 1990 season he would sometimes publicly deny he was with the team – as 1991 turned out to be his final year as a player in the NFL; he was waived as part of the final roster cuts just prior to the start of the season on September 1, 1992. He finished his career with three starts in 37 games played, 378 yards rushing at 4.0 yards per carry, two touchdowns, 43 kick returns for 844 yards, and seven fumble recoveries. His 844 yards returning kicks was at that time 14th all-time in franchise history, and is 26th on the career leader board today.
In 1993 Allen returned to the Patriots, working in the player personnel department for the better part of 16 years as one of the team's area scouts. Allen then rejoined his former boss, Thomas Dimitroff, when he took the position of Eastern Regional Scout with the Atlanta Falcons in 2009. After four years there he moved further up the ladder to become the Kansas City Chiefs' Director of College Scouting, a position he still holds today.
1973-82: RB Sam Cunningham
– Before being drafted, Cunningham had a key role in a milestone moment in college football. In 1970 the color barrier for the football team at the University of Alabama had still not been broken. In his first game for USC, Cunningham rushed for two touchdowns in the first quarter, and finished with 135 yards on just twelve carries, as the Trojans crushed the Crimson Tide 42-12 in Birmingham. The home defeat was so devastating that the school and its fans finally relented and allowed head coach Bear Bryant to integrate the team, as it became obvious that their team could not compete as an elite program if George Wallace and his followers insisted on fielding an all-white team.
In three seasons at USC, Cunningham rushed for 23 touchdowns, including 13 in his senior year. New coach and GM Chuck Fairbanks selected Cunningham with the eleventh overall pick of the 1973 draft. Over the next six seasons Fairbanks' teams revitalized the franchise as they went on to post five consecutive winning seasons and a pair of 11-win seasons , and Cunningham was a very large part of that success. Despite splitting the carries with Mack Herron, Andy Johnson and others, during that time he rushed for 4600 yards, averaged 1,030 yards from scrimmage, and scored 40 touchdowns.
Despite missing a full season due to a contract dispute, Cunningham is the Patriots' all-time rushing leader with 5,453 yards. His 43 rushing touchdowns are second in team history, just two behind Jim Nance's 45. At the time he retired he held the franchise record for total touchdowns with 49, a record that has since been surpassed by Stanley Morgan (68), Ben Coates (50) and Randy Moss (50). Cunningham also is the club career leader in rushing attempts (1,385), and is one of a select group to have played in over 100 games with the Patriots. He was named to the Patriots' 1970s All-Decade Team and to the 50th Anniversary Team. In 1977 Cunningham averaged 99 yards from scrimmage per game, rushing for 1,015 yards while adding another 370 yards on 42 receptions. In 1978 he was the leading rusher on the team that set the NFL record for most rushing yards in a season, and was finally named to the Pro Bowl. In 2010 Cunningham was enshrined to the Patriots Hall of Fame as well as the College Football Hall of Fame.
#29 – RB Roy Finch and CB Malcolm Butler
#35 – RB Jonas Gray and CB Daxton Swanson
Follow on Twitter @AllThingsPats
2014 NFL Calendar and Key Dates for the New England Patriots
2014 New England Patriots Transaction Tracker


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Another one of the top signal-callers from northern California has decided on his college of choice. T.C. Ostrander (6-3, 205, 4.6) from Menlo (Calif.) Menlo-Atherton has committed to Stanford.
Ostrander is one of the feel good stories of the year. Not many recruitniks knew about the talented signal-caller, but the D-I schools did.
Oregon State was first out of the box with an offer and there was a steady flow of offers since. Stanford, Oregon, ASU, Colorado and Kansas soon followed suit with Stanford winning this intense recruiting battle.
Article Continues Below
Ostrander was selected all-league after throwing for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Stanford gets great athlete who is dual threat. Ostrander can hurt you with his arm and his feet.
The Cardinal gets a player who has a strong arm and terrific footwork. His mechanics are superb, which is to be expected. Ostrander has been working with quarterback coach supreme Roger Theder and like most that work with Theder, Ostrander is very polished.
Ostrander had a busy summer camping and refining his skills at camps at Stanford, USC, Cal, UVA, Colorado and the very prestigious Elite 11 camp.
Great get for Buddy Teevens and the entire Stanford staff…


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Occupy D.C. protesters say they'll aim to disrupt the Conservative Political Action Conference, an event drawing thousands of conservative activists that kicked off Thursday. According to the group's Web site, "actions" to protest the event are scheduled for noon and 5 p.m. Friday.
#OccupyDC's next adventures: CPAC and mini-occupations! CPAC coverage starts at noon on @Occupied_Air. #stillhere #occupydc
As The Fix's Rachel Weiner notes, Occupy D.C. protesters have tangled with participants of conservative-organized events before: Hundreds protesters blocked streets in November when organizers for Americans for Prosperity were holding a dinner. Protesters were struck by a car that evening, setting the tone for mounting tensions between the group's McPherson Square encampment crowd and police.


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As strange as it may seem, there is an illusive connection between the cleanliness of a work environment and the amount of creativity that can be produced. Many creative people work out of their homes. It shouldn't be difficult to understand why a clean and tidy home is important to creativity. After all, it's hard to concentrate in a home environment that is dingy, cluttered, or confused.
Cleanliness is important, both inside and outside the home. Creative people often choose to do their work outdoors, because it provides the most inviting landscape and encourages lofty thoughts.
What does the inside and outside of your home look like? Does it encourage creativity, or stifle it? Here are some suggestions for making the place where you live a cleaner, healthier environment that encourages your best ideas.
Working Indoors
Set up a work station by the window where you can look out at the beauty of nature and daydream. Daydreaming is not a mindless activity; rather, it stimulates creative thinking because it helps you to set aside the day's realities. Keep your work station as free from excessive clutter as possible. If you have a dedicated room that you use at home for working, you might want to have it repainted in a color such as light blue, which stimulates the imagination.
Working Outdoors
If you can work outside on a patio, deck or porch, that's ideal. You have the entire back yard to use as the palette of your imagination. A well-groomed yard that includes flowers, a tree or two, and a focal point such as a small fountain or man-made fish pond is the stuff of dreamers.
Don't neglect the outside surface of your home. Nobody wants to have to work in front of a home that looks like it's dingy and in disrepair. If that describes your home, there is an easy fix. Buy or rent a Wolf pressure washer for the outside of your home. It's easy to use, but if you aren't confident with home repair, ask a handyman to do it for you. You'll be surprised how much better a new or old home can look with its exterior cleaned using one of the top 10 pressure washers.
Try to eliminate distractions. Pick a time of day to work when children are at school and your work environment will be calming and quiet. You can also play soft background music for inspiration.
Nearly every job requires some creativity, so it makes sense to pay attention to the ways your work environment can improve your imagination. Such small details can actually make you a better, more efficient worker.
Also see: Tips to Write Review for a Book


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Struggling Martin gets early jump on All-Star break
Struggling Martin gets early jump on All-Star break
With Sunday night's affair the final game before the All-Star break, the Yankees wanted the struggling catcher to forget about the first half of the season. Martin hit .179 with eight home runs and 21 RBIs in 68 games.
"It was a tough half for Russell, so I just gave him one extra day, and I told him, 'Come back from the break and be the player that you're capable of and put the first half behind you,'" Girardi said.
Martin broke out of his prolonged slump with a double to left field in his first at-bat on Saturday. It was his first hit since June 20. That made it a tough decision for Girardi to sit Martin in favor of Chris Stewart on Sunday.
"Yeah, I mean it's tough, because I know he's disappointed and he wants to play," Girardi said, "but I'm just trying to just put the first half behind us. With all the struggles that we've had and some individual struggles, we have 51 wins and that's pretty good. If our guys get back to where some of their numbers usually are, who knows how many wins we will get in the second half."
Did Martin show any signs of frustration during his slump?
"I can see sometimes in a guy's face -- not necessarily in his play but in his face -- that it's tough," Giradi said. "It's tough what he's went through, but at no time has he not been a team player, at no time has he not done his work. It's just been a tough first half."


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Generally speaking, history-mining special-anniversary-edition models make us a little queasy. In the new-car world, few things are less appealing than a brand so desperate for modern cachet that it resorts to mining its past successes for a minor bump in sales. If you've got any sense of history and perspective at all, these sort of things just make you feel dirty.
That said, we're not entirely against Saab's limited-edition Turbo X, a car that exists solely to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Swedish company's first foray into production turbocharging. First, we like the way it looks. (In homage to the first Saab 900 Turbo, all Turbo Xs will be painted metallic jet black and fitted with matte grey trim, something we find enormously cool.) Second, while it's hard to forgive a company that put its entire marketing might behind a lame slogan like "Born From Jets," we have to admit: The 900 Turbo was a bad-ass car, and anything done in direct tribute to its sleeper/Swedish land missile bad-assness is okay by us.
The Turbo X is an amalgamation of some of the niftiest stuff that Saab has on offer these days. An all-wheel-drive system (Saab's recently announced "XWD" system; the Turbo X is its first production incarnation) is standard, and it features an electronically controlled rear limited-slip differential that helps manage torque between the rear wheels. An uprated version of the company's turbocharged 2.8-liter V-6 lives under the hood, and it produces 280 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. (Buyers will get to choose between a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission, so at least they get to decide how their poison is delivered to the wheels.) Larger brakes, stiffer springs and shocks (complete with a ten-millimeter drop in ride height) and 245-width, eighteen-inch tires round out the package. (Nineteen-inchers are available as an option outside the U.S. and Canada.)
Like every other special-anniversary edition since the dawn of time, the Turbo X comes complete with a host of cosmetic updates. A new front and rear fascia are standard, the leather sport seats are available only in black, the main dash is finished in faux carbon fiber (along with the shift lever and door panels), and a unique steering wheel is fitted. Topping things off, the Turbo X's boost gauge is a visual copy of the original 900 Turbo's display.


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"William Andrews has created a masterpiece."
- D. Donovan, MIDWEST BOOK REVIEWS
URING WORLD WAR II, the Japanese forced
200,000 Korean women to be sex slaves for their
soldiers. This is one woman's riveting story of
strength, courage and promises kept.
Young Jae-hee and her sister are torn from their family farm
and forced to become sex slaves, or comfort women, for the
Japanese army during World War II. Before they leave home,
their mother gives them a magnificent antique comb with an
ivory inlay of a two-headed dragon, telling them the dragon
will protect them. The sisters suffer terribly at the hands of
the Japanese and by the end of the war, Jae-hee is forced to
flee while her sister lays dying.
Jae-hee keeps her time as a comfort woman a secret while she
struggles to rebuild her life in North Korea. She meets a man
who shows her what true love is. But the communists take
him away in the middle of the night and she is forced to
escape to the South. There, she finally finds success as the
country rebuilds after the Korean War. But her terrible secret
is revealed and she's thrown into poverty. In the depths of
her despair, she's tempted to sell the comb that she believes
has no magic for her. But one day she discovers its true
meaning and her surprising heredity. And now she must find
the only person who can help her carry on this legacy…
someone she abandoned years ago.
Inspired by
The Kite Runner
Memoirs of a Geisha
DAUGHTERS OF THE DRAGON by Mayhaven Award-
winning author William Andrews is set within the sweeping
backdrop of Korea's tumultuous 20th century and is a story
of love and redemption, family, courage, and honor.
DAUGHTERS OF THE DRAGON will make you cry and cheer
and help you understand the Land of the Morning Calm.
Click Here for Excerpt
Click Here for Reviews
By William Andrews
When the head of Jacob and Marin Advertising mysteriously dies,
Ben Smith must take over just as their largest account comes up
for review. He becomes the victim of dirty tricks when he confronts
the billionaire head of a rival advertising agency, Sheldon Hanrahan.
Sheldon runs the re-election campaign for William Howard and
wants him reelected President to impose his radical vision on
The stakes are high, and Sheldon is a powerful and cunning foe.
But Ben has secret allies.
A lighter read than DAUGHTERS OF THE DRAGON, THE
ESSENTIAL TRUTH won the Mayhaven Award for Fiction.
Other books by William Andrews
Buy at:
Buy at:
By William Andrews
A sequel to Mayheven Award-winning THE ESSENTIAL
TRUTH, this book tells the story of Nan Smith, a state
camapign manager for presidential hopeful George
Bloomfield. Nan discovers a terrible secret about Bloomfield's
opponent, Senator William Howard when an old woman tells
her, "he murdered my daughter". The revelation thrusts Nan
into the center of a massive conspiracy led by billionaire
Sheldon Hanrahan who will do anything to get his man the
presidency. Along the way, Nan learns just how dirty U.S.
elections can be.
THE DIRTY TRUTH is about bravery, commitment and one wonan's
resolve to do what's right for her country and family.
Click HERE for information about the film project


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There has been no shortage of skeptics of the market's recent momentum, myself included. But Mr. Market keeps powering higher, getting close to its all-time high point in October 2007. The uptrend appears to be so well entrenched that nothing can derail it. The Fiscal Cliff drama went to the wire, but Mr. Market remained essentially unruffled throughout December. And the devil-may-care attitude seems to be the only explanation for the upcoming budget sequester now less than two weeks away.
As such, the answer to the question in the title is: why not? Yes, the rally could continue over the next few days and take us above previous highs.
The market's very near-term trajectory may be getting clearer. But that doesn't mean it has long-term staying power.
It's one thing to acknowledge the very near-term trajectory of this Fed-inspired rally, and an altogether different issue to make sense of it all. It doesn't make a lot of sense, at least to me. The level of economic and corporate earnings growth implied by the rally indicates significant improvement from what we have seen in recent quarters.
What's Driving the Optimism?
Some of the optimism definitely has a basis, with favorable developments both in the U.S. and abroad. The negative fourth quarter GDP report notwithstanding, the overall tone of recent U.S. economic data has been positive or neutral. Manufacturing seems to be improving after remaining soft for most of 2012. The labor market is steadily healing, which is helping strengthen household buying power. But the labor market improvement is not fast enough to threaten the Fed's money spigot, which should firmly remain in place for quite some time. And then we have momentum on the housing front and its positive knock-on effects on confidence and other areas of the economy.
Beyond U.S. shores, Europe remains stable thanks to actions from the European Central Bank under Mario Draghi. Borrowing costs for Spain and Italy, two major at-risk countries, remain at reasonable levels even though they have crept up a bit in recent days. The region's economy is in recession, but the outlook for Germany remains favorable, which could potentially have beneficial effects on the rest of the region.
The Chinese economy appears to have turned the corner as well, with that country's industrial and manufacturing sectors showing renewed signs of health. China is not out of the woods yet, as many companies cited in their fourth quarter earnings calls, but the situation is better than what it was last year.
A Case of Market Exuberance
Some level of optimism about the big picture situation is warranted, but what we are witnessing instead is on the exuberant side.
This is particularly so with respect to the outlook for the U.S. and global economy. On the home front, the expectation is that the U.S. economy muddles through the first half of the year, but GDP growth ramps up close to 3% in the second half and improves even further in 2014. This is despite the fact that, irrespective of what happens to the sequester, some level of fiscal austerity has to get underway in the U.S. this year.
These GDP growth expectations then show up in estimates for earnings growth this year and next. Estimates for the first half of the year have started coming down lately, but full-year 2013 earnings growth remains significantly above what we actually got in 2012. And next year is even better, with earnings expected to grow in double digits.
It is hard to envision earnings growing at a high single-digit rate this year and by double digits next year, particularly with revenue gains hard to come by and margins already topped out. The growing resort to mergers and acquisitions, no doubt a reflection of increased corporate confidence, is essentially an admission of this lack of growth. This is nothing more than purchase of growth in an easy-money backdrop.
We have started each of the last few years with second-half recovery hopes, but the recovery doesn't seem to show up in the end. Maybe 'this time will be different', but shouldn't investors be a little more skeptical than they are at present?
Macro Risks Have Come Down
Some enthusiasts for the market rally also cite reduction in policy uncertainty about Europe and the U.S. fiscal situation.
This argument makes sense in the case of Europe as the ECB's actions have clearly brought down the temperatures in the Spanish and Italian government bond markets, which has given those countries enough fiscal space to put their houses in order. One could reasonably argue that the recent political problems of Spain's government and the coming weekend's election in Italy run counter to that goal. But the fact remains that ECB actions have effectively removed the Euro-zone break-up scenario from the table. And that is no small thing. That said, the consensus expectation of steady improvement in the region's economic fortunes appears to be overly optimistic. And the reality is that a recessionary Euro-zone is a problem for the world economy.
But while policy risks may have come down in Europe, we can't say the same about the U.S. economy. The 'Fiscal Cliff' was a big deal, but you would be hard pressed to find any evidence of market anxiety throughout December. The same appears to be the case with the budget sequester. Whether you look at the CBOE's VIX Index or any other measure of market anxiety, you won't find it. The market simply doesn't seem to care what happens on the budget front. I am not suggesting that the market should be for or against the sequester, but it's hard to imagine that it wouldn't take a stand through its pricing action on a roughly $100 billion annual spending cut.
Putting It All Together
As I mentioned today in the Roundtable Review, a lot of the optimism is Fed inspired. The Fed's easy money policy is giving an artificial boost to the stock market. How easy is it for companies to raise funds? Check out a bond issuance by Amazon.com (AMZN) late last year. Amazon is a well-run company and is most likely a credit worthy borrower, but it didn't pay much yield relative to the comparable U.S. Treasury bonds. Forget about strong companies like Amazon and others, even companies with junk credit profiles are paying very low yields relative to historical levels.
I am not asking you to fight the Fed that's one losing battle. Just be careful with your investments and don't get swept up in the euphoria. The small and mid-cap space looks exciting, but appreciate the inherent risks associated with those stocks. A diversified portfolio should have some small cap exposure, but you should have plenty of defensive looking large-caps that pay growing dividends. There is no shortage of those ever green names. And rely on the discipline of the Zacks Rank to make stock picks, in whatever size category you are looking.
Focus List Update
We did not make any changes to the Focus List this week.