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Urban Decay Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tints
Urban Decay Spring 2011: Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tints
Urban Decay Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tints ($24.00 for 0.14 oz.) are a new way to get a hint of color with the "glow of a cream without any greasy feel." The shades have "lightweight, sheer, buildable color" that can be used on bare skin or over foundation. There are seven shades: Bang (sheer coral red), Crush (sheer hot pink), Fetish (sheer mauve with fine pearlized finish), Greedy (sheer blackberry), Indecent (sheer apricot with pearly gold shimmer), Quickie (sheer bubble-pop-electric pink), and Score (sheer pink lemonade with fine pearlized finish).
- Bang is a sheer darkened orange–almost like a burnt orange but not burnt in a bad way. I think this is a shade suitable for medium to dark skin tones, likely with yellower undertones.
- Crush is a semi-bright Barbie pink. It seems to blend seamlessly against my warmer complexion in a way that makes it look natural, and I think it's due to the very subtle blue undertone.
- Fetish is a pinked mauve with soft white shimmer. It looks more like a soft rose on my cheeks, and the shimmer is detectable but not overpowering.
- Greedy is a cool-toned purple-berry. It looks intimidating in the pan, but like all of the shades, it is sheer, so it is more workable. I think this is a shade that suits cooler skin tones in particular.
- Indecent is a shimmering peach-orange with soft gold shimmer. On me, it kind of disappears, but it gives a natural glow/flush that I do like. Lighter skin tones will see more color pay off, though.
- Quickie is a cotton candy pink with blue undertones and a light white shimmer. Despite the bluer undertones, it doesn't look too cool or pale on my skin tone.
- Score is a rosy pink-brown with pale champagne shimmer. I'm not sure what about this is really "pink lemonade." On my medium skin tone, this gives a slight rosiness to cheeks, but it would work better on lighter skin tones.
I always find that cheek stains/tints always do better on bare skin than on foundation-covered skin, and it held true (for me) when I was testing out these new tints. They are touted as a tint, and there is nothing in the marketing materials that speaks on expected wear time. With shimmering shades, wear definitely seemed reduced with three to four hours of nice wear, but then some fading as the day worn on. For the shimmer-less shades, wear was better and gave four to six hours of color and began fading thereafter. I could extend the wear (for either finish) by another hour or so by applying it directly on bare skin. (I, unfortunately, do not have perfect or anywhere close to perfect skin, so I don't see myself wearing the tints on their own very often.)
They are very easy to use, and Urban Decay is right when they say they are difficult to mess up. These blend into the skin very well, just with fingertips alone, but they also worked well with a small stippling brush (I used MAC's 188). My preferred method of application is to use a brush to deposit the color on the cheeks and a (clean) fingertip to blend out the edges.
These can be used on the lips, but they work best on freshly exfoliated lips. I also felt like I needed several swipes of product to get enough to give my lips a boost in color. I don't feel like it works much like a stain, because it easily wipes off (napkins, coffee cups). The consistency is also thin, so it does not seem to lock moisture in. It has a slightly creamy, but more gel-like consistency and texture–I would say they are a cross between MAC's Cremeblends (that were limited edition) and Tarte's Cheek Stains. They would also be comparable to Stila's Convertible Color.
When compared to Tarte's Cheek Stains, these are a lot less for your money, but against other high-end brands (like NARS, Stila, etc.) for cream or gel blushes, Urban Decay's pricing/quantity seems to be right there on average.
All seven shades looked natural, and all but Indecent gave my medium skin tone noticeable color. I see Crush, Fetish, and Quickie being popular amongst most skin tones. Indecent is lovely for fairer skin tones or as a highlighter on medium to dark skin tones. I like Bang and Quickie for cooler skin tones, while Bang and Indecent seem best for warmer skin tones.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ! 🙂
- Product: 25/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: If you are a fan of Tarte's Cheek Stains, I think you will like these. They have a similar consistency, but they come in pot form.
AVAILABILITY: January 2011 @ urbandecay.com, early February 2011 @ Beauty.com, Macy's, Sephora, ULTA


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By Emily Stephenson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three Democratic senators defended the new consumer watchdog on Wednesday and said Republicans who have vowed to block President Barack Obama's choice to lead the bureau would hinder its work protecting consumers from financial scams.
Senators Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said Republicans oppose Richard Cordray's nomination to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for political reasons and called for them to allow a confirmation vote.
The three serve on the Senate committee that oversees banks and the consumer bureau. Warren set up the consumer bureau after it was created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial oversight law.
Obama recently nominated Cordray to a full term at the helm of the bureau, after using a procedural maneuver to name him as the head in January 2012.
"I'm new to the Senate, and I confess I don't get this," said Warren, who was elected in November. "We shouldn't have a system where more political stalemates just create more bad government."
In response to the nomination, 43 Republican senators vowed to block Cordray's confirmation unless the Obama administration agreed to change the CFPB's structure and funding.
"I'm new to the Senate, and I confess I don't get this," said Warren, who was elected in November. "We shouldn't have a system where more political stalemates just create more bad government."
The CFPB has been controversial since before it opened in July 2011. Republicans and business groups say the bureau has too much authority over a wide swath of financial products, including mortgages, credit cards and student loans, and too little oversight from lawmakers.
The Republican senators have said they would not confirm Cordray for a full term until Obama agrees to replace the director with a bipartisan board, subject the bureau to congressional appropriations rather than funding it through the Federal Reserve, and allow federal bank regulators to verify that any new consumer bureau rules would not harm banks' safety.
They had made the same demands in a 2011 letter.
Although an appeals court ruling last month on recess appointments did not directly name Cordray, he was appointed via the same procedure and experts said the same logic could be used to challenge his appointment.
The appeals court ruling found that certain recess appointments were unconstitutional because lawmakers were not technically in recess, but were meeting in short sessions with only a few members present.
Democrats have shown no signs of giving ground on the consumer bureau. They say the CFPB, like other bank regulators, must be funded independently to prevent its budget from becoming a political football.
Reed said the bureau's rules already are overseen by a group of regulators called the Financial Stability Oversight Council, and he said structural changes are not needed because the agency has been effective so far.
In addition, Warren said Cordray's confirmation would maintain continuity for the industry. Dodd-Frank required the bureau to write a slate of rules regulating mortgages and other products. If a court said Cordray's recess appointment was unconstitutional, many of those rules could be thrown out, experts say.
Many people in the financial services industry have been complimentary of Cordray since he took over at the consumer bureau, saying he has been accessible and that the CFPB's rules have incorporated feedback from both industry and consumer groups.
"No one in the country, no one in the Senate that I've heard of has said that Rich Cordray is not qualified for this job," Brown said.
"Imagine the precedent that sets for the Senate. If you don't like an agency, if you don't like the laws that created an agency...you're going to refuse to confirm someone in the future." he said.
Republicans say they do not object to Cordray personally but that they want to see changes at the bureau before they confirm anyone as its leader.
(Reporting By Emily Stephenson; Editing by Leslie Adler)

subset: commoncrawl


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Webster struggles with control in loss to Yankees
BOSTON -- A mound meltdown was in progress for Red Sox right-hander Allen Webster on Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park, and catcher Christian Vazquez tried to stop it.
"Yeah, calm down," Vazquez says he told Webster. "Stay behind the ball and relax, pitch by pitch."View Full Game Coverage
BOSTON -- A mound meltdown was in progress for Red Sox right-hander Allen Webster on Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park, and catcher Christian Vazquez tried to stop it.
"Yeah, calm down," Vazquez says he told Webster. "Stay behind the ball and relax, pitch by pitch."View Full Game Coverage
But there was no relaxation for Webster in a 6-4 loss to the Yankees.
The stress built up and the 24-year-old righty couldn't get through it. Ultimately, Webster exited with the third inning still in progress -- a frame in which he walked five batters.
Webster had an outing like this last season at Fenway Park, but he hoped he was past it by now.
With young pitchers, you just never know when it will click.
"Different guys take different [amounts of time]," said pitching coach Juan Nieves, "There's no length. It's all personality and feel. There are so many things that are involved with that. It could be 10 starts. It could be 30 starts. It could be 50 starts. It could be 70 starts. We don't know. Everybody is different."
After trading four starting pitchers within the last week, the Red Sox have committed to young starters for the rest of the season.
Webster, who has made two starts for Boston in 2014, will have to make improvements from Saturday to keep his rotation spot.
"Yeah, it was clear he lost command of the strike zone," said manager John Farrell. "And while there's plenty of stuff in terms of fastball action, swing-and-miss to his changeup, just the ability to make an adjustment from either pitch-to-pitch or hitter-to-hitter was elusive."
Slugger Yoenis Cespedes made his debut for Boston, two days after the blockbuster trade that sent Jon Lester to Oakland.
On the same day Lester earned a victory for the Athletics, Cespedes drilled a single in his first at-bat with the Sox, and finished 1-for-4 on the day.
There was a chance for drama in the seventh, as Cespedes represented the tying run as he dug in against Yankees flamethrower Dellin Betances.
The righty threw him a couple of offspeed pitches and then came at him with a 99-mph fastball, and Cespedes popped to third.
"I've only faced one pitcher like that who could throw 100-mph, and that was Aroldis Chapman," said Cespedes. "I faced Betances once earlier in the year. He wasn't at that kind of velocity. He really only throws two pitches, and I was hunting the fastball. Just didn't get that one."
Webster lasted just 2 2/3 innings and gave up four runs while walking six.
"Today, I felt good in the first two innings, really struggled with my release point in the third and never got it back," said Webster.
The Red Sox got off to a promising start. Cespedes, after receiving a nice applause from the Fenway faithful, lined a 3-2 pitch into left for a single to open the second. Mike Napoli followed with a two-run shot that went over everything in left. Daniel Nava followed with a walk, moved to second on a groundout and scored on a single by Vazquez.
With a 3-0 lead, Webster gave it back and then some with a complete loss of command.
Webster walked the first three batters he faced in the third. Derek Jeter blooped a two-run double to right. Jacoby Ellsbury's broken-bat, fielder's choice grounder to second tied the game. Carlos Beltran put the Yankees in front by looping an RBI single to left.
"We took the lead, and we were hoping a continuation happens, but it seems like there was no adjustments during the course of the game," said Nieves. "Things unraveled a little bit on him. It's always a challenge for him on becoming more consistent in the strike zone. That's our ultimate plan."
Mark Teixiera smashed a solo shot to left against Craig Breslow in the fifth and Stephen Drew added an RBI double off Alex Wilson in the seventh, allowing the Yankees to take a 6-3 lead.
David Ortiz sliced the deficit to two runs with a shallow sacrifice fly to left field in the seventh, as Brock Holt scored when the throw couldn't be handled by catcher Francisco Cervelli.
But the Red Sox couldn't draw any closer.
"We got off to a pretty good start," said Farrell. "We swung the bat well. Brock Holt with a couple of base hits, as well. Nap gives us a quick two runs with the home run, and after the three-run inning, unfortunately the four-run top of the third took some of the momentum away. From that point on, their bullpen shut us down."
Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brownie Points, and follow him on Twitter @IanMBrowne.


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A former Air Force non-commissioned officer was sentenced Monday to 120 years in prison after pleading guilty to child exploitation charges for producing sexually explicit images of children and sending them to an undercover federal agent last year.
In a two-year sting beginning in 2011, undercover agents chatted with William Gazafi, 44, of Lusby, Maryland, who worked in communications and maintained a security clearance with the Air Force. They talked with him in a chat room dedicated to incest, where he told them he molested young children and babies and drugged at least one victim. The Air Force has discharged Gazafi.
In August of 2013, Gazafi sent several images to an undercover agent, authorities said, three of which Gazafi said were produced after drugging a child.
According to Gazafi's indictment, the charges are based on six images Gazafi produced, including one of a prepubescent girl restrained at her ankles with handcuffs, and another of himself and a five-month-old baby.
Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent Jacqueline Dougher said it is the worst child exploitation case she's handled.
"You have the sadism, the tying of the kids, the drugging of the children, their ages, and you have him in the position he's in," Dougher said. "I've been an agent for 16 years and worked in this unit for 13 years, and this was the worst case I've ever had."
Gazafi's attorney, federal public defender Amy Steffan Fitzgibbons, did not return a call for comment on Monday.
Federal agents and task force officers arrested Gazafi in September at the Andrews Air Force Base as Gazafi was returning from a mission overseas.
In April, Gazafi pleaded guilty to six charges of exploiting children in order to produce child pornography.
An undercover federal agent first took notice of Gazafi in 2011, though the defendant didn't begin sending images until 2013.
The undercover agent told Dougher, "look, this guy is a hands-on offender and if he's telling the truth, we need to get on this."
"These images are horrific," Dougher said. "Once we figured out who he was, we put everything in hyper-drive."
After Gazafi's arrest federal agents searched his home, where they discovered more than 15,000 explicit images — including about 1,000 of infants — and a bottle of Ambien, Dougher said. That's the powerful sleeping aid Gazafi told an undercover agent he'd given to a child prior to molesting her. Agents also seized electronic devices Gazafi had been traveling with overseas, on which Gazafi kept thousands of images including those he sent to the undercover agent.
"We know he was taking them with him everywhere he went in an official capacity," Dougher said. "He was traveling with his collection."
Dougher said four victims have so far been identified but there may be more.
"We investigate cases every day that make us shake our heads, but for someone to sexually abuse a 5-month-old baby defies comprehension," said FBI Baltimore Division Special Agent in Charge Steve Vogt in a news release. "Cases such as this serve as a reminder that in this day and age, a person's status and position doesn't immediately make him trustworthy."


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Many gardeners never tire of the ubiquitous brown or golden wood mulch around trees and plants. But if you're looking for a change, imagine a colored mulch that highlights your flowers. Although colored mulches have been around for a few years, Hackney Parker of Seaside Mulch, Inc., has seen demand grow quickly. His company recently began using BayScape colorants, a new line of colorants for premium landscape mulch from Bayer Corporation, to color mulches made from a combination of recycled wood pallets and virgin wood products. Colors include mahogany, yellow, dark red, blue, green, and black.
"We supply the southeastern United States with colored mulches, and our most popular colors are dark red, gold, black, and brown," he said. Blue and green haven't caught on as quickly for residential uses, but school and commercial properties have used blue on playgrounds and schoolyards. The dyed mulches retain their color for about one year and inhibit weed growth. The colorants don't leach into the soil and are environmentally safe.
It's too early to map out regions by their color preferences, but Florida seems smitten with blue mulch, while Tennessee has a fondness for black. For more information on BayScape colorants, call (800) 662-2927. For wholesale and retail information on colored mulch, call Seaside Mulch, Inc., at (800) 641-0881 or visit its Web site at www.SeasideMulch.com


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Jan 15, 2013
How often is a password needed while browsing the web? How about other information like credit card information or maybe the login information to something else? Well SplashID Safe for Tablets can help keep all this information safe and sound and easily accessible on a phone or tablet. The app tested here is the version for tablets. Here is the version for Android phones.
The first thing I noticed when I started using SplashID Safe for Tablets was it eliminated the ability to take screen captures. I can say I've never noticed this feature in other safe and password managing applications. I went back and tested a couple and it's pretty common feature apparently. When starting out, the first thing asked is to set a password. Since there's only a need to remember one password (all of the other password will be accessible inside SplashID Safe for Tablets), it's a good idea to make this a strong password. If needed, a hint can be added to help remember the master password or place where the password was written down and kept for safekeeping.
From here, it's a matter of adding in all of the sites, passwords and other information for safe keeping. This is the part of any password manager that's no fun. If the desktop version is purchased, information can be entered their and synced with the handheld devices. Otherwise the information needs to be entered manually one entry at a time. This is a great chance to eliminate old accounts and information. When entering the information, it's a good idea to categorize and group similar passwords or accounts.
When there is a need to have more than a business and personal category, create new ones to better organize information. There's also different "types". The types are templates to make the entry and organization of data easier. For example one of the types is for bank accounts while another is frequent-flier miles. Using the types for some things like insurance will not replace the actual need to keep a copy of the form in the car.
The whole idea is to make sure to use SplashID Safe for Tablets or any other password manager or it's just another app taking up space. Having everything in one spot makes SplashID Safe for Tablets a super useful tool.
SplashID Safe for Tablets Rundown
App available on the Google Play Store »


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by Dan Schmidt, D&DH Editor
Any well-placed broadhead will quickly and efficiently kill a deer and secure prime venison. However, not all broadheads are created equal. Your job in finding the best head for your setup involves finding a broadhead that offers outstanding penetration and cutting ability, indestructible construction and incredible flight characteristics. It might sound like a tall order to fill, but it really isn't in today's market. It requires some hands-on research, however, because every hunter has slightly different needs and tastes.
Technology has certainly pushed broadheads to new levels, but serious hunters cannot overlook traditional designs when shopping for the right head for their setup. Cut-on-contact heads are popular with elk hunters because the blades create massive tissue damage. However, beware that traditional heads can be tricky to shoot, especially if you use a high-speed bow. Wind planning is the No. 1 problem bow-hunters encounter when using these broadheads. However, it's worth it to see if your bow can shoot these heads, because they're awfully deadly. The top choices include those heads from Zwickey, Magnus, G-5 and Steelforce.
For whitetails, it is hard to beat the new expandables. They have been improved so much that, as my buddy says, "it would be foolish not to hunt with them."
My favorite broadhead right now is the new X-Treme from Rage. This thing is not only built well, it is scapel-sharp and cuts holes so big that anything in its path is an instant away from certain death.
Shooting the X-Treme tipped on a Carbon Express Maxima Hunter from my Mathews Heli-M, I put down two whitetails in September with wounds that can only be described as "beyond scary." The company advertises the product as producing 2.3-inch wounds, I honestly believe the blades flex and create lager holes than that. I tried measuring them on the buck and doe I shot, and came up with almost 2.5 inches. Either way, that is one big hole. Better yet, I achieved complete pass-throughs, and I'm only shooting 54 pounds of draw weight. The key there is the kinetics produced by the Mathews Heli-M and the sharpness of the broadhead.
I will admit that when Rage broadheads first came out, I was a big skeptic. The main reason: dull blades. Those early heads I shot were shockingly dull. The result was poor performance on deer. I killed and recovered all of the deer I shot back then, but not all of them dropped quickly. When you skin a buck and notice a lot of bloodshot meat around the entry wound, you know that your broadhead isn't cutting the way it should. Simply, it's dull.
These new X-Tremes are quite the opposite. Wounds were so precise and clean that both deer bled out quickly and there was no bloodshot meat whatsoever.
It's important to know that many broadheads made overseas (all brands) aren't razor sharp right out of the package. Invest in one of those small, hand-held sharpeners and sharpen your broadheads before each hunt. Blades become dull by pushing them in and out of a quiver, and they can also lose their edge merely from oxidation. The best test for sharpness is to wind a rubber band in a circle around your thumb and forefinger. You should be able to cut three rubber strands by barely touching them with the edge of the broadhead's blades. Another test is to shave hair off the back of your arm. By all means, be careful when doing these tests!
A lot of guys think that sharpening a new broadhead will remove the "factory finish." All I know is that the rubber band test doesn't lie. If the band doesn't snap immediately, I don't want to hunt with that broadhead. I have used these little sharpeners to get the blades in working order.
Mechanical broadheads became the rage in the archery industry in the mid-1990s when two things – 3-D archery and high-speed bows – became more popular. Hunters realized they could shoot farther and more accurately with broadheads that flew more like field points. The logic was sound, but many hunters, myself included, stubbornly stuck with their tried-and-true heavy arrow/broadhead combinations. With today's craze of being bigger, better and faster, it's difficult not to adapt to the new wave of bowhunting. In other words, if your bow is a Cadillac, you had better feed it premium.
A final note: Remember that it is easy to zing broadheads through stationary objects – cinder blocks, steel cans, cardboard – under controlled circumstances and proclaim one better than another. Although insights from such tests are valuable, they don't come close to simulating what happens when blade meets living bone. When in doubt, do your own field-testing and pick out the broadhead that works best for the deer you hunt.


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< Features
(accepted at 2009-07-24 FESCo meeting)
(→Current status)
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== Current status ==
== Current status ==
* Targeted release: [[Releases/12 | Fedora 12 ]]
* Targeted release: [[Releases/12 | Fedora 12 ]]
* Last updated:
* Last updated: //2009
* Percentage of completion:
* Percentage of completion: %
== Detailed Description ==
== Detailed Description ==
Revision as of 13:41, 6 August 2009
Clustered Samba for GFS2
Support for clustered samba (including active/active configuration) over GFS2 using CTDB.
- Name: Abhijith Das
- email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Current status
- Targeted release: Fedora 12
- Last updated: 8/06/2009
- Percentage of completion: 70%
- I've have had problems with the stability of the rawhide kernel and some clvmd problems activating volumes. So, I haven't been able to adequately test clustered-samba features. I have seen gfs2 hang with a failover test and I'm debugging this right now.
Detailed Description
With the availability of a clustered database (CTDB) for Samba, multiple instances of smbd across different nodes of a cluster are able to share state. It is now possible to export a gfs2 filesystem through one or more nodes in the cluster in a active/passive or active/active configuration to provide a highly-available Samba service.
Benefit to Fedora
Samba was not cluster-aware until the introduction of CTDB and hence it was not possible to have a highly available samba service. Particularly, active/active configuration was not possible. With this feature, it will be possible to run highly available samba service(s) with different configurations (active/active, active/passive) over a shared gfs2 filesystem on the Red Hat cluster infrastructure.
- Verify simple functionality by exporting samba shares over gfs2 and running smbtorture tests (in progress)
- fcntl posix locks performance: Improve upon gfs2's posix lock performance (single-node & clustered) as smbd uses them extensively when posix locking is turned on. (in progress)
- Get CTDB and CTDB-supported Samba packages into F12. (complete)
- Get Conga interface ready for manipulating the various config files (/etc/cluster/cluster.conf, /etc/sysconfig/ctdb, /etc/samba/smb.conf) through web-based GUI. (Alternative to hand-editing configs) (in progress)
- Verify working of clustered samba use cases such as service failover, recovery, etc., and document respective configuration parameters. (in progress)
This feature will not affect the operation of non-clustered samba setups or other gfs2-based setups. It will provide the capability to setup clustered samba over gfs2.
How To Test
Hardware Requirements
- cluster nodes (2 or more) connected to shared storage
- client node(s) to run client loads from.
- kernel with gfs2 and dlm enabled
- Red Hat cluster packages cman/openais/corosync/lvm2-cluster etc. See usage.txt for more information.
- Latest samba and ctdb packages.
- Setup the cluster.conf file and start up the cluster 'service cman start'
- If you're using clustered lvm, 'service clvmd start'
- mount a gfs2-formatted clustered volume at the same mountpoint on all nodes.
- Export this mountpoint (or a directory within it) as a samba share. All smb.conf files in all nodes should be identical
- Set ctdb configuration. See ctdb setup
- start the ctdb service and check 'ctdb status' to make sure the ctdb cluster is up.
- Now you should simultaneously be able to access the samba share through all the exporting nodes and run operations on them simultaneously.
- The smbtorture test suite in the samba package has a few scenarios RAW_BENCH_LOCK, RAW_BENCH_OPEN, BENCH_NBENCH etc. See testing ctdb
- There's also the ping_pong test at: ping_pong doc
- Any other test you can think of with multiple clients (windows users mounting the samba share) that stresses ctdb/gfs2.
User Experience
Users not using gfs2, samba or ctdb should notice no change. Users will now have the ability to run a clustered samba setup exporting gfs2 shares.
Most of the kernel support (gfs2 filesystem) is already upstream. ctdb and samba packages have been included in Fedora.
Contingency Plan
In it's current state, a basic clustered samba setup should work. Enhancements such as posix lock performance & conga interface and testing of different use-cases would be nice to get done with. If not done with these tasks, in it's current form, the feature is still acceptable.
- ctdb
- samba
- Cluster Suite on Wikipedia
- GFS/GFS2 on Wikipedia
- Cluster Wiki page
- GFS2 kernel documentation (a very basic introduction)
Release Notes
- Fedora now has support for clustered samba over gfs2


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Edward Aschoff, ESPN.com
The nation's top prospect in the 2013 recruiting class is off the board -- for now.
On Thursday, Loganville, Ga./Grayson defensive end Robert Nkemdiche threw a wrench in a handful of SEC schools' recruiting plans when he verbally committed to Clemson.
Nkemdiche, who tops this year's ESPN 150 list and has been this year's most coveted recruiting prize, spurned Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss for Clemson after developing a solid relationship with new Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables and the rest of the Tigers' staff.
It also helped Clemson that Grayson teammates Wayne Gallman and David Kamara were already committed to the Tigers. All three visited Clemson Wednesday, with Kamara making his decision during the first night on campus.
Under the watch of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, the Tigers' staff has made it a habit of frustrating SEC schools in recruiting with recent gets like wide receiver Sammy Watkins, running back Mike Bellamy and linebackers Stephone Anthony and Tony Steward. No one should be shocked by Clemson's ability to gain a pledge from the nation's top recruit. It surely surprised most Thursday, but Swinney and his staff have showed that they can hang with the big SEC dogs when it comes to recruiting.
But that doesn't mean this one is over. In fact, it's probably far from it. Nkemdiche the top player in the recruiting world and SEC schools still want him pretty badly. SEC coaches have a hard time backing off in recruiting.
LSU received some interest from Nkemdiche, and he went as far as to leave his Atlanta comfort zone to visit those other Tigers down in Baton Rouge. David Helman of ESPN.com's GeauxTigerNation writes that LSU will likely now turn specifically to ends Tim Williams (Baton Rouge, La./LSU Laboratory) and Kendell Beckwith (Jackson, La./East Feliciana), but don't expect Les Miles and his crew to totally back off when it comes to Nkemdiche.
Alabama was certainly in the running and some thought Nick Saban was going to grab the nation's top two prospects with Auburn, Ala., linebacker Reuben Foster already in hand. But the Tide staff will have to turn elsewhere for the moment. Keep an eye on Hope Mills, N.C., ESPN 150 defensive lineman Greg Gilmore, who is expected to visit Alabama on Saturday and plans to compete in the Tide's OL/DL camp. But as Greg Ostendorf of ESPN.com's TideNation writes, Alabama won't stop pursuing Nkemdiche.
Georgia let this year's top recruiting prize leave its own backyard, but Kipp Adams of ESPN.com's DawgNation writes that this might actually be a good thing for the Bulldogs' staff. Georgia can now focus on other top defensive ends and also doesn't have to worry (for now) about playing in the regular season against Nkemdiche, who is coming off of back-to-back 18-sack seasons, Adams wrote.
Then there's Ole Miss. Despite Ole Miss' glaring struggles the past two years, the Rebels' staff had felt pretty good about its chances with the nation's top recruit. Nkemdiche's brother, Denzel, is a redshirt freshman linebacker at Ole Miss and new coach Hugh Freeze had worked tirelessly in his recruitment of Nkemdiche. Ole Miss is the obvious underdog, but you can't count the Rebels out in this race.
Defensive line coach Chris Kiffin tweeted as much just before Nkemdiche's announcement went public.
"It's a marathon not a sprint! A long way to go till signing day! #wintheday," Kiffin tweeted.
Clemson and its supporters should feel ecstatic about Nkemdiche's commitment, but they should also expect some drama out of this one with SEC schools still lurking.
Back to All News


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Robert Pattinson Caught Looking Down Christina Ricci's Dress!
Kristen Stewart, cover your eyes; your boyfriend Rob doesn't seem to be able to help himself from taking a peek down at 'Bel Ami' co-star Christina Ricci's plunging dress!
Robert Pattinson — stop staring at your Bel Ami co-star Christina Ricci's … um, assets. Yes, she is wearing a mini-dress with a deep, deep, V-neckline exposing extreme cleavage, but you have to remember that you are a "taken" man. Kristen Stewart is not going to enjoy seeing you ogling Christina at the Berlin photocall for Bel Ami on Feb. 17.
Rob — you need to break the magnetic hold that Christina's chest has on you, right now and wipe that smile off your face!
Christina, 32, plays your most serious lover, the married Clotide de Marelle, in Bel Ami, which is opening in Berlin and you and Christina are just at the beginning of their European publicity tour for the film.
Hopefully, Christina won't go the extreme cleavage style route at every appearance, so Rob you can put your eyes back into your head!
— Bonnie Fuller
Follow @bonniefuller
More 'Bel Ami':
- Rob Pattinson Leaves Kristen Stewart For 'Bel Ami' Premiere In Berlin
- Robert Pattinson Is Angry & Bleeding In 8 New 'Bel Ami' Pics
- Robert Pattinson Reveals: Edward Cullen Wouldn't Approve Of 'Bel Ami'


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Activity Pals
For single seniors. Get together with others to attend events, shop, go sightseeing, dine out and more. 301-596-6385.
The Bain Center
5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia. 410-313-7213.
•Acting Up! Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. A theater club. Call center to confirm attendance. Free.
•Another Way to See It Laughter Club. Mondays, 9 a.m. $2 instructor fee at class each week. Ages 55 and older.
•Bain Council Dance. Oct. 12, 1:30 p.m. Featuring the Good Timers. $6.
•Beginner Soul Line Dance Class. Thursdays, Oct. 4-Oct. 25, 2:45 p.m. $23.
•Bunco. Oct. 26, 10:30 a.m. Free.
•ByKota on Stage presents: Fiona's Follies of 1975. Tue., Oct. 9, 11 a.m. Reserve your seat. Free.
•Bridge. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. $2.
•Canasta. Mondays, 1 p.m.
•Chess. Wednesdays, 1 p.m.
•Computer Seniors of America. Day classes available for basic, advanced and specialized courses.
•Duplicate Bridge. Tuesdays, noon. Free.
•E.S.L. Wednesdays, 10 a.m. Help improve your conversational English. Participate in small groups with tutors. 410-313-7213. Free.
•Friday Documentaries. Oct. 5, 1 p.m. "The Man Nobody Knew."
•Gathering of the Arts. Mondays, 1 p.m.; and Thursdays, 9 a.m. Drop-in class, bring your own supplies.
•Halloween Wii Thriller Contest. Oct. 31, 10 a.m. Sign up in the lobby.
•Health Insurance Assistance. Weekdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Information and counseling services. Medicare beneficiaries, people age 60 and older, and those with disabilities age 55 and older. 410-313-7391.
•Jim Ellis Book Club. Third Thursdays, 1 p.m. free. 410-313-7213 for reservation information.
•Let's Walk and Move. Tuesdays, 1 p.m.
•Mah Jongg. Wednesdays, 1 p.m.
•Music Appreciation. First and third Fridays, 9:30 a.m. The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works. Free. Call center to reserve a seat.
•Music and Art Traveling Heart Show. Oct. 23, 11 a.m. Pre-Halloween party. Free with refreshments.
•Parkinson's Support Group. First Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. For individuals with a diagnosis of early onset Parkinson's disease. Malcolm Wolf, 301-490-7288 or email@example.com.
•Ping pong. Call center for availability.
•Qigong. Thursdays, Oct. 4-Dec. 20, 10 a.m. $59.
•Red Hatters. Oct. 16, 10:30 a.m. Tye-dye T-Shirt. To RSVP, Ginny Russ, 410-313-7279.
•Reflexology. Second Friday. $53 for 55 minutes. Experience foot massage as a form of stress management. 410-313-7213 to schedule an appointment.
•Scrabble. Tuesdays, 1 p.m.
•Sixty-Plus Wills/Legal Screening. Third Wednesdays, 1 p.m. Services include simple wills, powers of attorney, living wills, small estates and deed changes. 410-313-1400 to schedule an appointment.
•Thursday Afternoon Movies. Oct. 11, 1 p.m. "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"; Oct. 25, 1 p.m. "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."
•Toss Across. Fridays, Oct. 5 and 12, 10:30 a.m. Free.
•Wii Club. Tuesdays, 10 a.m. Improve hand-eye coordination and get exercise while competing against peers. Free.
East Columbia
50+ Center
6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia. 410-313-7680.
•Agewell Aerobic Strength and Stretch Class. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. $35 for eight-week session.
•Authentic Latin Jam Dance. Mondays and Thursdays, 1 p.m. Monthly fee.
•Belly Dance. Tuesdays, 1 p.m. Monthly fee.
•Chess Club. Thursdays, 1 p.m.
•Creative Writing with Shana Johnson. Mondays, through Oct. 29, 1 p.m. Release inner stories to print. $43.
•Emotional, Spiritual Connection. Oct. 11, 5:30 p.m. Sponsored by SPRING program of Howard County Office on Aging. Presentation on how spiritual wellness inter-related to emotional and whole-health wellness. To register, Ellen Brown, 410-313-7680, or for more information, Karen Hull, 410-313-7466 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Register by Oct. 9.
•Harmonize Exercise. Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. Monthly fee.
•Latin Jam Dance Movement. Thursdays, 1 p.m.
•Mah Jongg. Mondays, noon; Wednesdays, 10 a.m.
Elkridge Senior Center
6540 Washington Blvd., Elkridge. 410-313-5192.
•Age Well Exercise. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. Low-impact exercise for any fitness level.
•Book Club. Second Tuesdays, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
•Cards and games. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
•Chair Yoga. Tuesdays and Fridays, 10:30 a.m.
•Computer Seniors of America. Day classes available for basic, advanced and specialized courses. Stop in or call for description and offerings.
•Golden Corral Bingo Breakfast. Second Fridays, 8:30 a.m. Breakfast for $7.95; free bingo.
•Free Bread Day. Wednesdays, all day.
•Just Bead It. Second Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. Make a craft with beads. $6 per craft.
•Legal Aid Help and Assistance. Second and fourth Fridays, 10 a.m. Free.
•Line Dance. Wednesdays, 2-3 p.m.
•Rummikub. Second Tuesdays, 1:30 p.m.
•St. Augustine Bingo Lunch. Third Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Free homemade lunch and cash bingo.
•Walking Club. 9 a.m.
Ellicott CitySenior Center
9401 Frederick Road, Ellicott City. 410-313-1400.
•Art Show and Reception. Oct. 24, 2 p.m. Meet and greet senior center artists.
•Author John Hauserman. Oct. 18, 11 a.m. Discussion with Hauserman on his newest book, "Retirement Quest: Make Better Decisions."
•Blood Pressure Screening. Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-noon.
•Clarity Audiology and Hearing Solutions. Oct. 17, 1 p.m. Dr. Mary Carson will perform free hearing screenings. Call center to schedule an appointment.
•Community Listening Forum. Oct. 15, 1 p.m. Find out what residents can expect from the Office on Aging.
•Early Bird Bingo. Fri., Oct, 5, 10 a.m. $2.
•Friends Fall Prevention Screening. Oct. 23, 9:30 a.m.
•Genealogy. Wed., Oct. 10, 10 a.m.
•Insighters Group. Tuesdays, 12:30 p.m.
•Mah Jongg. Tuesdays, 9 a.m.
•Monthly Bingo. Oct. 22, 1 p.m. $3.
•Needlework Club. Wednesdays, 1 p.m.
•Nutrition Counseling. Oct. 17, 12:30 p.m. Registered dietician Rona Martiyan will present nutrition tips and answer questions. Call center to schedule individual appointments.
•Pinochle. Mondays and Fridays, 10 a.m.
•Social Security Administration Chorus. Oct. 25, 12:30 p.m.
•Sixty-Plus Wills/Legal Screening. Fourth Wednesdays, 1 p.m. Services include simple wills, powers of attorney, living wills, small estates and deed changes. 410-313-1400 to schedule an appointment.
•SPRING Mens Forum. Thursdays, 10 a.m.
•SPRING Insighters Group. Tuesdays, 12:30 p.m.
Gary J. ArthurCommunity Centerat Glenwood
2400 Route 97, Cooksville. 410-313-5440.
•Billiards. Weekdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
•Blood Pressure Screenings. Tuesdays, 9 a.m.
•Drop-in Basketball. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 a.m.
•Drop-in Painting. Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-noon. Free.
•Duplicate Bridge. Mondays and Wednesdays, 1 p.m. $1.
•Pinochle. Mondays and Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
•Silver Sneakers Walking Club. Weekdays, 8 a.m.
Jewish Federation
of Howard County
Century Plaza 1000, Suite 400, 10630 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 410-730-4976.
•jGroup. Oct. 16, 10:30 a.m. "In Our Own Hands." His Majesty's Jewish Brigade — the only all-Jewish fighting unit in World War II — goes into combat against the Nazis and comes away victorious. It is after the war, though, that the real story of the brigade begins, at the Bain Center; and third Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. at the federation office. Sophie Novinsky, 410-730-4976, Ext. 103, or email@example.com.
Kiwanis-WallasRecreation Center
3300 Norbert's Way, Ellicott City. 410-313-7311.
•Bingo. First Fridays, 1 p.m. Ages 55 and older.
•Community Knitting and Crocheting Group. Second and fourth Wednesdays, 1-3 p.m. Knit and crochet afghans, blankets, baby wear and more for local charities, hospitals and senior centers.
•Duplicate Bridge. Wednesdays, noon-3:30 p.m.; and Fridays, 9:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Drop in for a few hours of duplicate bridge. Bring a bag lunch; coffee, tea and treats will be available.
•Mah Jongg. Wednesdays, 1 p.m. Ages 55 and older. Free.
•Pinochle. Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:30 a.m. Ages 55 and older.
•What to be Alert to After Signing up for Medicare. Learn how to get the most out of coverage and reduce problems or confusion. To register, 410-313-7391.
Longwood Senior Center
6150 Foreland Garth, Columbia. 410-313-7217.
•Art Therapy. Second and fourth Friday, 11 a.m.-noon.
•Coffee and Game Social. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
•Computer Classes. Monthly, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Call center for dates and description.
•Group Exercise. Wednesdays and Fridays, 9-10 a.m. Free.
•Line Dance. Mondays, 1-2 p.m.
•Yoga. Most Wednesdays, 10-11 a.m. Call center to confirm dates. Donation.
North Laurel50+ Center
9411 Whiskey Bottom Road, Laurel. 410-313-0380.
•Agewell Exercise Class. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. Sixteen classes for $35.
•Billiards. Weekdays, 9 a.m.
•Blood Pressure Screening. Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.
•Computer Classes. Call for descriptions of offerings.
•Enhance Fitness. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 11:15 a.m. Sixteen classes for $51.
•Exercise Counseling. Second Thursday, 10 a.m. Call for an appointment.
•Handbuilding with Clay. Mondays, 1 p.m. Four classes for $42.
•Line Dance Drop-In. Tuesday, 11 a.m. $1.
•Mah Jongg. Fridays, 12:30 p.m.
•Open Art Studio. Mondays and Wednesdays, noon.
•Sit, Stitch and Give. Fridays, 11 a.m.
•Sittercize. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 12:30 p.m. Sixteen classes for $36.
•Spring Bereavement Group. Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. Find comfort in this short-term group for anyone mourning the loss of a loved one. Nominal fee. Karen Hull, 410-313-7466.
•Tap Aerobics. Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. Six classes for $33.
•Walking Club. Weekdays, 8 a.m.
•Zumba Gold. Mondays, 10 a.m. Eight classes for $43.
Office on Aging
6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia. 410-313-5980.
•Maryland Access Point (MAP) — Part of the Howard County Office on Aging, is an information and assistance gateway for older adults, people with disabilities, family members, caregivers and professionals. Information on respite and home care, long-term care, in-home evaluation, aging in place/home modifications, retirement/planning for the future, Medicare and health insurance, chronic disease management, housing, transportation, income management and legal services. Appointments are conducted at the Columbia office, at senior centers or in your home, weekdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Contact MAP at the number above, firstname.lastname@example.com or http://www.howardcountyaging.org.
Social GroupFor Singles 50+
Sundays, 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Complimentary coffee and snack. Oakland Mills Interfaith Center, 5885 Robert Oliver Place, Columbia. 410-997-0739.
Sponsored by Howard County Recreation and Parks, unless otherwise noted. 410-313-7275 or 410-313-7279.
•Apple Harvest Festival. Oct. 13, 7 a.m. Located in Pennsylvania near Gettysburg. Ages 6 and older. $59.
•Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library. Oct. 17, 7 a.m. Begin your visit with an early on-your-own lunch in downtown Staunton, Va. Ages 55 and older. $79.
•OctoberFest and Hagerstown Outlets. Oct. 23, 9 a.m. Eat at Schmankerl Stube in Hagerstown and walk around the outlets. Ages 55 and older. $69.
•Smithsonian Air and Space. Oct. 27, 9 a.m. Go to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Center in Chantilly, Va. Ages 6 and older. $45.
•Wicked. Oct. 28, 11:30 a.m. Playing at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore. Ages 18 and older. $159.
Second and fourth Saturdays, 2:15-3:15 p.m. Volunteers needed to sing or play an instrument to perform for the elderly at the Lorien Health Center. All ages welcome. Tim Belton, 410-730-6006, 410-908-7805 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Watling's second half-century gives Cook and Co plenty to ponder ahead of first Test as England lose tour match
David Clough, Press Association
07:33 GMT, 2 March 2013
07:33 GMT, 2 March 2013
England suffered an unexpected defeat as BJ Watling's second half-century of the match proved too much for the tourists at the Queenstown Event Centre ground.
Watling (89no) followed his unbeaten 66 in the first innings with another telling contribution to help a New Zealand XI chase 334 to prevail in a tight finish with eight balls and three wickets to spare.
England, in their first red-ball fixture of a double-Ashes year in this warm-up for the first of three Tests in Dunedin, were losing in a first-class tour match for the first time in almost seven years – the last defeat came against an India board XI in Vadodara.
Trudging off: England captain Alastair Cook alongside Kevin Pietersen and Stuart Broad react after losing to the New Zealand XI
Watling finished with eight fours and two sixes from 122 balls, in a run chase which featured three other individual scores between 40 and 50 as England – without rested frontline seamers James Anderson and Steven Finn – paid for an unconvincing performance with the ball in particular.
Graham Onions lost his way, and it is hard to see him being considered as the go-to back-up Test seamer if needed after recording match figures of one for 213.
Inconsistent batting from the top six was also part of the problem – with Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott and Nick Compton all short of runs as the Test series looms.
There was no particular shame in losing to a team in which all but Carl Cachopa have international experience, and five – including wicketkeeper Watling – are in the squad to face England again next week.
It is hardly the start Alastair Cook would have wanted nonetheless as his side seek to follow up their historic series win in India with more success here over the next three weeks.
After England declared on their overnight 256 for nine, progress was initially unremarkable for both sides.
Openers Hamish Rutherford and Tom Latham began the chase with their second stand of 56 in this match, at four-an-over on a cloudy morning which yielded no immediate headway for Stuart Broad and Onions with the new ball.
Rutherford even climbed into an upper-cut which deposited a short ball from Broad high over point and into the enclosure in front of the players' pavilion for six.
Soon afterwards, Broad hit the same batsman on the head with a sharp bouncer.
But it was first-change Chris Woakes who made the first breakthrough when Rutherford cut him into the hands of point.
Woakes was rewarded for a spell which was much-improved from his first-innings efforts, and Broad also struck in the next over when he switched to a fuller length and bowled a static Cachopa for a third-ball duck.
Onions looked a slightly more likely wicket-taker too for a time, but no one could find a way past Latham or Neil Broom up to lunch.
Their stand had extended to 64 by the time Swann got Latham two short of his half-century, apparently caught-behind as he tried to sweep.
Then with the first ball after mid-session drinks, Broad saw off Broom lbw playing no shot.
When Dean Brownlie went too before tea, neatly caught low at second slip by Swann off the returning Woakes, the hosts were running out of frontline batsmen.
But Watling and Corey Anderson, who had battered England for a rapid century stand in the first innings, were once more in occupation.
They almost repeated the dose too, in a partnership of 82 this time which took the hosts to well within 100 runs of their target with more than 20 overs remaining.
Onions had suffered at Anderson's hands yesterday, and did so again today in two overs which cost 23 runs and contained three no-balls.
A much-needed wicket came from an unlikely source in Joe Root, who did Anderson in the flight as he aimed another big hit to leg and was bowled.
Swann, off the field for several overs previously, returned only to almost immediately drop Watling on 47 off Broad at gully.
It proved a costly miss – because, even after Jimmy Neesham had pulled a Root long-hop straight into Broad's hands at square-leg, Watling saw the job through against the second new ball in an unbroken half-century stand alongside Neil Wagner.


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Have you considered video blogging?
In the age where online reality is replacing actual reality in every facet of our lives, having YOUR face behind YOUR virtual real estate is paramount for people to feel close(er) to you.
This blog post will be your comprehensive guide.
Why Video Blogging?
Video blogging helps you build connections with your viewers like no other blogging format. The close second is perhaps audio.
A case in point is Michael Stelzner. He's the face behind your favorite business blog SocialMediaExaminer.com, and he used this method to introduce himself and his website to his audience in a very effective way. Have you introduced video content to your personal or business blog? If not, why?


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ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo.—Rocky Mountain National Park is reopening to visitors now that Colorado has agreed to pick up the tab for running it.
The park opens Saturday and Trail Ridge Road will open as soon as the highway can be plowed.
Colorado has agreed to pay the $40,000 a day needed to operate the park and pay its employees during the shutdown. The governor's office says the money will come from the tourism budget but eventually the state plans to seek reimbursement for the cost.
Estes Park leaders say the move will help the town recover from last month's flooding. Once Trail Ridge is reopened, it will also provide a second access road to the town.


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DIY Projects + Crafts
Do-It-Yourself tips and tutorials
life should be simple.
Do-It-Yourself tips and tutorials
Stephanie is a creative entrepreneur and founder of Somewhat Simple. After moving to Phoenix in 2005, she started her blog on a whim to keep in touch with her family in Orange County, California. She now manages a team of creative women who share daily content consisting of DIY projects and crafts, family-friendly recipes, travel + lifestyle tips for moms and more! Stephanie's creative expertise has expanded into ongoing partnerships with major brands like Huggies, Better Homes & Gardens, Disney and Lowes. Somewhat Simple has become a favorite source of creative inspiration for thousands of daily readers. Stephanie still lives in Arizona with her husband and five children. Learn More About Stephanie


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All the way from the Southern Hemisphere, the Meso Foundation received a question from Katelyn Yates:
"Hi there, I am wondering if you have any suggestions for raising money or awareness for this terrible disease? I am very keen to help in any way."
Perhaps the best way to raise money and awareness for mesothelioma research is, not surprisingly, a fundraiser. Mesothelioma research fundraisers of various kinds happen not only in the United States, but around the world. Just recently, the third annual Miles for Meso South Florida 8K, organized by Meso Foundation volunteer, Larry Davis, brought together hundreds of runners and raised nearly $50,000 for mesothelioma research. This weekend, James Brennan, the Meso Foundation's own Endurance Events Volunteer is running a 100 mile Ultramarathon in order to raise awareness for more research into mesothelioma while honoring his father who is a mesothelioma patient. Erica Ruble just organized a poker tournament benefiting mesothelioma research and the Meso Foundation. And many other events are already in the works in anticipation of Meso Awareness Day (September 26)
Whether it is something as epic as a 100 mile Ultramarathon, as simple as a letter writing campaign, or as creative as a writing a cookbook, the Meso Foundation believes that fundraisers serve two purposes: they raise money for research, and raise awareness. Fundraisers are also a chance to expand your creativity, putting personal resources, interests and skills to the test in developing a success.
But where to begin? And what do I do after Step 1?
Here are a few tips from the Meso Foundation on putting together a successful and fun fundraiser.
Decide on the kind of event you want to host and if the event will help you reach your goals. This is the part that is usually the most fun, but also the most infuriating — what do you want to do to raise money? Ideas bandied about between friends can be in endless supply, but eventually it should come down to one fundraiser (with a handful of others set aside for a follow-up if your first outing demands it). What you need to find is the kind of event where donors will (eagerly) give their money for something in return. Some of the more successful fundraisers have included, but are not limited to:
- Runs/ Walks
- Silent Auctions/ Raffles
- Sporting events (golf tournaments, soccer games, etc.)
- Poker Tournaments
The important thing in fundraising, whether as an individual or as part of a group is finding something that appeals to you. For example, one meso volunteer is an avid kayaker, so he is kayaking the Hudson River to honor his young daughter Linda, who was diagnosed with meso at the age of 16. The event can truly be anything you want it to be, provided it is clear for what organization or cause the money is being raised.
Give yourself time to plan. Fundraisers should never be planned on a whim. There are many factors to consider — date, time, location, publicity, and (of course) goals. All of these factors come into play when planning a successful fundraiser. Your planning should begin with a "To Do" list and "Timeline" for you and your team, or just yourself, in order to keep your fundraiser on track and on schedule. A planning schedule can be anywhere from two months to half-a-year, depending on the resources and scale of your fundraiser.
No matter how solid your plan appears, have a contingency plan in place. When planning your fundraiser, make sure your budget has a reasonable, manageable buffer in case of unforeseen expenses. If your event is reliant on the weather, find out if you can plan for a rain date. Try to imagine every worst-case scenario you and your support staff can think of, and then try and prepare for the problems you least expect.
Give your event a realistic goal. Telling people that you are trying to raise $25,000 is better than saying we are trying to raise as much money as possible, but make sure that your goal is reachable. You don't want to have your goal be too modest (Raising $1,000 is easier than you might think.), but you also don't want to make your goal unobtainable. ($500,000 isn't a million dollars, but it is still half a million dollars.) Having a goal will motivate people to help you get there. If, perchance you find yourself reaching the goal early, discuss with your group the good and bad of increasing your goal; and, as mentioned before, let people know how those dollars will be spent. People like to know where their hard-earned dollars are going.
Publicize. Take advantage of any and all appropriate publicity opportunities to get word of your event out there. Press releases to local papers, free public events listings, email lists, public service announcements on local and university radio stations, and social media all work together to publicize your event. It is important to check in advance for deadlines of listings to ensure your event is publicized, and publicized at the appropriate time. We at the Meso Foundation are also happy to help spread the word through our own website, emails, newsletter, and social media channels, provided we are given proper notice. Again, this goes back to planning and time needed to properly publicize your event.
Contact our Community Fundraising Co-Chairs. Erica Ruble and Shelly Kozicki have been there and have done that. Between the two of them, they have raised nearly half a million dollars (that's $500,000!) for mesothelioma research through events like trivia nights, golf tournaments, quartermanias, letter writing campaigns, poker tournaments, roller hockey tournaments, community garage sales, triathlons, and partnering with local grocery stores. They look forward to helping you hit the ground running and get your event started. If you would like to learn more about being mentored by one of our Community Fundraising Committee Co-Chairs, please email Jessica Barker at email@example.com.
There are still other things that you can do to plan for your mesothelioma research fundraiser, and we at the Meso Foundation offer you checklists and other resources to make sure your paperwork is in order, the donations are recorded correctly, and that the money reaches the right people.
For more information on planning your own fundraiser, contact Jessica Barker at (703) 879-3819, or email her at email@example.com. You can also find out more information on becoming involved by visiting www.curemeso.org/events.


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You have to look at deals as a percentage of the cap. The Sedins are getting right around what they did last time (although the utility they will provide per their cap allotment won't be nearly as good).Zedlee wrote:Agree....and it's not only the Sedins. It appears Kesler's and Burrows' best years are behind them and Edler has not progressed at all the past couple of years.
And yet, Gillis was so quick to offer up rich new contracts; the Sedin's are turning into second liners and we're paying them MORE for the next 4 years? Same as Burrows and Edler? God help us.
Burrows is worrisome to say the least but when guys like Dennis Wideman get $5.25m in free agency I really don't see why Edler is a concern.
Ironically the biggest mistake Mike Gillis might have made.. remember before their last contracts the twins wanted to sign identical 12 year $63m deals with the team? $5.25m cap hit.. how good would that look right now. Imagine where this team might be at if they'd given the twins those deals rather than Luongo.


text: Downtown Garland's City Center project will bring a new feature to the City's skyline, at least temporarily. A tower crane will be installed in early February as part of the construction of the new parking garage behind City Hall. The crane will be approximately 100 feet tall and will span across the construction area. It will be in place for approximately four to six months. Downtown visitors may notice some movement of the crane, even if it is not in use. Tower cranes are designed to move with the wind, and such movement is not cause for concern. However, individuals may call 972-205-3333 if they are concerned. The current project is the latest phase of Garland's downtown redevelopment strategy, which includes 153 apartment units to be constructed and managed by Oaks Properties. The City of Garland is constructing a parking structure to serve the public, apartment residents, and those accessing City Hall. City Hall renovations also are included in the plans and will consist of reskinning the facility's facade, updating City Hall to current building code and safety requirements, and expanding the studio for CGTV—Garland's government access channel. Other enhancements to the area will include updates to streetscape and utility infrastructure, and additional pocket parks/open spaces for residents to enjoy. For more information about Garland's downtown redevelopment activities, visit GarlandTx.gov and click on the Downtown Redevelopment button.


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Enclosed epoxy coated hose reel, high flow spray valve with swivel, 3/8" x 50' heavy-duty non-marking hose, ratcheting system, multi-fit bracket, adjustable hose bumper and 3/8" NPT female inlet.
Proposition 65 Warning - California's Proposition 65 requires that California consumers receive warnings about any products which contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm. The State of California requires the following notice:
Please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov for more information.
Some text in the modal.


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[WARNING: The following contains spoilers from Orange Is the New Black's Season 2 premiere. Read at your own risk.]
Alex has left the building.
At the end of the Season 2 premiere of Orange Is the New Black, convicted drug dealer Alex (Laura Prepon) gets sprung from prison after testifying against her former employer. Her ex, Piper (Taylor Schilling) doesn't fare as well — after she perjures herself on the stand in order to protect Alex, Piper's left to watch Alex walk out of jail, peering through the bars of her cell like a death row puppy who's just been passed over at the Humane Society. (And sorry, Pipex fans — it'll be a while before we see these two together again — until Episode 10, to be exact.)
Which brings TVGuide.com editors Sadie Gennis and Liz Raftery to this summer's Orange Bowl: Piper vs. Alex. Which one is worse?
Laura Prepon: "Piper is just as toxic as Alex"
A note: We are not saying either Piper or Alex is a "good" person. They're both terrible human beings, but that's not the issue at hand. The question is: Who is more terrible? Here's the evidence:
Sadie: Alex flipping on Piper is the ultimate betrayal. While Piper grew exponentially in Orange's freshmen season, the Season 2 premiere proves that Alex hasn't changed one bit. She uses the exact same manipulative techniques to once again get Piper on her side, convincing her to perjure herself because: "This the only way I can keep you safe." Except the second Alex sees an opportunity to cut a deal, all of the sudden her fear of getting a hit put out on her and Piper disappears. How convenient.
Liz: Alex did what she needed to do. "I need to do the right thing for a change" is one of the last things Piper says to Alex before they enter the courtroom. Thus, Alex goes in to testify believing that Piper isn't going to lie on the stand. The question of why Alex would think Piper's going to start doing the right thing now aside, she doesn't have any reason to think Piper intends to do anything but implicate her on the stand. At some point you have to look out for No. 1 — a philosophy with which Piper is all too familiar.
Sadie: Alex is a master manipulator. May I remind you that Piper had no idea what was in that suitcase. Alex tricked her girlfriend into becoming part of a drug ring and eventually turned her in. So not cool! Her defense: "You loved it." (Hmm ... where have we heard that before?) When you strip a person of their agency, you also strip them of the opportunity to "love" anything since you've already decided how they feel for them. That's not how you treat someone you love. Alex used Piper like an object and when Piper calls Alex out, she just throws out enough lies until she's once again the victim. "You broke my f---ing heart and maybe I've done a lot of f---ed up things in my life, but I've never lied to you. Ever," Alex says, lying through her teeth.
OITNB: Where we left off and what's ahead in Season 2
Liz: Piper's not exactly an innocent bystander! Piper may not have known exactly what she was smuggling to Belgium, but come on — there's no way she thought it was a startup kit for an artisanal soap business, and willful ignorance isn't the same thing as getting unknowingly duped. Piper was all too happy to let Alex take her for the ride of her life (I mean, really, who wouldn't be?); she's just unwilling to face the consequences of her decisions. And as far as Alex turning Piper in, as she points out in Season 1, she hadn't heard from Piper in several years.
And talk about being a master manipulator! Piper has that market cornered. Just watch the scene in Episode 1 where she breezily, effortlessly lies to her father on the phone about being overseas with Polly. Or how about her drawn-out boomeranging between Larry (Jason Biggs) and Alex throughout the second half of Season 1? No wonder they both ended up wanting to get off of Piper's merry-go-round once and for all.
Sadie: Alex is unjustly self-righteous. There is nothing worse than a bad person who acts like they're a good person. If you're going to be an a--hole, be self-aware about it. Then at least you get credit for being an intelligent a--hole. Instead, Alex waltzes around as though since the world screwed her over she's more than justified in screwing over everyone else.
Summer TV Preview: Get scoop on 46 new shows
Alex has a selective memory, where she always points out Piper's flaws, while never recognizing her own. When Piper confronts her about turning her in, Alex gets on her usual high horse: "No, it wasn't. And f--- you for thinking it was." Only — spoiler alert! — it was! Then when she cuts the deal in Chicago, Alex says she "had to tell the truth" as though she all the sudden discovered her legal (and moral) obligation — which is exactly what Piper had been preaching all along. You're only out for yourself, Alex. Just own up to it. Then at least I could respect you.
Liz: Piper's getting a much-deserved wake-up call. You want to know what's worse than a bad person who acts like they're a good person? A bad person who truly believes that they are a good person — a.k.a. Piper. Litchfield's most narcissistic inmate looks like someone just slapped her when Crazy Eyes (Uzo Aduba) tells her flatly at the end of Season 1: "You're not a nice person." This notion has never occurred to Pampered Piper before, let alone been verbally hurled into her face. She's stunned. Alex's bravado is nothing but a defense mechanism that's become second nature after a lifetime of self-sufficiency. Piper's indignation is the result of an extreme lack of self-awareness.
Sadie's Closing Argument: Piper Chapman is the Marissa Cooper of Orange Is the New Black. She's no one's favorite character, but she's crucial to the show's success. While the show's first season was groundbreaking in terms of showcasing diversity, simply having a diverse, female-heavy cast doesn't make great TV. What made Season 1 so great was watching Piper, a privileged WASP who's biggest worry was Larry forgetting to update her website (sidenote: I would love to read Piper's website), transform into the (still privileged) but much tougher, self-aware bada-- who beats up Jesus Freaks and does whatever she the hell she wants. Plus, her naïve privilege gave us some of Orange's funniest lines -- ones that do not get enough respect, in my opinion.
Liz's Closing Argument: Team Alex Forever.
Orange Is the New Black Season 2 is available on Netflix. Watch the Season 1 finale here.


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Pictured: The Crimson women's squash team at the CCI Cricket
Photo courtesy: Chris Smith
The top-ranked Harvard women's squash team is traveling to India for an 11-day training and service trip. Members of the team will post regular blog entries on GoCrimson.com during their trip over the next few weeks.
Blog Post by Vidya Rajan '13 on Jan. 5
Map of Harvard Destinations During Trip to India
Photo Gallery of Harvard Women's Squash in India
Post by Alexandra Zindman '12
The team gathered at the Murr Center to take a bus over to Logan Airport for our night flight to London. Everyone was excited and nervous because many people, myself included had never been to Asia. The flight to London was smooth, especially after we lucked into some seat upgrades. As we started boarding the plane from Heathrow Airport to Mumbai for our nine hour flight fully equipped with an additional two hour delay due to snow, the reality that we were actually going to India set in. This trip has been in the works for some time, and as I climbed up the steps to board the plane, nothing could have prepared me for what I was going to experience. We were about to go on the trip of a lifetime. While I had seen images of the various cities on Google, and our coaches had tried, somewhat successfully to teach us basic Hindi phrases, I had absolutely no idea what to expect.
We reached Mumbai at 3 in the morning and immediately rushed to the hotel to get to sleep. The city was bustling even at such a late hour and everyone was in good spirits as our car took us through the streets, not stopping at a single red light. We finally arrived, absolutely exhausted, at the Taj Hotel only to be blessed as we walked through the doors. Each of us received a beautiful flowered wreath that smelled absolutely amazing. It was at this moment that I realized that there was nothing to be nervous about.
After sleeping in, we went to have a hit at the Cricket Club of India, Alisha (Mashruwala's) club. The club is beautiful, and is home to squash courts, a huge cricket stadium where the national team has matches, badminton courts, tennis courts, several restaurants, and a pool. Just like at the hotel, we were welcomed with open arms by the club; they had even hung banners around the grounds and gave us special squash jerseys complete with our names on the back. One of the most inspiring moments came when we noticed what the squash courts were named-- The Anil Nayar Courts. Anil was Harvard class of 1969 and won three Intercollegiate Championships and would have won four if freshmen were allowed to play varsity back then. Anil grew up learning the game at the Cricket Club and we certainly felt the history of the hallowed grounds of the courts. While we were incredibly jet lagged and still exhausted from the flight, it felt great to hit and be together as a team, doing something familiar in such a different place. After a quick tour of the grounds we headed back to the hotel to do what everyone on the team had been waiting for, shop.
The streets were packed with people eagerly approaching us trying to sell us jewelry, scarves, clocks, balloons, anything really. Our first shopping excursion was definitely a success, and everyone on the team bought at least one pashmina stole After shopping, Alisha's parents took us out for an incredible Lebanese dinner. The food was amazing and
totally different from anything that I had ever eaten before. It was a great ending to our first official day in India.
Tomorrow we have two squash sessions including a match vs. the Cricket Club's top players. This of course will be preceded by a reception and many more warm welcomes and gift exchanges.
Women's Squash Service Trip to India: Crimson Arrives, Begins Training Sessions
Pictured: The Crimson women's squash team at the CCI Cricket


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xpedx Earns ENERGY STAR® in Massachusetts and Michigan Locations
xpedx also aligns itself with ENERGY STAR program nationwide
Mar 21, 2011, 08:00 ET
CINCINNATI, March 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- xpedx®, one of the largest and premier distribution companies in North America, has earned the ENERGY STAR at its locations in Livonia, Mich., and Wilmington, Mass., and has also been named as an "ENERGY STAR partner." These acknowledgements reflect xpedx's commitment to protect the environment through continuous improvement of its energy performance.
(Logo: https://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20061016/NYM035LOGO )
To earn the ENERGY STAR, the Livonia and Wilmington sites scored in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency, based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's energy performance rating system. Qualified facilities meet strict energy performance standards, use less energy, are less expensive to operate and cause fewer greenhouse gas emissions than peer facilities. They save money and protect the environment.
David Wallace, xpedx's director, Sustainability, said xpedx's work with ENERGY STAR is a natural extension of its dedication to maintain responsible operations, offer sustainable product choices and provide leadership in sustainable business practices for its customers and suppliers. "We believe that an organization-wide energy management approach will help us enhance our financial health and aid in protecting the environment today and for future generations," he said.
The xpedx sites in Livonia and Wilmington combined have nearly 740,000 square feet of space. Doug DeCaire is the division manager in the Livonia location. "The ENERGY STAR partnership validates xpedx's commitment to bring creative, effective solutions to customers to help all of us become more sustainable organizations," he said. "This important priority is incorporated in all xpedx's efforts to optimize customer supply chains and processes."
With the Livonia and Wilmington locations already qualified, xpedx is closer to its goal of earning the ENERGY STAR in eight large distribution locations within the U.S. by the end of the year. These eight locations have approximately 2.4 million square feet of space.
As an "ENERGY STAR partner," xpedx is tracking its energy consumption and carbon footprint and improving its operating costs through energy saving strategies. xpedx has also committed to highlight its achievements as recognized by ENERGY STAR, support the ENERGY STAR challenge to improve the energy efficiency of America's commercial and industrial buildings by at least 10 percent and spread the word about the importance of energy efficiency to its employees and communities where it operates.
As a result of the increased awareness, xpedx employees at its Earth Day celebration in 2010 pledged to take individual actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5.4 million pounds annually. These pledges are estimated to save nearly 3 million kWh of energy and more than $400,000 in energy costs.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that helps to save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.
About xpedx
Cincinnati, Ohio-based xpedx, a business of International Paper (NYSE :IP ), is one of the largest and premier distribution companies in North America. xpedx distributes a wide variety of print, packaging and facility solutions supplies and equipment to printers, manufacturers, retailers and commercial facilities from more than 200 locations across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. For more information about xpedx, its business segments and stewardship efforts visit xpedx.com.
International Paper and xpedx are registered trademarks of International Paper Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Contact: Lisa Jonas, manager, Business Communications, xpedx, 513 965-2938, firstname.lastname@example.com
SOURCE xpedx


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PARIS (AP) — Global stock markets mostly rose after a better-than-forecast U.S. jobs report Friday offset gloomier data showing consumer confidence in the world's largest economy had slumped.
The Labor Department's report showed the economy added tens of thousands more jobs than anticipated and the unemployment rate fell from 7.9 percent to 7.7 percent, its lowest level since December 2008.
That suggests the economy is recovering steadily, though concerns remain over U.S. politicians' ability to reach a budget deal to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff," a mix of tax increases and spending cuts due to kick in next year.
Concern that a deal may not be reached in time appears to be weighing on consumer confidence — a University of Michigan index showed it fell sharply in December to a four-month low.
France's CAC-40 closed up 0.1 percent to 3,605.6, while Britain's FTSE 100 climbed 0.2 percent to 5,914.4. Only Germany's DAX slipped — 0.2 percent to 7,517.8 — on the back of weak industrial production figures and a downbeat economic forecast from the country's central bank.
Major U.S. indexes rose on the open before the consumer confidence figures tempered their rise. By afternoon in New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 0.4 percent at 13,123, while the S&P 500 was flat at 1,414.
Developments in the U.S. budget talks have steered markets in recent weeks and are likely to do so until the end of the year, by which time a deal is expected to be reached.
"It seems investors are also cautious about taking on too much risk ahead of the weekend as the markets have still not heard much news on U.S. policy officials' progress regarding the fiscal cliff," said Shavaz Dhalla, a trader with Spreadex.
Earlier, many Asian stocks also struggled to find a direction. After opening higher, Japan's Nikkei 225 index ended the day 0.2 percent down at 9,527.39. South Korea's Kospi added 0.4 percent to 1,957.45. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.9 percent to 4,551.80. Hong Kong's Hang Seng reversed course and closed down 0.3 percent to 22,191.17.
Mainland Chinese shares posted substantial gains after recent sharp sell-offs. The Shanghai Composite Index climbed 1.6 percent to 2,061.79. The smaller Shenzhen Composite Index jumped 2.1 percent to 786.05.
Benchmark oil for January delivery was up 1 cent to $86.27 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
The euro fell 0.2 percent to $1.2938.
Pamela Sampson in Bangkok and Fu Ting in Shanghai contributed to this report.


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2 naked women, children tie up Charlotte traffic
2 naked women, children tie up Charlotte traffic
Police say traffic came to a stop on a busy Charlotte street over the weekend when two naked women and two naked children walked down the road.
The Charlotte Observer reported a child neglect complaint was filed with the Department of Social Services Saturday against the children's mother.
Police say a women in her 20s was walking with her mother in her 40s and a toddler and newborn baby down Providence Road, prompting traffic delays.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Capt. Rod Farley said the women told officers the Lord had told them to walk down the street naked.
The women and children were taken to a local hospital for an examination.
Their names were not released.


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Thanksgiving turned ugly in Detroit.
Any remaining goodwill between the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans melted away late in third quarter of Thursday's game when the Texans were awarded a touchdown on what should have been ruled a mundane 8-yard run by Justin Forsett. The touchdown proved to be very costly as the Lions went on to lose 34-31 in overtime.
Replays clearly showed Forsett's knee touch the turf, but he rose to his feet before the whistle blew, then bolted for the end zone. Officials ruled the play a touchdown, and Jim Schwartz was hot. The Lions coach launched his challenge flag onto the field, and that's where the trouble started for Detroit.
The NFL reviews every scoring play, but teams lose that benefit if the challenge flag is thrown. The Lions were flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct, and it cost them dearly on the scoreboard.
"It's on me," Schwartz mouthed to his players and fellow coaches, pounding his chest over the mistake. The tone at Ford Field was volatile as fans rained down boos on the officials long after the commercial break.
The Lions' season is on the brink and bordering on lost -- and their fans don't want to hear this -- but the NFL has emphasized this rule to coaching staffs all season long.
We saw Mike Smith kill a promising drive for the Falcons in Week 11 when he tossed the red cloth on an Atlanta fumble that would have been overturned. Turnovers -- like scores -- are automatically reviewed, unless the head coach gets antsy with his little red friend.
Schwartz isn't likely to forget this rule again.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.


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McIlroy hunting more majors in 2013
Rory McIlroy has stressed his aim for 2013 is to add to his major haul, with the Masters and Open Championship in his sights.
McIlroy is golf's star name and a superb 2012 saw him move a long way clear at the top of the world rankings.
He claimed a brilliant win at the US PGA Championship to secure his second major and it is the top events that he will be targeting in 2013.
"It is something I have thought about," he said. "I've got the Masters and the Open still to win to try and get that.
"I said at the start of this year that if I didn't win a major I would be disappointed and going into next year I will say the same.
"If in 2013 I don't win a major I will be disappointed. But I just want to contend more in the majors next year."


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Cam Newton's Southeastern Conference record for career rushing yards by a quarterback is in danger. It should come as no surprise that the player mounting the challenge will be a teenager for only another month.
Precocious, prolific and elusive, Texas A&M redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel is third on the list with 922 yards. With four regular-season games plus a bowl game to go, he's just 85 yards shy of becoming No. 2 overall and is in striking range of the 1,473-yard standard set by Newton, the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick out of Auburn in 2011.
Manziel is far from the only instant contributor in a conference that has produced the last six national champions and has seven of the top 11 schools in this week's AP Top 25.
To those in charge of the depth chart, it's simply a sign of the times.
"From the running backs at Georgia to the quarterback at A&M, just so many young guys have come in and played very, very well," Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. "It just goes back to the level of talent that people are recruiting in this league.
"Pretty much every week, you play somebody that's got a young guy that's contributed and contributed very well."
That includes top-ranked Alabama, which has a number of high-profile freshmen.
Running back T.J. Yeldon caught the game-winning touchdown pass against LSU on a 28-yard screen last week and leads the Tide in rushing while averaging 7 yards per carry. Amari Cooper has a team-leading 32 receptions, 12 more than anyone else, to go with team highs of 472 yards and five TDs.
"More and more guys have the expectation of playing early on," coach Nick Saban said. "Maybe it's just some of the attention they get in high school now in terms of recruiting and playing in all-star games and things like that.
"The players that have the maturity to understand what it takes to learn and grow and try to be a complete player at their position and go about it that way, they obviously have the ability to play."
Yeldon is following in the illustrious footsteps of a pair of first-round NFL draft picks. Mark Ingram, the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner, had 728 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns as a freshman, and 2011 Heisman finalist Trent Richardson had 751 yards rushing and eight TDs.
Cooper is the most heralded Alabama wide receiver since Julio Jones, and Saban has said fellow freshman Chris Black would have been on the two-deep roster if he hadn't been hurt before the season. Freshman backup Kenyan Drake has a 7.1-yard average and five TDs on 20 carries.
"In a lot of cases the guys that play have the maturity to play and the guys that don't have a hard time with the consistency part of it, learning what to do and not getting frustrated," Saban said. "I think there are more and more guys that are more ready. I think it's just a sign of their maturity."
It's no surprise that some of the bottom-end schools are immediately plugging in the youngsters, with six freshmen starting at one-win Kentucky and five at two-win Auburn. The Wildcats have one of the youngest teams in the nation, a scenario that didn't prevent coach Joker Phillips from getting fired.
Yet No. 7 Georgia also leans heavily on the kids. Counting a return man, kicker and punter, the Bulldogs have a league-high seven freshmen starting.
Todd Gurley is second in the conference with 95 yards per game, tied for second in scoring with 66 points and third in all-purpose yardage. Fellow freshman and roommate Keith Marshall had a career-best 164 yards rushing and two TDs against Tennessee.
Georgia punter Collin Barber and kicker Marshall Morgan are both freshmen.
Manziel is among five freshmen starting for 15th-ranked Texas A&M. He's second in the nation in total offensive yards, leads the SEC in rushing and is second in yards passing directing a unit that's expanded the complexities as the quarterback gains understanding. He's also among 39 freshmen listed as starters.
"We certainly have more offense at our disposal now," coach Kevin Sumlin said. "It's just growth, No. 1 and No. 2, it's comfort level with Johnny being able to handle it.
"Defenses in this league are pretty complex and it's not necessarily what you think you can handle as a coach, but what you think your players can handle."
No freshmen are starting regularly for No. 7 Florida, but several have played key roles.
Defensive tackle D.J. Humphries, considered the top offensive line recruit in the country last year, started last week against Missouri and played well in place of Xavier Nixon. Three others have appeared in all nine games on defense, ends Dante Fowler Jr. and Jonathan Bullard, and linebacker Antonio Morrison.
Morrison has started three games in place of injured Jelani Jenkins and led the team with eight tackles against Vanderbilt. Fowler has five tackles for loss and two sacks and Bullard has four tackles for a loss.
"Those guys, to me, jump out," coach Will Muschamp said. "I'm very pleased with the freshman class."
Auburn stopped a five-game losing streak with a freshman quarterback making his starting debut. Jonathan Wallace was solid for the nation's 120th-ranked offense in a 42-7 victory over New Mexico State last week.
"I felt like as the game went on, he kind of calmed down a little bit," Chizik said. "He hit some throws that he should have hit and, overall, ended up managing the offense well and throwing some nice balls out there."
A stiffer test comes this week with Georgia coming to town.
"This is a different defense this week with a different caliber of guy," Chizik said. "But he won't go out there and be fearful in any way, shape or form."
Denzel Nkemdiche of Mississippi is another impact freshman with 60 tackles, including nine for a loss, two sacks and two interceptions. He plays a hybrid safety-linebacker position.
"If you prepare and know the keys of the other team's offense and what they're going to do and watch a lot of film on them, you'll be able to make the play," Nkemdiche said. "When you see the play happening, it looks familiar and you'll be able to fly around and not hesitate."
Linebacker Benardrick McKinney has been a standout on an otherwise experienced defense at Mississippi State with a team-leading 73 tackles.
Missouri redshirt freshman Corbin Berkstresser was 2-1 as the stand-in starter while subbing for injured James Franklin. Guard Evan Boehm is the first freshman to start on the offensive line in coach Gary Pinkel's dozen seasons at the school, and redshirt freshman Brad McNulty is set to make his fourth start at center this week.
"In the Big 12, we saw that happen quite a bit," Pinkel said. "Obviously, there are some players that are really playing at a high level."
Don't forget the JUCO transfers, either.
Mississippi State quarterback Bo Wallace, a sophomore, has thrown for 1,836 yards and 11 touchdowns, and has rushed for five TDs.
Tennessee's Cordarrelle Patterson is No. 6 in the nation in kickoff returns with an average of 31.5 yards, and 24th overall in all-purpose yards with a 144-yard average.
"CP looks like a video game guy," coach Derek Dooley said. "He makes a lot of cuts."


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Council calls in fluoride expert at last minute
COUNCIL'S first and only meeting with health experts has been left until the eve of its final decision on whether to maintain fluoride in our drinking supply.
Why the wait?
The decision has been in council's lap for more than two months since it was handed back from the State Government on November 29.
Queensland Health's principal dentist Dr Michael Foley has been enlisted at the last minute to address council on Monday, less than 24 hours before the program's fate is sealed.
His pro-fluoride views are well documented.
Individual councillors sought their own advice and opinion in the lead-up to Tuesday's "yes" vote.
However, the lack of formal counsel sufficiently worried Cr Geoff McDonald for him to state at the meeting, "I'm worried ... that we don't have that information before we make the decision".
Reader poll
Did council wait too long to get expert advice on the fluoride issue?
This poll ended on 14 March 2013.
Current Results
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Toowoomba dentist and Australian Dental Association council member Rob Sivertsen was equally concerned.
"I don't sit in a lecture one day and start using that information the next day," he said. "I go and mull things over.
"If I have the slightest doubt, I will go out and do more research myself.
"There has been a lot of time for them to do their research."
Councillors will not be given the privilege of extra time to "mull over" what they hear from Dr Foley before making their decision.
The fluoride vote stands at six "yes" votes to five votes "no", and Cr Ros Scotney believes that is how it will remain.
If Monday's meeting with Queensland Health dental expert Dr Michael Foley does sway any of the "no" voters, it will not be her.
She has had 23 years' experience as a dental nurse to make her decision.
"I'm definitely not going to change," Cr Scotney said.
"I think fluoride is a wonderful thing, but I am against fluoride in water."
Cr Scotney agreed professional advice could have been sought much earlier than on the eve of council's final decision.
Unfortunately, the suggestion was not made until Tuesday's Water and Waste Committee meeting.
"Maybe we could have heard from those people sooner, but I honestly feel everyone has already made a decision."


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AG passes Candia sign case back to police, finds more officials were involvedBy BRENDAN CLOGSTON
Union Leader Correspondent
March 11. 2013 3:37PM
CANDIA - In a report on the removal of supposed political signs in Candia, the N.H. Attorney General's Office has passed the issue back to police, saying the office has no jurisdiction to prosecute their taking under election law since the signs are not political.
"Although the removal of the signs may have violated other state statues, the attorney general is not empowered by (state law) to pursue this matter as a violation of (election law), because the statute expressly refers to the removal of political advertising," the report reads.
The letter does contain a revelation, however, confirming speculation in Candia that the parties involved in the removal of the signs went beyond what was initially reported.
It had been previously reported that Selectman Fred Kelley was seen taking the signs. The report indicates, however, that not only Kelley, but Selectman Amanda Soares, who the signs were about, and selectman candidate Carlton Robie removed an "uncertain number" of the signs as well.
Candia police observed Soares in front of the Candia House of Pizza carrying one of the signs in question. When contacted by police and asked if she owned the sign, Soares said, "No, it's illegal and the Attorney General's Office wanted it."
The AG's report disputes that statement. "Ms. Soares did file a complaint that morning; however, nobody from this office instructed her to take the sign and bring it to the Attorney General's Office."
The report refers the case back to police for further investigation. Candia Police handed the case over to N.H. State Police Troop A due to concerns that the local department might have a conflict of interest.
The investigation began when Amanda Soares filed a complaint with the Attorney General's Office Feb. 22 saying the signs placed in town by Eric Shifflett violated election law by failing to identify their author and sponsor.
The signs featured the heading "Amanda Says..." and included quotes reportedly by Soares during a discussion of employee raises which drew some criticism in Candia. Soares is up for election Tuesday.
A YouTube video posted by Shifflett on Feb. 23 showed Selectman Fred Kelley attempting to remove one of the signs and refusing to return signs already in his possession. Shifflett filed his own complaint with the Attorney General's Office under RSA 664:17, which states that the only persons allowed to remove political advertising are the owners of the sign, the owners of the property, state, city, or town maintenance, and law enforcement personnel when the signs are placed on or affixed to public property.
He also accused Kelley of stealing his property. Kelley has since returned several of Shifflett's signs, though more than 20 of the original 30 signs remain missing.
In a previous opinion on the disclosure issue, the Attorney General's Office found that Shifflett's signs did not meet the legal definition of political advertising, though they were still subject to some disclosure requirements. The office issued a cease and desist order against signs lacking these disclosures but informed Shifflett that he was welcome to put them up should he properly label them, which he has since done.