If you watched today’s UFL Championship Game, you may have noticed a dominant Tuskers’ defense for much of the game.  Then things changed for no obvious reason.  It could have been that the Locos finally figured things out.  But largely that wasn’t the issue.  Key players from the Tuskers’ defense, players that were huge in the first half, had suddenly picked up injuries.  Just how severe were those injuries?

A source who was at the game today has informed me some of those injuries may be less than legitimate.  They discussed the game with several players’ wives and learned that some players that picked up minor injuries, standard for a football game, pulled themselves in fear of exacerbating the issue and risking a call from an NFL team.  There are also reports that more players pulled themselves but were never reported as being out of the game.  Those players could have easily been missed by Haslett’s rotation system.

While Jim Haslett likes to focus on getting everyone in the game, he’s not stupid enough to play second stringers during a 7-3 game with a title and a perfect season on the line.  If that’s the case, fire him immediately.  As Herm Edwards famously said, “you play to win the game.”  A regular season game, like the final game against the Redwoods is just fine to lose because the second stringers were getting playing time and couldn’t hack it against the Redwoods’ starters.  A championship game is different.

It is important to remember that I don’t have exact names at this point.  Based on my source, players did pull themselves because they are expecting NFL calls.  The only way to tell is to see who on the Tuskers’ roster gets signed to NFL squads in the coming weeks. 

I honestly hope that all of this is wrong.  That being said, if it’s true, I don’t want to see the players responsible take a snap again.  Players who are too worried about themselves have no business playing.  Fans deserve better.

Nikolay Davydenko pulled off an upset of Robin Soderling 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 to knock out Novak Djokovic who had beaten Rafael Nadal, earlier today. He’ll face Roger Federer. Soderling had aleady secured his spot in the semi finals on Saturday and he’ll face Juan Martin Del Potro. Everything is pointing to the same match as the US Open. Maybe a chance for Federer to avenge his loss.

Federer and Del Potro use Wilson Rackets, Soderling uses the Head Microgel Radical MP while Davydenko uses the Prince Ozone Pro Tour racket.

First I was happy when the Sabres scored the first goal.  Then I was concerned when the Flyers scored two quick ones (Dear Sabres, Work on actually playing for twenty full minutes, not nineteen and a half.  With Love, Frostee).  Then I was cautiously optimistic when they came back, and then I was happy again when they won 4-2.  When you start and end happy, consider it a good game.

Score aside, that was one big chippy chipfest.  Wow.  So much fighting and hitting and players writhing on the ice in pain and me having mini panic attacks.  All in all, I think the Sabres alone ended up with 13 3 casualties?  Patty getting kicked out, Goosie hurting one leg and Craigory hurting two?  Then there was Tyler Myers, but thank the merciful and great hockey gods, he came back.

Both Paul and Craig’s injuries looked serious.  The Sabres will miss having their captain around, but Paul Gaustad has been one of the best players for the team aside from Ryan Miller.  They’re going to miss him a lot.

Mayhaps we can call up Tyler Ennis?  If he’s not too busy with other things?

Tim Connolly had a spectacular night afternoon.  Good on ya for finally doing something, Timothy.

Mike Richards is the slimiest of all the slimeballs in the land, and I don’t like him.  He’s so dirty, and he’ll always get away with it because he’s Mike Richards (cue Pierre McGuire).  I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Patty got suspended for his hit, but no one’s going to do anything about Richards.

Ray Emery is not a very good goalie.  I don’t know why everyone kept thinking he’s the reason the team could actually make a deep run this season.

Killing off all the power players against the best power play in the league was pretty spiffy, boys.  Good work.

Stupid Scott Hartnell felt the need to pick on Timmy K, aka someone half his size.  Keep it classy, Scott.

I don’t like Philadelphia.  This win was very satisfying.

It was also an important win to get, because I’m already nervous about tomorrow night and to go into a game against Carolina with a five game losing streak is a recipe for disaster.

Sabres, please don’t completely embarrass yourselves at home against the Hurricanes.  That would be tragic.

i apologize for the lack of posting.  i’m on day 5 of sickness.  as soon as i feel back to relatively normal health blogging will continue.

Not a happy day for Brits as their favorite player was not able to make the ATP final 4 at the O2 Arena in London when Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina beating Roger Federer 6-2, 6-7, 6-3. Del Potro moves onto the semi finals along with Federer and Soderling. If Del Potro had lost one more game against Federer, Murray and Federer would have advanced. Murray beat Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 6-7 , 7-6 but all for nought as he is out of the tournament which is based on a complicated ranking system. Rafael Nadal of Spain was eliminated after two consecutive losses. Davydenko and Soderling square off today’s matches along with Nadal vs Djokovic. Davydenko could make it with a big win today. Djokovic still has a chance to make it to the final. Djokovic has been playing much better of late with his new racket.

Author: Marcus Peterson
Source: articleage.com

DVD is a type of optical storage technology. Digital form of storage has completely replaced magnetic storage media like floppy disks. DVD is the acronym of Digital Versatile Disk and is better than CD in terms of audio and video quality. It is versatile and can be played in DVD players and computers.
DVD comes in various formats like DVD-R and DVD-RW, the R and W means read and write capacity of the disc. DVD players can play units can play a various units audio and video discs in different formats such as CD-R, CD-RW, mp3 and VCD. DVD players also support jpeg formats. Some DVD players have recording features.
DVD projectors are used to project audio and video images from DVD players and VCR. Care should be taken to ensure that the medium used is compatible with the DVD projectors. For instance, some DVD projectors don’t support inputs from computers. While hiring DVD projectors, the accessories are DVD players, DVDs, sound systems and screens. These have to be carefully chosen. They also come with IR remote controls and laser pointers. The output can be fed into high resolution plasma and LCD displays.
Some of the branded names available for rental come from 3M, Canon, BenQ and InFocus. They are available in different models with different features. DVD projectors can be hired for as low as $80 and the accessories are charged with their own rental rates. The rental companies require credit card information and an ID. Since projection is of high quality, the major segment is the corporate and business houses for their presentation requirements.
projectors, because of their versatility and high quality, are used in wedding receptions and other staging events such as conferences and trade shows. projectors have made the film projectors less attractive.
Projector Rentals provides detailed information on Computer Projector Rentals: A Guide, Projector Rentals, Film Projector Rentals, LCD Projector Rentals and more. Projector Rentals is affiliated with DLP Projectors.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcus_Peterson

Photo credit: Bordanaro and Zarcone

When not being used to teach new members the secret hand shake, the Elks Club Rathskeller Room was often used for the ARPD’s end-of-year baseball awards banquet. 1969 was no exception as this photo shows Elks member, Mark Happ, and the Grand Exalted Poobah, Don Landreth, congratulating some of the league’s top baseball players. Can you name who they are?

This Holiday edition of Who Am I? is sponsored by Bonnie Bowman Archery, located at 2007 High Street. Our winner will receive a trip to this year’s Bowman Elk Trot, during which members of the Elks Club don a full rack and run across the indoor range while anxious hunters draw a bead on them.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

‘Shameful Flight’ relates the history of the final years of the British Raj in India, including the partition of India into both Pakistan (West and East) and India, and the early hostility of the two new nations destined for perpetual warfare in such regions as the Kashmir.The history of this era of political instability on the subcontinent includes all the main players from Great Britain, India and Pakistan.These main players include Winston Churchill, Viceroy Louis Mountbatten, Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru and Quaid-i-Azam Jinnah. There is not a single figure in this history of India’s partition who comes out of it in a good light, though several seem to have had very well-intentioned aims and motivations. It is the true story of lost opportunity and the devastating consequences of human pride and selfishness that have reverberated down through the decades to the present day and remain visible in the continuing clashes between India and Pakistan, as well as in the extremism expressed in both the Islamic and Hindu communities throughout the sub-continent. It is a story of perpetual tragedy and human suffering with no end in sight.

This book is extremely easy to read, passes on a wealth of historical information and whets the appetite for further research on the India/Pakistan situation. It provides enlightenment, by bringing understanding to the current political instability in both India and Pakistan, by clearly revealing the root of the problem – the manner of the birth of both nations out of British imperialism and that nation’s final haphazard departure aptly described as a ‘Shameful Flight.’ This is a great book for understanding the sub-continent and the wounds it still carries to this day.

This book was provided to me for review by Oxford University Press – www.oup.com

I highly recommend you go see The Blind Side.  Even if you are not a sports fan.  Teachers, parents, brothers, sisters, coaches, players, sports fans, humanitarians,  HUMANS.  There truly is something for everyone in this movie.  The Blind Side shows what it truly means to be a good person. 

Leigh Ann Touhy took in a homeless child, Michael Oher, made sure he made the best of his education and gave him the gift of being able to go to college on scholarship for football.  Being from the south (even though I currently do not live there) I pride myself on being a stong southern woman.  I was raised by a strong southern woman.  My Great-Grandmother Ora is perhaps the strongest sothern woman I have ever met.  She raised more than a dozen of her own children and several that like Leigh Ann Touhy were not her own, made sure they got an education; which in the 40s in Appalachia West Virginia was not common.  She pushed them to go on to college, police academies, and the military.  Unlike the Touhy’s though she didn’t have money.  She was “just” a small town farmer.  My Grandfather in turn married a strong sothern womon, a woman who went to college (in WV in the 50s!), who also pushed her children to get an education.  My aunts have college degrees which again was not that common in West Virginia in the 70s.  My Dad and uncle have college degrees (my Dad a masters) and both served over 20 years each in the military.  I have a college degree and this year my younger cousins will follow suit and earn theirs, and will be followed shortly by their siblings.  I think it’s safe to say that all of us were able to do this because of the strong women that are behind us.  It is because of strong southern woman that the men and women in my family are where they are today.  My Mom had a strong southern woman behind her and was the first woman in her family to not only go to college but to finish.  I was the second.  I hope to be the first to earn a Masters and maybe even a PhD.

Sandra Bullock did an amazing job in The Blind Side portraying what is truly means to be a strong southern woman.  She didn’t take no for an answer from anyone.  She did what she had to for not only her biological children but this random child, Michael Oher, she saw needed her.  I hope that some day I can be 1/2 the woman Leigh Ann Touhy is.  Or that my Great-Grandmother, Grandmothers, and Mom were and are.  

So today I am thankful the the Strong Southern Women behind not only me and the rest of my family, but for all of the Strong Sothern Women that are behind someone pushing them to be everything they can be and more.

Author: John Dulaney
Source: articleage.com

Several companies produce good quality DVD players in Italy. Samsung, Toshiba, and Buffalo are some of the famous manufacturers of high resolution DVD players and they have exclusive showrooms in Italy. They not only play high resolution DVDs, but also CDs and MP3s. The demand for HD-DVD players in Italy is growing rapidly because the, dvd, players come up with many features like parent controls and on-screen functions on the menu incorporated within them. To make the viewing experience of the people a memorable one, the high resolution DVD players available in Italy deliver crystal clear sound, thanks to the Dolby Digital sound system they use.
While checking the stores in Italy for high definition DVD players, ensure that they have necessary accessories like digital virtual interface jacks attached, dvd, to them. These new age players have user-friendly features like instant replay and skip facility, progressive scan system, and digital photo viewer capability.
One look at the various electronics stores in Italy brings forward a variety of qualities that high definition DVD players have. There are plenty of high definition wireless media players available in Italy, dvd, that have various, dvd, features like progressive scan and parent control system. They cost only around $200, which is quite a bargain. The HD-DVD players from Buffalo are quite famous all over Italy and are priced around $160. Sony also comes up with its DVD players in Italy with a plethora of features like HDMI exit and the players have an upper scale function of 720p/1080i. They are priced a little over $170. Another famous brand in Italy that provides high definition DVD players is Samsung. Samsung players provide almost the same video output as Sony HD-DVD players, and are priced unbelievably around $100. One can check out the details of various DVD players by visiting their outlets or through the Internet.
You can also check the Internet for various HD-DVD players available in Italy. One can collect as much information about them as needed from various sites and place an order on the net. Usually a predetermined amount of delivery charges will be levied on the customers on every purchase of high resolution DVD players made through the Internet. High definition DVD players give consumers a higher quality picture and sound. This is achieved by using advanced model chips for processing. HD-DVD players work better with high definition DVDs that store up to two hours of 720p or 1080i on their discs.
VCR players that play VHS tapes display images that are 250-line interfaced. The next generation video players after VCRs were standard DVD players. They usually display a 480-line interfaced image on the screen. In the case of high definition DVD players, we find 480-line image which implements progressive scan method. This entitles the viewers to see a crystal clear picture and increases the clarity of the video as well as the audio signal. Newer and expensive models of high, dvd, definition DVD players focus on enhancing the resolution and sharpness of the broadcast. For this purpose, electronic companies and manufacturers of DVD players are experimenting with a variety of technologies like lasers, complex compression techniques, and very large scale integrated circuits.
If you decide to buy a high definition DVD player in Italy, you should ensure that all the accessories that enable you to watch high definition discs on your television sets are provided with the DVD player. This is because some, dvd, of the sets are not compatible and they do not play HD-DVD format discs. You need to have a digital virtual interface jack to play HD-DVD discs.
There are many electronics stores in Italy that stocks numerous models of DVD players including the advanced and expensive high definition, dvd, DVD players. You can also verify the features and choose to purchase players that can play DVDs and MP3 discs apart from high definition discs. These DVD players incorporate many other functions and are capable of doing things like recording, other than just playing discs. Slim line designs and portable wide screen models are some of the famous versions that are available from this range of DVD players.
High definition DVD players can play discs that are in both MP3 format as well as JPEG format. You can also have the output, dvd, in two different formats like Dolby digital and DTS digital. Few HD-DVD players have recording facilities and they record in DVD-read and DVD read/write modes. The current generation HD-DVD players are designed to play almost all kinds of discs.
High definition DVD players present the output in digital format from the data or information stored in digital format, and this makes the conversion process quite simple and smooth. If high definition discs are played in HD-DVD players, then great clarity and superb sound can be achieved. To play standard discs with the same kind of clarity, you need to have a high definition multimedia interface present in your player. This helps you get the best possible image or picture.
In other standard DVD players available in Italy that plays standard DVDs, the information or data are stored in analog format on these discs. Players have to convert data present in the analog format to the digital format and hence the picture quality is not optimum. When it comes to high definition DVD players, the data are read from discs that store them in the digital format and hence the output is clear and perfect. DVD players available in Italy not only play DVDs, but also SVCD, VCD, DIVX, CD-R, and CD-RW.
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Umar Akmal test hundred at debut, Cricinfo.

It might be little early to say this but hell YES i will do it anyhow, Umar Akmal is the Man I will be following and supporting in upcoming years. He truly made my day today with a test 100 at debut. I had followed Inzimam-ul-Haq and then Mohammad Yousuf recently but there wasn’t any in last two or so years, I looked forward to Misbah-ul-Haq but he lost his form and his way too early. (I hope he will get some back with this recent call in tests in New Zealand)

Although I follow every Pakistani player as well as many others and almost all International cricket at least but there must be someone and that too from Pakistan to be found of and for now on it is Umar Akmal. Yes I am mostly obsessed by batsmen but I like bowlers too and these days Aamer and Saeed Ajmal are on my raidar.

Today Umar Akmal was magical, you might not notice it as neutral and will say he was good actually very good but don’t exaggerate it. But hey I have my reasons for this and first of all he is in Pakistan team, thats it. Oh, But I have some logical ones too: 

• It was his debut at the age of 19 and first inning in test cricket.
• He cam at crease when Pakistan was 3 down for just 60 odd runs.
• He hit Shane Bond for a four on his first test ball, that too when Bond was creating havoc in Pakistani camp while bowling beautifully at 145+ ks and 151 Km/h once.
• He soon found himself in a position where his team was 5 down at 80 odd runs while trailing New Zealand’s first inning 429 at day 3.
• He was with last recognised batsman fortunately his own brother Kamran Akmal.
• Thats huge pressure on a debutant. But he doesn’t even bothered it. He hit bowlers like Bond and Vettori all around the park.
• He raced to his 50 in just 60 odd balls and reduce the pressure off him and team.
• His aggressive stroke play kept firing Kiwis in check, Vettori was looking pretty defence while he was having a go.
• Then he lead Pakistan to avoid a very possible follow-on and place them in a position to save the match which was slipping away from Pakistan.
• In all this he completed his maiden test hundred at a strike rate of 80 odd. It might not be a match winning ton but it can be a match saving one.

Umar Akmal and Kamran Akmal, Cricinfo.

So after all this I think he deserved to be watched out for the future as a Pakistan team supporter. I must wish him all the best and will hope he will do it consistently for Pakistan as they need it more than anything. 

In all this don’t forget the roll of Kamran Akmal his elder brother he also played a fighting and supporting knock and also did his job to keep Umar calm as a brother. They were seen in a lot of mid pitch chats a treat to watch between two look a like brothers.

And this match has entered into a very interesting phase probably heading to a draw if there isn’t anything spectacular but yet it will be an entertaining fifth day of test cricket which Test cricket needs often.

And for Pakistanis the last day of the match will be on the day of festivals EID-ul-ADHA and that too in early part of the day when they will get back from their EID prayers and QURBANI and can have fun for couple of hours with family and of course with all the food served. I hope weather will stay good in University Oval.

So HAVE A NICE EID day!

Robin Soderling came in as a last minute replacement for injured Andy Roddick, but he’s just won his second match of the tournament. For the first time in the last 6 meetings, Soderling trounced rival Novak Djokovic 7-6, 6-1. Soderling struggled with his net play but served well with 10 aces and winning 80% of his first serve points. Soderling has won $240,000 with the win and takes one of the semi final spots. Soderling uses the HEAD MicroGEL Radical MP racket.

Andy Murray battles Fernando Verdasco Thursday.

Forget Beckham, Scholes, Butt and the Nevilles. Simon Davies was my hero.

The emergence of Darren Fletcher as a strong contender for World Footballer of the Millennium has been the highpoint of many United fans’ season so far. Fletcher has gone from frustrating the Old Trafford masses, and making us all at some point ask ‘is Fergie keeping him around ‘cos he’s Scottish’ to dominating games in a Keane-like manner that seems to have us all claiming ‘I knew he would come good.’ Yet there’s still a part of me that misses the Fletcher of old sending wayward pass after wayward pass, to anyone in particular, timing tackles so poorly he made Scholes look like Jaap Stam. Watching the Arsenal game earlier this season, it dawned on me as Fletcher was our best player, O’Shea was wearing the Captain’s armband and Mickey Phelan stood shouting instructions from the sidelines that a few years ago seeing all that would’ve made me think I’d wandered into the seventh circle of hell.

It seems nowadays at Old Trafford there’s been something missing from the starting eleven ever since O’Shea started showing signs of consistency-the really p*ss poor United player. You could argue, and many do, that Nani fits the bill, but let’s have it right even he shows signs of brilliance that make us see realise what Fergie bought him for. I’m talking about the players you used to see at Old Trafford and think: ‘I could do better than that.’ The Klebersons, Djemba’s, Millers, Poborsky’s, Taibi’s, Bellion’s and Chadwick’s of this world. Why would anyone miss the likes of that? I hear you ask. Let me explain.

For me as a young lad going to my first United games, one of my funniest memories was watching Brian McClair desperately plodding forward on another pointless diagonal run into the middle of nowhere which almost certainly ended in the loss of possession. It wasn’t McClair’s lack of skill that amused, it was the bloke who stood behind me, who everytime McClair set off, would shout :“Go on Choccy, show ‘em your pace!” to rapturous laughter. It never got old, nor did the way one fan used to call him ‘the maestro’ every time he touched the ball. The fact we were successful helped.

Then came Poborsky, bought on the back of a wonder goal in Euro ‘96, the famous lob/chip which catapulted him into the limelight. Here was a player who was best remembered at Old Trafford for his naff barnet rather than any footballing prowess, it seemed once he left he actually improved following a trip to the barbers. After Beckham’s departure were the dark days of Kleberson and co (before Ronaldo, really took off). Kleberson was bought after being part of a world cup winning Brazillian side, ‘remember he hit the bar in the final’, I told a mate who’d failed to notice him during the entire tournament. My mate wasn’t being forgetful he hadn’t noticed Kleberson for one simple reason- he was practically anonymous in every game that he played. The reason I miss these players, is because you never felt guilty shouting at them and they always gave you a reason to. They weren’t good enough and if you had a little rant-which we all sometimes like to do- it was perfectly justified, I’m sorry but if anyone ever watched Massimo Taibi gifting Le Tissier an equalizer and didn’t lose their rag, you must be a saint.
Now though it seems the United side is made up of men who deserve to be there, players who even the harshest critics can see some good in. It seems like ages since I’ve said I could do a better job than him and not got a sarcastic comment from whoever heard it. I’m just gutted I’m too young to remember Ralph Milne, apparently he was a legend.

Author: Nitin Batra
Source: ezinearticles.com

When the DVD players were not in the market, most of the people used the laser discs to watch videos and that became very popular. But, now the cheap DVD players have completely replaced the laser disc from the market. The DVD players of Phillips offer complete entertainment to the users and that too come within a very little sum of money. Phillips DVD Players offer a wonderful experience to view your different videos with supreme quality of sound which makes it more enthusiastic. An individual can easily connect the DVD with his television set and can get, dvd, his desired picture quality.

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If you want to buy or have bought DVD Player, you should consider or check following feature and precautions-:

DVD player is an electronic device, that’s why it should be ISI certified and do not consume more electricity.

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The Author has been working for Entertainment Media and providing important information about Home Theater and Flat TV You can read articles regularly on http://www.retailsdirect.com Store For Shopping.

As usual, I started the game with conflicting feelings. Then Alex scored, and, um, well, you can figure out who I started rooting for after that.

I was really impressed with the Caps tonight. They managed to hold on to a lead in a game that was 1-0 for the majority of it, and they even managed to kill off lots of penalties late. Holy sweet mother of mercy, Mike Green even played DEFENSE. Like, how does that even HAPPEN? It must have been some sort of Thanksgiving miracle. I’m fully confident he will return to suckiness Saturday night. But it was kind of nice seeing him clear the puck out and do various defensive things. Totally weird to watch, but nice.

Varly, you’s a crazy mofo. ILY even if you do think American girls are really fat.

Lars played a very, very good game tonight. Lars has not been as good as he is known to be as of late, so to see him play so well was quite rewarding. He didn’t get any points, but he looked great out there. Just for that, my dear boy, you can have extra pie tomorrow night. Yes, yes, I know how generous that is. But Thanksgiving is a time for not worrying about our muffin tops.

Christopher Sr. continued to be far too shy to actually score a goal with me watching. Bless his heart.

At one point both of my Christophers were on the ice. It was so nice to have all my beloveds in one place.

The Caps played a great game and deserved the win. Pats on the backs for you, Capitals.

The Sabres, on the other hand, make me think that they will never ever play a decent hockey game ever again. How long has it been since they won? Three weeks? Four weeks? Good grief, they looked awful tonight. THEY DO NOT SHOOT THE PUCK. How many times do I have to tell them? SHOOT THE GOSH DARN PUCK, YOU ANTI-PUCK SHOOTERS!

Ryan Miller is keeping this team alive right now. He had absolutely NO support on the Fehr goal. Guys, one of these days he’s going to get hurt again or burn out or have a nervous breakdown, and then what are you going to do? How will you even make it on to the ice if he’s not there to bail you out every two seconds?

The power play sucks so bad I’m not even going to say anything else about it.

Except this: OMG Craigory when you have a five minute power play taking a penalty is so not cool.

(On the flip side, it was totally B.A. how the Caps killed off almost a five minute power play.)

Timmy K’s dad is a cutie-pie.

Ok, so, I guess it’s time to get to that hit. Here’s the dealio, guys: Alex hit Patty K. Yes, he did. Patrick’s head definitely got hit, but he kinda sorta saw him coming. And I don’t think it was a vicious head-hunting hit. The ejection was probably more deserved than not, but I’d be kind of surprised to see a suspension. And not just because of who he is.

Alex also always scores pretty goals against Buffalo. Buffalo seems to bring out both the best and the worst in him.

Andrew Peters tried to kill someone tonight, apparently. Petey, Petey, Petey. New Jersey has changed you. I miss the cute, cuddly body guard you used to be.

Vanek must still be hurt. He’s got to be. It’s the only explanation for why he’s been so bad lately. Oh, Thomas. Just get your booboos fixed so you can return to being an awesome goal scorer.

The anthem singer tonight looked like a mini Mike Grier. It was rather adorable.

Henrik Tallinder was on the ice for Alex’s goal. I totally called that.

Finally, before I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving and thank you all for reading, I’d like to pass judgment on Alex’s new haircut. Well done, Mr. Ovechkin. Usually your haircuts are pretty tragic, but this one looks great. It’s not too short, but you’ve taken care of that sloppy mess on your head. I love it.

But please, sweetheart, next time refrain from picking your nose while the camera’s on you.

On Saturday November 28, 2009 this years competition si finally going to start. In our first game we will play Willemstad team b. All boys should be at the pitch of Willemstad at 9:15 am.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

The shock of watching former Pro Bowlers Aaron Kampman and Al Harris go down with season-ending injuries in the same game has many fans lamenting the team’s bad luck, but the truth is Green Bay has been pretty darn fortunate as far as injuries are concerned. Coach Mike McCarthy will send out 19 of his preferred starters on Turkey Day – a high number at this time of the year. “Plenty of teams are in worse shape than the Packers,” opined a former scout. “Yes, they’ve lost three quality starters, but all played different positions and two of the three had very solid backups.”

Injuries are a convenient excuse, but the good organizations are able to overcome them. “You find out a lot about your coaching staff and your personnel department when key players get hurt,” said the scout. “Take a look at Indianapolis and New Orleans. Those teams have been decimated by injuries, but they keep rolling along. The Colts beat New England last week with two unheralded rookie corners. And the Saints won a game earlier in the month without four starters on defense – including three defensive backs.”

The Packers are 6-4 with six games left. They’ll probably have to go 4-2 to make the playoffs. That’s very doable – even without Kampman and Harris. “[Defensive coordinator] Dom Capers will have to be creative, but that’s why he’s being paid $2 million a season,” said the scout. “I remember years ago when the Rams were running out of linemen and Fritz Shurmer came up with the 5-2. And it worked. Things aren’t nearly so bad for Green Bay. Capers still has a solid front seven and two Pro Bowlers in the secondary.” In short, if this team stumbles down the stretch, it won’t be because of what happened on two plays in the second half of the season’s 10th game. It will be because the front office and the coaches simply weren’t good enough.

To celebrate the Holidays I am going to post a free winning pick for every day of the week starting on Thanksgiving and going all the way to Sunday. I will also post some great sportsbook bonus so you can take advantage of some of the best in the business! Take time out to be thankful for everything in life and remember the troops that can’t be home on Thanksgiving.

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Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

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Free Pick for Thursday November 26th, Turkey day!

Texas @ Texas A& M

Texas has already clinched the Big 12 South and will play Nebraska in the

Happy Holidays!

Championship game but they can’t afford to get caught napping here. This will be no problem for Texas as they are focused on going to the Championship game after the loss last year that put them out. Texas A&M has flopped in six of nine as dogs of 20 points or more and in 10 of 12 ATS off a home win. The Longhorns have scored at least 41 points in their four previous road games this season. They are 23-12-2 ATS in November and get a blowout win here.

Play: Texas -21

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Free Pick for Friday November 27th

Alabama @ Auburn

Auburn enters this game with revenge after getting blanked last year. Alabama is going to the SEC Championship game against Florida so this game is a warm up. The Tigers have covered seven of 11 against Alabama and the home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five showdowns. The Crimson Tide dropped nine of 13 ATS when giving up more than 11 points on the highway. Auburn will not win but they will keep it close.

Play: Auburn +10

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Free Pick for Saturday November 28th

Arkansas @ LSU

The loss for LSU was a tough one that will linger over to this week. Arkansas has pulled off the upset against LSU the last two seasons. The Razorbacks are 11-6 as road dogs and the visitor is 6-3 in the past nine meetings. The Tigers are 2-14 as SEC home favorites and they have floundered in 27 of 34 ATS at Baton Rouge in November. Arkansas knows hwo to beat LSU and will do it again.

Play: Arkansas +3.5

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Free Pick For Sunday November 29th

Indianapolis @ Houston
Houston will be playing on a short week and they have to get Chris Brown in the right mindset for this game. Houston has cashed eight straight as home dogs and won six of those eight SU, the only two losses at the hands of the Colts by a total of four points. The Colts have struggled within the division, dropping 14 of 21 ATS, while the Texans are 6-2 at Reliant Stadium versus AFC-South citizens. Indianapolis has won six of seven at Houston, but failed in five of seven ATS. Houston finally gets the win against the Colts.

Play: Houston +3

Author: John Dulaney
Source: articleage.com

If we take a look at the way the home video technology has progressed over the years, we will be amazed at the extent to which it has changed in such a short period. The VHS (Video Home System) technology brought motion pictures into our living rooms and bedrooms. It was followed by the CDs, VCDs, and SVCDs that were more expensive, but provided excellent quality and utility. This was followed by the DVDs and DVD players that took the market by storm and became the most preferred mode for recording and viewing, dvd, of movies. Most recently however,, dvd, the latest technology that has joined the race is HD DVD (High Definition Digital Video, dvd, Disc), that has much higher storage capacity and enhanced quality attributes, dvd, .
Correspondingly, there has been a similar evolution in the digital data storage and handling industry. This journey started with the floppy, followed by the CDs,, dvd, the laser discs, the DVDs, and then the HD DVDs. Data storage and handling are a field by itself and has grown at a phenomenal rate.
VHS
The first step towards home theater was the Video Home System (VHS), introduced in September 1976. It was developed by JVC along with some licensing agreements with Sony. The VHS is a recording and playing standard for the, dvd, Video Cassette Recorders, well known all over the world as the VCRs. The VHS could record and play back all the analog television signals in existence at the time it was devised. By today’s standards, it is one of the poorest quality video formats. The video recording cassette being, dvd, big, its recording camera was also big and cumbersome. This led to problems, dvd, of handling and transportation.
The VHS-C is the Video Home System-Compact, which is the same in quality as compared, dvd, to the standard VHS,, dvd, that is, half inch size and 240 lines, dvd, of resolution. But as the name suggests, it is more compact and allows for the video camera to be lighter, smaller, and more convenient. The VHS-C has to be placed in a regular VHS sized case to enable it to be, dvd, played on the VHS player. The 8mm VHS tapes are smaller in size and are very convenient to use in recording cameras, but are not compatible with the regular VCRs and cannot be played, dvd, directly on the VCRs.
CD and VCD
The Compact Disc (CD) is an optical disc that is read by a laser. It is a polycarbonate disc designed to store data, music and video formats. These were played on CD players and were of the CD-R and, dvd, CD-RW type in particular. It was designed by Philips and Sony in 1988. In 1993, Matsushita, Philips, Sony, and JVC introduced a CD format that could hold a full- motion video. It was called the Video CD (VCD) or the compact disc digital video and had a standard digital format for storing video on a compact disc. These VCDs could be played on VCD players and computers. A video CD can hold VHS-quality video of 74 minutes and has a CD-quality sound using MPEG-1 compression. The VCDs were very popular in the Asian countries due, dvd, to their affordability factor, but did not get much popularity in the U.S. or Europe.
The low cost, dvd, of media resulted in rampant unauthorized copying of movies and was hence not widely supported by the United States entertainment fraternity. The Super Video CD introduced later using the MPEG-2 compression was of better quality, but its playing time got diminished to 35 minutes. A DVDV or double VCD had also been designed, in which, a regular CD was ‘Over-burned’ to incorporate 100 minutes, dvd, of video.
DVD and HD DVD
The DVDs came into the market in 1997 and were an instant success. This was mainly because of the reason, that even their cheapest version, dvd, was capable of giving a better picture and sound quality than a VHS, and could process information much more effectively than CDs. With a DVD played back on a DVD player, a consumer could have a much better home entertainment experience. DVD players have been designed to play multi region DVDs, and can playback any TV standard like NTSC, PAL or SECAM. The DVD players are compatible with a wide range of media such as CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, MP3, DivX, and many more.
Riding on the success of the DVD market, the HD DVD or High Definition DVD was introduced in 2005 and was an adaptation of the existing basic structure of the DVD. The HD DVD has a greater storage capacity and can provide better audio and video quality as compared to a DVD. All this is achievable at a marginal cost increase, mainly because the HD DVD can be manufactured using the existing manufacturing facilities for DVDs. This affordability factor is a great contributor to the success of HD DVDs. The HD DVDs are available in ROM, readable and re-writable formats. The HD DVD players are designed using all the features provided in the DVD players. The HD DVDs are integrated with a state-of-the-art content protection technology which is unique to this medium.
The storage capacity is 15 GB for single layer, 30BG for dual layer, and 45GB for a triple layer HD DVD. Also it uses highly sophisticated compression techniques using, dvd, MPEG-4 for increased capacity. A 15 GB HD DVD can store a full movie and incorporate, dvd, additional features,, dvd, with space to spare. Whereas as 30 GB HD DVD can store three movies of 150 minutes each and provide the high definition quality of playback. These features make HD DVDs a favored medium for storage and viewing of movies. With the widespread support from the entertainment industry leaders and the, dvd, high quality service provided by HD DVDs, they are certainly poised for a highly successful stint.
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Nov 25, 2009 06:03:05

There has been some strong media and patient outrage in the UK over a decision to not make available Bayer’s Nexavar, a drug for terminally-ill liver cancer patients, through the National Health Service.  UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence – referred to as the NHS’ drug rationing body by the UK media – says the drug’s price does not justify the benefits that it provides.  Nexavar costs 36,000 pounds a year (Rs 27 lakh). It extends survival by an average of about 3 months, and is the first to do so for liver cancer.

NHS could end up paying as much 9 million pounds on treating 600-700 patients a year who qualify.  Bayer has offered to give every fourth packet of the drug free but that would reduce the cost to 7.7mn pounds which is still pricey the NHS feels.

Bayer plans to appeal the decision.

The decision has health activists and patients up in arms. (See here and here). NICE has been roundly-roasted for putting a value on human life, so to speak. Note that neither of the articles that’s linked to above has a single talking head asking Bayer to bring down the price of the product.

Now consider what happens in India.  First of all, none  except those whom the government employs expect it to pay for drugs – whether for common cold or cancer.  80 per cent of our healthcare spend is out-of-pocket, among the highest rates in the world.

However, companies receive plenty of flak from the media for price increases (not that it stops many of them).

Indeed,  over the decades the government has conveniently shifted the onus of providing affordable drugs onto the drug industry.  How has it done this?  One, in the early seventies it liberalised the patents regime so that generics of globally under-patent drugs could be freely launched in India.  Two, it did little to raise the bar on quality. Indeed, once a drug was on the market for five years a new manufacturer did not even have to approach the central regulator for a quality approval – it simply got a manufacturing licence from the state.

As a result,  India has multitudinous copycats of a good number of drugs giving it the distinction of having among the lowest drug prices in the world. But quality is still a problem especially outside the metros. In fact, it is this inability of the government to guarantee quality that has allowed companies to charge an artificial premium for ‘brands’ – even though in a patents-free market there were hundreds of copycats of each drug. Brands are after all associated with quality.

So a strange duality exists in the country. Yes, it has some of the lowest drug prices in the world but to be sure of what they are getting, especially in life-and-death situations, consumers – rich or poor – still pay a fat premium.  Besides, when the markets are not large enough – such as for rare diseases – generics will not be found.

In recent months, a small attempt is being made in government to make amends.  The ministry of chemicals and fertilizers’ Jan Aushadhi pharmacy outlets provide unbranded medicines at far lower prices by using bulk sourcing.  Last heard, this was making slow progress for want of real estate and suppliers. The government also wants to pay for cancer drugs (currently a few hospitals like Tata Memorial funded by the Department of Atomic Energy subsidise medicines) but hasn’t yet begun.

As an aside, Nexavar – which is patented in this counry to Bayer under India’s tightened patent rules of 2005 -  is currently the subject of a lawsuit here.  Bayer has sued the Indian drugs regulator to prevent it from approving a Cipla generic which will probably be cheaper. And surprisingly, senior government counsel seems to be missing in action from the court proceedings.

True, it’s not all hunky-dory in the west as the Nexavar debate shows. Governments and insurers flush with funds to pay for healthcare have pushed prices to record highs to the point where countries are now feeling the pinch.  But India can learn from those mistakes and start forgeing its own system tailored to meet its needs.

And not sometime in the future. Today, right now, this minute.

Here is a list of the Alameda Recreation & Park Department Boys Baseball All-Stars from 1963. Of interest to note, although a member of the Little Coast League Champion, Franklin Eagles squad, future MLB All-Star shortstop, Chris Speier was not among the ‘63 stars. That honor went to Vic Gerson, John OBrien and Mike Reeder. See if that piece of trivial knowledge can win you a beer down at McGee’s Bar & Grill.

PEE WEE LEAGUE

Edison: Chuck Sewell

Estuary: Ken Walker

Franklin: David Farewell, Jerry Manis, Mike McCollum, Jeff White

Krusi: Ken Morris, Robert Olson, Gary Westmoreland

Lincoln: Chuck Sabbatini, John Tudal

Longfellow: David Jorgensen

Lum (Rittler): Mike Bordner, Bobby Davis, Jim Davis, Alan Deines

McKinley: Don Albright, Stan Bice, Jerry LaHue

Woodstock: Doug Mahoney

MIDGET LEAGUE

Estuary: Royce Ford, Jr., Forrest Haymon, Wendell Jones, Cliff Locklear, Reginald Mims, Larry Thomas

Franklin: David Inman

Godfrey: Dennis Peterson

Krusi: Mike Frecerro, Mark Hansen, Mike McKee

Lincoln: Mike Reichoff

McKinley: Ray Pagano

Washington: Willis Kellar, Steve Lucero

Woodstock: Rolando Araujo, Roger Alexander, Dan Hackley, Ron Hunter

LITTLE COAST LEAGUE

Estuary: Glen Abrams

Franklin: Vic Gerson, John O’Brien, Mike Reeder

Krusi: Steve Svendson

Lincoln: Steve Bartley, Greg Orton

Longfellow: Gilbert Araujo, Jim Sullivan

McKinley: Pat Sloan, John Westerbeck

Washington: Charlie Lucero, John Fernandez, Rich Fernandez

Woodstock: Robert Boyd, Ron Elliott

At the training today we did a playful exercise which will help the boys to improve their skills of handling of the ball. We also tried to improve the moving with and without the ball to take the right position at the right time.

We played a game with two very different levels. Although we were able to push team b back towards their defense we were not able to score a goal. Because we did not score team b started to believe in a good result for them and out of a counter team b almost scored the go ahead goal in the first half. In the first 5 minutes of the second half team b was the better team and this resulted in the 0-1 for our opponent. This resulted in the fact that we started even worse. Fortunately we scored the equalizer and then was the breaking point in the match. From thereon we started to play better and we were able to score 2 more goals to win this game with 3-1.

Team A:
1. Oliver – keeper
5. Gidon – right defender
3. Kid – defender
12. Matthew – left defender
14. Shaan – right midfielder
10. Noa – midfielder(captain)
8. Daan – left midfielder
4. Chaney– attacker
9. Coen – attacker

Substitutes:
7. Niels – right defender
13. Rowan – keeper

‘30 0-1 Joshi (team b)
‘42 1-1 Gedion (team a)
‘46 2-1 Gedion (team a)
‘48 3-1 Daan (team a)