text:
On Now
Coming Up

Reading the options of the future of offense

Posted by Darren Urban on January 28, 2013 – 10:48 am

The Super Bowl run-up this week — on both TV and in print — will be filled with a handful of the obvious stories this week: The last game for Ray Lewis, the Harbaugh brothers, and, with the 49ers becoming explosive on offense with new quarterback Colin Kaepernick, there will be plenty written and said about the read-option offense.

The conventional wisdom has long been that running quarterbacks will have a hard time having long-term success in the NFL. Defenders are faster and stronger in the pros than college. The chances of a quarterback getting hurt — and the chances that a coach wants to make sure his quarterback doesn’t get hurt — are high. Of course, that all got turned on its head this season, with Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson (to a lesser degree) all making the read-option incredibly dangerous to opposing defenses.

Where does it go from here?

It’s impossible to know for sure. I do know that defensive coordinators are going to have an entire offseason to prepare to defend it. If you are Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who could/will see some version of it up to seven times in 2013 — the Niners twice, the Seahawks twice, the Panthers (Cam Newton), Titans (Jake Locker) and Eagles (with new coach Chip Kelly) — you know the Cards are going to study the strengths and weaknesses carefully. There have been comparisons made to the Wildcat offense, and that version became a lot less effective the year after it hit the scene hard.

Then again, the Wildcat was done in a situation where the main ballhandler wasn’t a quarterback. The threat of the pass was only that, a threat. It wasn’t normal. That’s what makes the read-option so difficult, because the quarterback could instead fade for a quick throw. That’s why Kaepernick and Griffin and Wilson have been so good. It’s not because they run the ball well — although they do do that — but because they are accurate passers and can make defenses pay through conventional ways too. (In other words, Tim Tebow they are not.) As more and more college quarterbacks find ways to do both, it will inevitably find its way into the pro game.

Injury concerns are legitimate. The Redskins understand this. The more hits a QB takes, the more chance he gets hurt. Simple math. Maybe the success can be sustained on a football level, but on a player level, the quarterback won’t last as long. Or maybe the QB has to morph after a few years, like Michael Jordan went from going to the hoop every time into one of the best jump shooters. Pocket passers aren’t going away. It’s really about what the talent is coming from colleges and what coaches are willing to do to adapt. I doubt every team suddenly starts running the read-option, but I don’t see it going away.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Blog | 62 Comments »

62 Responses to “Reading the options of the future of offense”

  1. By D on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    To me, with I believe the Cards in last place in the division in terms of talent, I think they can’t miss on this draft. With the young QB’s in the division, they better load up more on the defense because SF, Seattle and even St.Louis have weapons on offense and are all young.
    Cards needs on defense are another pass rusher- D lineman, another inside LB (unless Bradley suprises everyone) and safety/corner depth needed. Sounds like a lot, but that side of the ball is closer to winning than the AZ’s offense.

  2. By Red Page Band on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    All I can say is that I hate that kind of ofense!! Stop it CARDS!!

  3. By Billy on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    We should draft EJ Manuel. That will makes us relavent again instantly.

  4. By AndyStandsUp on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Like Aaron Rodgers commented, the NFL is cyclical.
    The athletic QB is here to stay like all positional players, and Kolb best fits that bill of the options available.

  5. By John The Draft Guy on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Interesting article Darren,

    Did you hear Aaron Rodgers comments on the subject? He said about the read option , This too will pass.

    DC’s are smart guys. When the league sits down in an off season and examines this read option, I think they will come up with an answer.

    I also agree that we have already seen the effects on RG3. Cam and Kaepernick are big guys, so maybe they can take more of a pounding, but my thought is, if your offense is centered around the read option and your QB goes down, do you have a backup that can do the same things. Obviously in SF and Carolina, the answer is no.

    One more point I think the league should consider is the QB who keeps it, is now the same as a ball carrier, meaning he is open to helmet to helmet hits. We protect our QBs in the pocket but if they become runners, fair game. I’m not sure I want my QB taking those shots.

    It will always be a play in the playbook, but I agree with Rodgers, that it will run its course. How quickly it runs its course may be up to guys like Todd Bowles.

  6. By Nick on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    ” In other words, Tim Tebow They are not ” What a cheap shot especially since Tebow has been one of the greatest read option quarterbacks in College History. What Bruce Arians described as a starting quarterback one with character and ” True grit” sure sounded like Tebow would fit the bill.

  7. By Darren Urban on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Nick —

    RE: Tebow

    Key phrase: “college history.”

  8. By georgiebird on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Arians was hired to get the offense/QB position straightened out. If we are to believe the hype, Arians is the best (one of the best) person in the NFL to figure out all your questions.
    If the Cardinals do not take the right path with the QB and offense, then Bidwill and Arians will take the hit. And the criticism will be hot and heavy and it will come real quick because the HC hire should have been done with the “options of the future offense” as its centerpiece.

  9. By Darren Urban on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Georgie —

    RE: Coach

    So in other words, if the new staff isn’t successful and don’t win, they will be criticized.

    Sounds pretty much like every coaching staff ever hired. Nothing new here.

  10. By NYCardinals212 on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Darren Thomas Urban!

    You two better start playing nice. Don’t make me pull this car over!

  11. By NYCardinals212 on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    I ruined it with a question mark. Now, I’m sad.

  12. By Darren Urban on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    NYCardinals212 —

    RE: question mark

    The magic of editing

  13. By dave on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    There’s a reason no one wants Tim Tebow as their QB—can’t take away from his college career but his future as an NFL QB—nonexistent……….

  14. By Laird on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Stick with Kolb! Just re – build Offensive Line to protect him! Get good R.B.’s that will pick up on blocking blitzers!

  15. By Andy Kw on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    -QB Zac Dysert should be drafted in the second round. The team needs the long term answer at Quarterback now. This Quarterback is probably one of the best Quarterbacks in the draft. He is athletic, smart, fast, and accurate in the pocket. His arm strength is good and I see him throwing the ball to Larry Fitzgerald already. We need this Quarterback. Kevin Kolb can bring this team to the playoffs but due to his history of injuries, Kevin Kolb can take the reins for now and let Dysert develop into the Quarterback this team truly needs.

    -Offensive Tackle Ricky Wagner would be a steal in the 3rd Round. He has the ability to strengthen our run game which ours ranked 32nd in the league. We already solidified Lyle Sendlein as Center and Daryn Colledge as Guard. Our team has potential starters in Bobby Massie and Nate Potter but this team does not seem committed enough to them. Levi Brown is key to the offensive line and I see him as our Starting Left Tackle, Bobby Massie is our starting man for Right Tackle so don’t even think about moving him. This team has spent too much money on the Offensive Line (Adam Snyder, Lyle Sendlein, Daryn Colledge, and Levi Brown)

    -CB Melvin white should be looked at to draft in the 5th or 6th round as well. A 6’3 Defensive Back that is capable of being one of the best. I don’t believe William Gay will be our long term answer at #2 CB and Jameel Fleming only makes sense on the Nickel position so I see Melvin White as a must draft in the later rounds. Since he has comparisons the Richard Sherman and has good cover & tackling ability, we can not pass him down. Since Melvin White can also play Safety, he could be a future replacement for Adrian Wilson. Since he is rated a 59.6, I expect him to be drafted in the 5th Round but the Lions seem to be in contention to draft him.

    -I hope in the 2013 NFL Draft, our team really considers Theo Goins. He has the potential to become an elite Guard that this team could get for cheap. Out of all players in the later rounds, Theo Goins is probably one of the best Offensive Guards in the Draft. Since he is graded a 65.3, this team needs to draft him in the 5th or 6th round

  16. By Cardfan on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Darren doesn’t have to play nice when he’s right. Tebow is terrible, and it’s not an insight to realize that when a team doesn’t when the coach and owners will be blamed. I’m not worried about Arians, but I do question the DC choice, Eagles defense was terrible and then got worse. Well here’s to next year.

  17. By Cert 33 on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    I agree about the cheap shot at Tebow. It’s interesting that his playoff record with the Broncos (1-1) exceeds that of Peyton Manning’s with the Broncos (0-1). Hmmmm… That said, despite the fact that the athletic, run-option style QB’s like Takenton, Vick, Kaepernick, RG III, Wilson, etc…, are exciting and bring a little extra for a defense to account for, in the long run they have very short shelf lives, the defenses always adapt, and no QB of this type has EVER won a Super Bowl. This year will probably be no exception.

  18. By Kevin S on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Wow, Tebow has his defenders, even on the Arizona Cardinals site.

  19. By georgiebird on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Your article was about “options of the future on offense”. What I was trying to say is that the bar will be high for Arians as it concerns the QB and the offensive options for the future.
    If Arians doesn’t win but a viable QB is put in place and the offense shows progress, I think he will escape harsh criticism.
    I think most Cardinals’ fans will be very happy if Arians can get to 8-8. As I mentioned previously, the Cardinals are back to NFC East days when, yearly, they would battle with two of the best teams in the NFL. The West might now mean at least 4 losses even if the team improves a great deal.
    And just a note because I like you- “staff” is a collective noun and should be used with the verb “doesn’t”.

  20. By dwhitlock on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    any word on how adrian wilson is feeling post whiz? is there more optimism? or is he still skeptical?

  21. By AzDesertRat1953 on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Nice Darren, to compare Michael Jordans adjustments to getting older and therefore not get beat up as bad when making points.

    Now, if Coach Arians and the new staff can do the same, not so much for those that are getting older, but the Adjustments to the o-line so the QB, whom ever that is, doesn’t get the “Crap knocked out of him!”
    Maybe then we can have the same QB starting for more than four games!

    The fact that Russell Wilson does not do the Read Option so much makes him a very Dangerous QB for the D and the DC of any team.

    What I would like to know is how Wilson slipped through the cracks to the third round, did he not impress enough?

    Also, I seem to remember watching an old documentary film when I was younger, about the “Forward Pass Option,” That for a long time was not used when pro-football was first played, for a reason I can not remember. But one thing did stick with me. That the “Forward Pass Option” was a passing fad of the times.
    Oh how wrong they were..

    GO CARDS!!!

  22. By clssylssy on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    It looks like Reggie Bush may become available and he’s a playmaker. Please draft Gino Smith and don’t put another season in the hands of Kevin Kolb who hasn’t been able to stay healthy enough to play 50% of the games since he’s been signed. The guy may be nice but he’s never going to be able to be in the same class as Wilson, RGIII, Luck, Kapernick, Flacco or the elites. I think Mr. Bidwill hired Arians with the hope that he could make a silk purse out of something we have inhouse but that’s not likely. Seeing Fitz in the Probowl was bittersweet as he is so talented and is just dieing on the vine with the Cardinals. Since the organization has decided to dump our defense we are going to need to rebuild that in addition to the offense. Picking up some FAs like Bush or Ed Reed could really help shore up the team and buy us some time to rebuild through the draft.
    (Like a lot of other teams our defense is starting to age and this is going to be a year where defensive players are in demand by such teams as the Steelers, Ravens, Giants, Saints, etc.)
    Defenses win championships as evidenced by the two teams that are playing in the Superbowl. Where before we just needed an offensive fix and a little tweeking, now we are going to need a complete rebuild and fans aren’t going to settle for less than a playoff team that Arians promised when he was hired.

  23. By NYCardinals212 on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. And like that… he’s gone.”

    Thanks Darren. You wouldn’t believe how much that bothered me. I think I need professional help.

  24. By AzDesertRat1953 on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Well I found it, I think.

    The forward pass was once ridiculed by college football’s powerhouse teams only to be proved wrong by Pop Warner and his Indians.

    GO CARDS!!!

  25. By AzDesertRat1953 on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Not the one I remember, but it does make you wonder, and Think.

    GO CARDS!!!

  26. By Safety Guy on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    When does free agency signing kick off. And is Hoyer still on the roster?
    Hoping cards consider bringing him back. What’s his status?

  27. By Eazy E on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Yeah Darren that was a cheap shot. Their are alot worse QBs than Tebow and he is alot better than them. i.e. ours to start

  28. By jocards on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Look Tim Tebow seems like a genuine, quality individual that has a lot of very positive and redeemable traits….As an NFL QB however he leaves a lot to be desired. I’m not going to bash the guy at all because he did some things in the league that were amazing considering his skill set but it takes more than a great attitude and a tendency to be a winner as a person to win games consistently in the NFL. I like the guy and I give him a world of credit for accomplishing what he has but he is simply not starter material in the National Football League.

  29. By Eazy E on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Todd Bowles ain’t going to figure out how to stop a damn thing!

  30. By fightingbird on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    I would like to see Alex Smith here and or bring Tebow in neither can be as bad as the one we have.

  31. By Andy Kw on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Hey Darren,
    Is there a possibility of any of the Cardinal’s current high paid Offensive Linemen will be cut such as Adam Snyder, Daryn Colledge, or Levi Brown?

  32. By kerouac9 on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    The read option has very little to do with the threat of the passing game and much more to do with the ability of the offense to out-number the defensive players assigned to a particular side of the field.

    If you’re interested in the inverted veer and other aspects of the read-option game, Darren, take a look at Chris Brown’s SMART FOOTBALL, or his articles on the read-option on Grantland.com: http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/36841/back-to-school-how-mike-shanahan-is-using-rg3s-college-offense-with-the-redskins

  33. By Andy Kw on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    Hey Darren,
    Few more question;
    -If this team is committed to a 4-3 defense now over the 3-4, does that mean that our front Defensive Line will have DE Calais Campbell, DT Dan Williams, DT Darnell Dockett, and an extra defensive end?
    -Would that also mean that the number of linebackers in the starting lineup would drop from 4 to 3 making Daryl Washington, Sam Acho, and O’Brien Schofield as the top 3 LBs in the team?
    -And since William Gay had so many struggles in the 2012 season, will there be competition for the #2 CB spot?
    -With the firing of Ray Horton, what is the probability that Rashad Johnson returning?
    -What are the current statuses of injured RB Ryan Williams, QB Kevin Kolb, OT Levi Brown, and TE Rob Housler?
    -Since our Offensive Line has so many high paid veterans, are the Arizona Cardinals really going to make major changes to the Offensive line or is the Offensive Line going to remain the same in the 2013 season with the exception of Levi Brown returning? (What do you think? (I know it is early but in your opinion))
    -If this team drafts an Offensive Tackle in the 1st or 2nd Round, does that mark the end of LT Levi Brown in Arizona?
    -Has the Cardinals organization view OT Levi Brown as a major factor to Larry Fitzgerald’s production over the years which could boost his chances of staying?
    -I am kind of lost, If this team doesn’t draft a QB in the first round, will they draft a QB in the 2nd Round or will they push the drafting of a QB into further rounds? Is there a possibility of Kevin Kolb being cut if one of our QBs beat him out for the starting job?
    -Has Bruce Arians analyzed QB Zac Dysert in the Senior Bowl and considered him as a possible draft option?

  34. By Dynosoar on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    It sounds like Eddie Lacy, RB from Alabama is entering this years draft. I really doubt he’ll be around in round 2 of the draft. I know we need O-Line and a QB, but with who we have now, I feel we can wait until the second round and beyond for O-Line and QB, but Lacy will be gone.

    We need a running game and yes a running game needs a solid O-Line that can create running lanes, but it also requires a running back that can stay healthy and create running lanes when the defense holds the O-Line.

    Eddie Lacy showed he can do this.

    1. Eddie Lacy
    2. Tyler Wilson or Landry Jones
    3. – 7. O-Line and Safety (to be mentored by Wilson and Rhodes)

    Look to FA for other needs. I personally feel we are set at pass rusher and D-Line.

    This may be my first mock draft, so it’s not as refined as some of you, but I like it. Too bad there are 31 other teams to mess up what I want. Good thing there is a Keim and Arians to mess up what I want.

    I just hope we can land Lacy and either Wilson or Jones. It’d be cool when we face Seattle to make it easy on the announcers calling the QB position (a pass by Wilson).

  35. By fred mcmillan on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    “The magic of editing”

    very interesting

  36. By Mike Ellingboe on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    It wasn’t a cheap shot at Tebow, it was the truth. The QB’s running the read option now are better pocket QB’s than he is, like it or not. For all the revisionist history about “his” wins that the defense was largely responsible for, his career completion percentage is a shade under 48%. Kaepernick and Wilson have real QB rates of 62% and 64%, respectively. QB’s at that level don’t last (see our own John Skelton for a second example of that, another guy who “won” all those games last year).

    Have to agree with Darren, while it may not get implemented league wide it isn’t leaving, either. What we’re seeing, which we haven’t before, is world class athletes at the position who can pass as well as they can run. So far, the only way I’ve seen to stop it is with a dominant performance by the defensive line, like the one Nick Fairley turned in against Oregon a few years ago in the BCS title game. One thing’s for sure, and it’s something I’m very happy about, we won’t be seeing any more one dimensional pass rushers being overvalued in the upcoming drafts.

  37. By Coach Kevin on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    We have no choice if Eric Fisher is sitting there at #7, we have to take him. Otherwise, whoever is at QB will be running for their life. Fisher or Joeckel have the size and quickness to keep our QB’s healthy. So we take a left tackle first and then try to get Bray in round three, or even Scott. Bray and Scott have the strongest arms in this class of QB’s. And both should be on the board in round three or even round four.

    The only thing that could radically change everything is Geno falling to pick #7. Then everything changes.

  38. By georgiebird on Jan 28, 2013 | Reply

    The underground podcast (part 1) was excellent. It was 20 minutes of very little fooling around and some great points were made. Each guy seemed to give sincere opinions of the Cardinals’ situation-it was both entertaining and informative.
    As I critique the content of the podcast, some of my points:
    1) agree with the comments on QBs especially Wolfley on Kolb’s fragility. Thought Dave Pasch was right on point about the QBs in the draft.
    2) your comment on the need for a QB above all else was the most important point in the podcast – plus defenses being hamstrung today as opposed to years ago was a good insight.
    3) disagree with Pasch on his feelings about running the ball. The question should be “Can you run the ball” not “do you run the ball” SF, Ravens, Hawks, Giants, Falcons etc are all passing teams but it’s important to note they all “CAN” run the ball if they want to. Cards can pass all they want BUT they have to, at least, show the opposition they CAN run the ball.
    4) As Wolf noted Todd Bowles is under a lot of pressure but it’s unfair. Since the Cards offense was so bad, very few teams pushed the ball for a whole game against the Cardinals. As the offense gets better, more shoot out games will be played and opponents will attack the defense more than in 2012.
    Thanks again for the real good discussion, will be looking forward to Part 2.

  39. By Sarah on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    I watched the video, man you ramble at the beginning ! Yeah quarterback, well if there is no running game, decent line protection where does that take a new QB ? A year ago Kolb was toast, he went out losing last year and is a big question mark now. Analysts are always looking for the next hero, a draft choice is a risk, free agency is a risk. I was in SF when Alex Smith was a disaster for two years and it was considered the worst move the team ever made ! Last year was screwed up for lots of reasons on offense beyond QB like the line and run game. The Seattle game Skelton actually was ahead at the half in the first and probably would have pulled it out, Whiz applauded his play. Green Bay he played great but the team made lots of errors. Lindley I just don’t get at this stage, Hoyer we would need to see allot more of. Would Hoyer have won the Minnesota game, or first SF game, last Seattle game ? Seriously doubt it as the line stunk in Minnesota and SF game one, STL and especially Buffalo, Seattle 2 was like the sky opened and hell formed, it was not going to happen.

    If Manning had come last year it would have been great, Skelton would have backed him and learned. Kolb put us in this spot as he is unreliable dollar for dollar both in play and physical makeup. Skelton was supposed to be the backup and instead Kolb could not secure it . I say get a reliable veteran, cut Lindley, trade Skelton or release and keep Hoyer ( who has not won a game) as backup, or have him compete with Skelton who was 6-2 in 2011 and see if new coaches can fix his play. I bet they trade for a veteran ! I do not think they are all that hot on Kolb, he is a WC type and bogs down outside of that. I see Vick as an option and Smith who will want big dollars. A million QB’s out there to assess, the NFL is just about names.

    I watched four guys who have never thrown a football pass in a game be experts, let’s let the coaches assess this. Wolf has credibility, the rest just talking heads !

  40. By Jason Marcus on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    Ok , has Kolby been to the playoffs no has Teblow yes, has everyone lost there minds! Yes Tebow got hosed this year ,but that’s what happens when you play for the Jets, the dude was better off sitting ou the season and just chilln at home playing madden.I haven’t posted in a while and I wanna say I am very exited for this team and as I always say Go Cards!!!

  41. By Rich on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    as Kolb progressed through the season, he clearly was mixing his run capability with his passing. he is an extremely athletic qb. keeping Kolb healthy is the thing.

  42. By johnnybluenose on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    i saw the niners play the jets in new york in october. i watched tebow during the pre-game warm-up. he was bad. for every decent pass he threw there was a horrible one, usually bouncing the ball five feet in front of the receiver. that pass he threw in overtime to beat pittsburgh last year was a fluke. i feel sorry for tebow. i don’t see any team out there giving him a chance to play quarterback.

  43. By Marcelof on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    I been watching Football here in Brazil for 4 years only, but I can asure you all it’s time enough to realize Tebow ain’t a good fit nowhere he goes. He can’t throw the ball.. so would you give a .50 to a sniper who can’t shot?? He might hit a partner or yours instead.

    Kolb is not that bad, actually he’s better than a couple of QBs in this league, he’s just… hm… too much fragile.

    My opinion to next April, get an offensive lineman at free agency, Veterans can protect a young QB better than what a rookie OLM can protect a veteran QB (mostly), Landry Jones seems a good fit so does Geno and Glenon… but as for now, they just seem to be…

  44. By jeffgollin on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    As a one-man movement to “bring back the single wing”, I’ve been lovin’ the trend toward deep-snap offensive schemes, whether they take the form of Wildcat, Pistol or zone-read spread formations.

    I agree that, until recently, most of these offenses involved(a) RB’s who took the deep snap or handoff and ran or (b) QB’s who passed. Although the Single Wing emphasized a multi-threat running QB (call him a “passing tailback”), it did include a “spinner” series that resembled the Pistol, with a QB either handing off to a deeper RB, handing off to a flanker on a jet-sweep or inside reverse or keeping the ball and passing.

    But, rather than get nitpicky over what is or isn’t a true Single Wing, I’ll just remain a happy camper and be content in lumping all deep-snap offenses as “single wing derivative” (to make the trend “look bigger.”

    One caveat though – anyone head coach who considers making the SW his base offense had better become 4 or 5-deep in running QB’s (because of the pounding these guys will take).

  45. By azqfan on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    Cert 33, Tarkenton and Vick were NEVER, EVER run-option quarterbacks. They were both quarterbacks who ran when flushed form the pocket.

  46. By Darren Urban on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    dwhitlock —

    RE: Adrian

    I haven’t had a chance to talk to him.

  47. By Darren Urban on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    NYCardinals —

    RE: “He’s gone”

    Great reference.

  48. By Darren Urban on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    Safety —

    RE: FA/Hoyer

    Free agency begins March 12. Hoyer is scheduled to be a free agent.

  49. By Darren Urban on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    Eazy E and everyone —

    RE: Tebow

    Saying Tebow isn’t as good as Kaepernick and Wilson is a cheap shot?

    Ah, no.

  50. By Darren Urban on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    Andy Kw —

    RE: Players cut

    There is always a chance players could be released, but cap implications come into play on all of them.

  51. By Darren Urban on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    Andy Kw —

    RE: Questions

    I plan on doing a chat in the next couple of days.

  52. By Darren Urban on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    Sarah —

    RE: Video

    Yet you watched anyway …

  53. By Billy on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    Draft EJ Manuel

  54. By D on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    Good podcast Darren. I agree with the analysis. BA and Keim have a lot of work to do. The best thing for the future of this team is to try and trade down to grab more picks, but this draft doesn’t allow that with the talent at the top and that couldn’t be sold to the fanbase who wants a impact player. I think it will come down to if one of the 2 Off tackles are on the board vs the best DE on the board. Yes, that will take them out of the M. Glennon sweepstakes and Geno Smith sweepstakes who both probably will be draft later in round 1, but if they are keeping Kolb for salary cap reasons, and probably Hoyer in case Kolb gets hurt, then that will give the second round QB draft pick some time to learn. IF that happens, then they will need to go after a G in round 3, RB and ILB in 4 and 5 rounds…maybe with improved coaching, Brown and Massie could improve at the tackle spots…

  55. By D on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    per football focus: Offensive line ranking (number in brackett is 2011 ranking)
    The reason why Russ Grimm in umemployed.

    32. Arizona Cardinals (21)

    PB – 32nd, RB – 32nd, PEN – 16th

    Stud: It’s not so much that Daryn Colledge (-0.8) was a stud, as much as he was the best of a very bad bunch. The former Packer was on big money, but his run blocking left a lot to be desired and it was only his work in pass protection that saw him land in this section.

    Dud: Look no further than D’Anthony Batiste (-38.7). He was never meant to start, but he was so bad he gave backup left tackles a bad name. In his 10 games he amassed the second-lowest rating of all tackles (the lowest average rating per game), with his pass protection a particular lowlight. You won’t find many players who give up 54 quarterback disruptions on 404 pass blocking snaps.

    Summary: Just a truly horrible offensive line. The Cardinals had made progress in recent years, but losing Levi Brown and then deciding Adam Snyder would prove an upgrade at right guard came back to hurt them in a big way. The small consolation was Bobby Massie, who turned his performance around in the second half of the season, raising expectations going forward.

  56. By Eazy E on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    No that’s not a cheap shot, it is just how you said it. ”Tebow is not” seemed pretty offensive. Russell and Colin are better imo also, but you can’t deny what he did either.

  57. By Cardsfan75 on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    If someone could get the kind of play out of A.Smith that Harbaugh did, he would be a good option, but until Harbaugh came along, Smith wasn’t doing so well, if I remember correctly.

  58. By Don W on Jan 29, 2013 | Reply

    Since we are desperate for a left tackle lets ship our first round pick to Miami in exchange for Jake Long.

  59. By sarah on Jan 30, 2013 | Reply

    Video was good and Wolf is always astute (getting a bit grey now), you are not a radio guy to the extent of the rest of them, hence a bit wordy on tape in executing a point. I am sure their writing skills are no match for yours so work on the former.

    The video was mere conjecture and none of us sees game tape of players and plays in a big picture sense of who is doing what. This time last year the qb situation was an open competition and Kolb failed to close it. I hope he can this time for the sake of the team and the investment made. Would he have won out the 2012 season barring injury, who knows ? I will say that what looked like a fluke first bad STL game turned into a streak and Buffalo should have been a blowout for the Cards, hence something was not right in Denmark with the team overall. We never had a solid offensive and defensive game outside of Philly. One game it would be D , then Green Bay it was the offense in the second not supported by a D.

    No solid running game negates passing and combine line issues and you end up with a dysfunctional offence as we all got to watch. Play the highlights of the NFL Minnesota game on here, the announcers mention all the sacks we took. Game was still close as Ponder was equally inept but Peterson was unstoppable as was Jarod. Lots of issues and the NFL has always been a quarterback league.

  60. By clssylssy on Jan 30, 2013 | Reply

    Sorry…but when I think of the Cards playing the other teams in the NFC West twice next year, that’s six games right off the top we won’t have a prayer winning if they continue to put all their hopes on Kolb (when has he even played six games a season?). I agree with Rogers in his assessment that QBs are cyclic however, to be effective there has to be a physical toughness that goes beyond depending on the O-line, plus there is the reality that in all the time Kolb has spent on the sidelines with injury, the clock has been ticking and he’s not gotten any younger. Some athletes like Adrian Peterson and Peyton Manning work at rehabbing and becoming stronger and I’ve never seen anything to make me believe Kolb has that kind of commitment or passion for his craft. The young QBs this year were exceptional but will, no doubt, will modify their running game in the future after what happened to RGIII. Football is a team sport and there comes a time when the QB has to believe in his fellow teammates and let them to their job too. The Chiefs have the first pick in the draft and Andy Reid has always believed in building a strong line so I expect the Chiefs to take O-linemen and D-linemen first, Boyles SHOULD have learned something from Reid in Philadelphia but considering how bad the Eagles were the last few years, I’m not sure that we haven’t shot our defense completely out of the water. We can look at the Saints as well as our own defense and see that it takes longer than a training camp to learn a new scheme and with the competition in the West, I just don’t see the Cards being able to dig themselves out of the hole we’ve gotten ourselves in. The Harbaugh brothers have created the model for coaches in the NFL and epitomize the kind of youthful, energetic, innovative coaches that teams look for to connect with their players on a visceral level to inspire and win championships; the Cards couldn’t be farther away in this critical element for building a Championship team. I respect BA for his knowledge of the game but think he would have made a better GM or consultant/advisor to Michael Bidwill or even an assistant Head Coach. It would seem that a lot of very important decisions were made in the heat of emotion rather than through carefully thought out and planned decision making process and because of this, the new coaching staff have been set up to fail because winning on the field only becomes a priority with this franchise when the fans are in a roar threatening not to renew season tickets; it’s been that way for the twenty years I have been a Card’s fan!

  61. By Coach Kevin on Jan 30, 2013 | Reply

    This draft is a few months away, but it’s getting clearer and clearer to me that the Cardinals will take Eric Fisher in round one, then come back and surprise everyone by taking either E.J. Manuel or Tyler Bray, both who fit Arian’s style of QB. Then in round three a pass rushing end or outside linebacker, then a running back in round four. If they Cardinals are lucky enough to have this draft fall to these players, we will be right back in the thick of things in our division. I think Kolb and Hoyer will compete for the starting job and I feel very comfortable with either of them. Should be a great competition. Some draft boards have the Cardinals taking Tyler Wilson or Matt Barkley, but I do not see either of them fitting in with Arian’s. You can count on Kolb or Hoyer as the starter next year. May the best man win!

  62. By ken on Feb 1, 2013 | Reply

    drop skelton lindley and kolb. get alex smith

Post a Comment

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 498 other followers


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Truncated: length

WARC-Type: response

text:
My Big Fat Irish Wedding: Part 2 of 2

Deciding on my husband’s wedding band was difficult because he did not want any diamonds, gold, or platinum. Seeking out advice or suggestions from Laura Barringer, the Color and Gold Buyer, she suggested a titanium or tungsten ring. Not only did these meet Joe’s specifications but the band was so reasonably priced, it didn’t break our budget. BenvBridge had a wide selection to choose from so that I did not feel I was choosing a style everyone else would have.

SJf-14 (2)

For my own personal jewlery I wanted to stay simple and elegent as my dress already had a lot of detail and beading. I chose to wear a solitaire necklace and pearl bracelet to my match my bridesmaids. As a wedding gift, Joe gave me a pair of solitaire earrings. These were perfect accessory to complete my ensemble.

SJg-88 (2)

SJg-77 (2)

Of course with Jasper (our dog) in our wedding we wanted to make sure he was decked out in his finest as well.Ben Bridge has a wide variety of dog tags to choose from. So we decided to get Jasper a stainless steel dog tag with a single diamond. We then had it engraved with his new last name “Jasper Kinsella.” That way if he wandered off everyone knew who he belonged to.

SJc-233 (2)

We were very lucky that our friend Hannah Myers is a pastry chef, and she decided to make our wedding cake for us. I knew I wanted it to be unique and different. We came up with the idea of putting pearls on the cake. Surprisingly, it was less expensive to purchase Ben Bridge’s 100 inch pearl strands than buying pastry pearls. (Don’t worry these were not placed on the sheet cakes that our guests ate). The best part was that I am going to take the pearls from that cake and have them restrung into necklaces for our moms for Christmas.

_MG_1632 (1)

Joe and I would like to say thank you to everyone in the Ben Bridge Family who made our day unforgettable!

SJwp-84 (2)

warcinfo:
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)/CC WarcExport 1.0
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2015-35
operator: CommonCrawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for August 2015
publisher: CommonCrawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf


text:
A safe place to play online for all ages!

We know that a lot of bullying amongst teens and tweens has moved from the classroom to the online world. As Bullying Awareness Month comes to a close, we wanted to talk to one of our Bearville experts to find out how we keep Bearville, our virtual world, a safe place to play for kids of all ages.

“One of the ways we keep children safe in Bearville is with a very detailed Admin Tool, “ said Joy, Interactive OpBearations Manager, who has been involved with Bearville since it opened in 2007. “It allows us to see chat logs, trades [between players], inventory [of players’ accounts], etc. It allows us to quickly and correctly make decisions on whether or not a guest in Bearville is acting appropriately.” near Sports Plex

But what should you do if you or your child comes across a bully in Bearville?

“We teach our guests in Bearville to Stop, Block and Tell. When you see someone bullying or you are bullied, first stop communicating with that person. Then, block them from your friends list so they can’t communicate with you. Finally, tell a trusted adult which is our Bearville Patrol Team. The best way to alert our Bearville Patrol Team to kids who aren’t behaving properly is to report them through the game. This way we are sure to have the correct Bearville account name and the time it happened,” she said.

To report someone, double-click on the avatar  to pull up the menu and select Report. “You must select a reason for reporting a player and then give us a detailed description of what happened.”

Fall Cub Condo in

There are multiple steps we can take to show the bully that we will not tolerate their behavior in Bearville, one of them being a three-strike system where the final strike means they’re out. Under the FAQ there is a section called Report a Player FAQ, where players can learn more about how a report takes place, when they should report a player and how false reports are bad for everyone. They can also visit Parents can go to  to learn about how to keep Bearville safe for everyone.

“Another GREAT way for parents to keep their children safe is to play in Bearville with their kids!” Joy explained. “It is a fun place for the whole family to play.”

But it’s not all serious all the time in the Bearville Den where Joy works. There are always new games, events, parties and new friends to meet! “I’m a big fan of Halloween so I really like Bearville’s Kooky Spooky Fun House!”

Kooky Spooky Fun House in

Be sure to stop by the Kooky Spooky Fun House in!

About Molly Saunders

I am a bear in the Digital Dept at Build-A-Bear Workshop. I work at World Bearquarters in St. Louis, Mo. View all posts by Molly Saunders

One response to “ A safe place to play online for all ages!

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 41,342 other followers

%d bloggers like this:


text:
Video: Dance Artist-Choreographer Nora Chipaumire at CalArts

Last month, the renowned New York-based dancer and choreographer Nora Chipaumire visited The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance at CalArts as a guest artist. The 2012 Alpert Award recipient spent a week on campus, teaching master classes and working with students and faculty.

Scheduled to give a lecture on the first day of her residency (Feb. 11), Chipaumire eschewed the traditional lecture format: She discussed her background as a Zimbabwe-born artist, and her exploration of stereotypes in the movement piece Happy, which she then performed for the students.

We posted video excerpts from her lecture and performance at CalArts, above.

Chipaurmire returns to Los Angeles this weekend as one of the featured speakers at the first TEDxCalArts conference, held on Saturday (March 9) at REDCAT. Titled Body, Performance and Presence, the conference explores how new “understandings of performance and liveness are radically changing our experience of art, technology, culture and politics.”

Leave a Reply

  • (will not be published)

Be the first to comment!


text:
Posts Tagged ‘EV batteries’

Green Update: Why Do EVs Cost So Much?

March 13th, 2012

Tesla battery

The high cost of EVs and most hybrids is owing to the batteries, as most of you know. And 65 percent of Americans simply won’t pay the extra cost of an EV over a gas-powered car.

We did a story last month about Tesla’s “bricked” Roadsters, wherein the cost of replacing the battery (photo above) was claimed by the factory to be about $40,000, or 37 percent of the car’s original cost. For the Volt, I’ve heard a replacement battery cost of anywhere from $8,000 to $13,000.

And there are other associated costs with new technology, including the up-front cost of engineering, tooling, marketing and small production runs. Sure, these get reduced or amortized over time, but in the beginning, not.

Another “opportunity cost” for the buyer may be the government-sponsored tax credit. This could become an automatic add-in to the car’s price—as one of our commenters has claimed (scroll to Randy here). So in fact the federal $7,500 tax credit, in his scenario, goes into the carmaker’s pocket. The buyer gets the rebate but pays $7,500 more for the car. If true, that is a sick scam that ought to be investigated.

Continue reading >>>

Car Industry News, Car Minded, Car Parts, Car Politics, Domestic Cars, Electric Vehicles, Foreign Cars, Gas for your car..., General Chat, Green Updates, Hybrid Cars , , , , ,


text:
July 14, 2006

The origin of life

Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection deals with the question of how life evolves and does not directly address the question of the origin of life itself. The fields of cosmology and physics and chemistry have provided models of how the universe evolved and created the solar system, among other things. But those theories do not explain how organic molecules, the basic building blocks of life, came about.

An article by Gareth Cook in the August 14, 2005 issue of the Boston Globe examined this question in the light of an initiative (known as the ''Origins of Life in the Universe Initiative") by then Harvard president Lawrence Summers to invest millions to investigate this important question, partly in an effort to have Harvard try and catch up the leaders in this field at the University of Arizona, the California Institute of Technology, and the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif..

Cook says that the questions to be addressed are: "How can life arise from nonlife? How easy is it for this to happen? And does the universe teem with life, or is Earth a solitary island?"

Scientists generally work on the assumption that the laws of physics and chemistry that we work with on Earth should also apply everywhere in the universe. But those laws need not result in the same environment being created on different planets and since it is the environment that will determine the nature of the life forms that come into being, the laws of biology could be, and in fact would likely be, quite different from planet to planet, depending on the environment that was in existence at the time that living organisms came into being there.

Of course, we have no evidence right now that life forms exist on other planets. But "biologists have been finding that life can survive in much more hostile environments than thought possible -- such as microbes that live deep in rock or in searingly acidic water -- meaning that planets with more extreme environments might support life", lending support to the idea that life is likely to be found elsewhere.

Hence an important related question would be studying how different environments came into existence in the different planets and how the nature of life is related to the environment that produced it.

Cook's article summarizes some theories for the origins of life. The first is the famous 1953 Miller-Urey experiment: "A flask, containing elements of the early Earth's atmosphere, was jolted with electricity, like bolts of lightening. This simple setup created a wealth of organic molecules, but since [then], the prevailing view of the makeup of the early atmosphere has changed, and the experiment doesn't work well with the new recipe."

Others have suggested that "organic molecules could have been carried to Earth in the icy core of comets" (which presupposes the existence of life elsewhere and does not really answer the question of how life began, only how it began on Earth), or that "life began near the intense heat of deep sea vents, an environment that drives unusual reactions."

Yet other possibilities exist, such as the idea of chemist Scot Martin, who

"believes that ultraviolet light from the sun, shining down on tiny mineral crystals floating near the surface of the early ocean, may have generated organic compounds.

In his flask, he has shown that molecules of bicarbonate, common in the early ocean, attach themselves to a mineral called sphalerite. When the ultraviolet light hits the sphalerite, it sets off a chain of events that makes the bicarbonate more reactive, and that leads to a wide range of organic compounds in Martin's flask."

I find reports of this kind of research exciting because of the deep questions they address. It is undoubtedly challenging work, and finding answers will require intense effort by many dedicated scientists over many years. What will keep them going, apart from funding, is the belief that scientists have in methodological naturalism, the idea that the only thing that stands between them and answers to these important questions is their ingenuity.

As David R. Liu, a professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Harvard, says: ''We start with a mutual acknowledgment of the profound complexity of living systems" and he continues ''my expectation is that we will be able to reduce this to a very simple series of logical events that could have taken place with no divine intervention."

Of course not everyone is happy with that last thought. Those who seek to preserve a role for god are hoping that this effort fails, as their claim for the inexplicability of the origin of life is almost their last refuge, perhaps behind only consciousness and the mind. Cook reports:

Michael Behe, a biologist at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania and one of the leading proponents of intelligent design, said he was glad that Harvard was going to try to address the issue.

''If, as I suspect will happen," Behe said, ''they fail to find a plausible answer without invoking intelligence, then maybe science will be less hostile to folks who see intelligent direction in the history of life," he said.

To my mind, this sentiment captures perfectly the anti-science view of the intelligent design creationism (IDC) people, and shows very clearly why IDC should never be part of science. When Behe says he "suspects" that answers won't be found, he really means "hopes," since he has no basis for his suspicions except his faith that god created life. The IDC people actually want to see science fail to answer an important question in order to preserve their religious beliefs.

People with such attitudes can never do really good science because they will willingly and happily give up at the first sign of difficulty and let god do the explanatory heavy lifting. To do science at the frontiers requires one to be willing to work very hard, overcoming setback after setback, spurred on by your belief that an answer exists and is discoverable. The IDC people, always eager to pull god out of their hip pockets to answer tough questions, just do not have what it takes.

We can let Richard Dawkins have the last word on this (thanks to

You see, if you say something positive like the whole of life – all living things – is descended from a single common ancestor which lived about 4,000 million years ago and that we are all cousins, well that is an exceedingly important and true thing to say and that is what I want to say. Somebody who is religious sees that as threatening and so I am represented as attacking religion, and I am forced into responding to their reaction. But you do not have to see my main purpose as attacking religion. Certainly I see the scientific view of the world as incompatible with religion, but that is not what is interesting about it. It is also incompatible with magic, but that also is not worth stressing. What is interesting about the scientific world view is that it is true, inspiring, remarkable and that it unites a whole lot of phenomena under a single heading. And that is what is so exciting for me.

POST SCRIPT: No Joementum!

The indispensable Stephen Colbert looks at democracy and the Democratic senatorial primary in Connecticut.

Trackback URL for this entry is:

Mano, I tend to think "what is life" is a more enlightening question than "where did life begin?". I have been thinking more and more about our physical and chemical nature and the more I think about humans, animals, and plants like this I have trouble making distictions between what we call "life" and "non-life".

I generally perceive internally complex, self-contained objects that move "on their own accord" as life. Yes, we have defined life to include organic chemicals and while this is a common similarity it seems little more than arbitrary.

To an outside observer, an alien for example, how would a planet as a whole not seem to be a self-contained living animal?

Reading about the definition of life it seems to be more a game of wordplay than a well defined concept.

Posted by Aaron Shaffer on July 14, 2006 09:25 AM

Mano, it is very interesting that you juxtapose two quotes (David Liu and Michael Behe) to conclude that IDC people are “anti-science” yet failed to acknowledge that the “science” view people automatically eliminate the possibility of divine intervention in their presuppositions. You seem to be holding a double standard which weakens your argument.

While your blog supports a suggestion that IDC people might give up too soon in the origins search, it fails to address the scientific refusal to even consider anything beyond “methodological naturalism.”

Is there not room for “scientists” who explore origins from neither the “Divine” nor the “non-divine” assumptions?

Posted by Jack Schmit on July 14, 2006 12:15 PM

Methodological naturalism is a bedrock principle in scientific investigations. I just cannot see how you could do science if you allowed non-physical elements into your explanatory structure. Predictions, an essential part of scientific theories, would get thrown out the window.

Philosophical naturalism, however is a choice that scientists can adopt or not, depending on their preferences.

For a comparison of the two and why doing science requires the former, please see here

Posted by Mano Singham on July 14, 2006 12:49 PM

I agree with you that "what is life" is an important question. I am not sure how close we are to an answer. At some point, we might just have to make some arbitrary cut that divides the two, like we do with the question of death.

Posted by Mano Singham on July 16, 2006 09:28 AM

The phenomena of life and its origin:

There are now several books and theories about the phenomenon of life, its origin and diversification. All of them tell us the same story that life is indefinable. There is also a branch of science Biology exclusively concerned with the study of life. But biology does not define life. Darwin wrote about the origin of species without knowing what life is and what species is. Genetics is all about the gene; but geneticists do not know what the gene is. We are now trying to search for life of the kind we know of or of a different kind, on other planets without understanding the life we are familiar with. All these are facts. There is just one reason for all these problems. Whether one agrees or not, life (and death) can be scientifically defined in conjunction with the Quran. The details are given in my recently published two books: 1) The Computer Universe – A Scientific Rendering of the Holy Quran, (423 pages) and 2) The Great Gene Fiasco – The Quran Defines Life (pages 113). Both books were published by Adam Publishers, New Delhi, India.

An organism is a natural computer biosystem. A cell is a biochip with both hardware (all chemical structures including genome) and software (genetic program). Genetic program (biological information) is stored in the chromosome which is the storage device (memory) of the cell. The biological software is invisible like the software stored in our computers. Based on this reasoning it can be said that the particulate gene concept is wrong. Molecular geneticists are following erroneously a chemical trail for understanding the basis of life. More correctly, biologists are trying to find a hardware solution for a software problem. Genetics, molecular biology etc. are generating junk by treating the protein synthesis apparatus (genome) of the cell as genetic program. It is in fact the particulate gene concept that hinders the progress of life sciences.

The Quran defines death as the removal (deletion) of nafs (the software or the genetic program) from the body. Hence the dead body is like a computer without software (although the genome is in tact). Life is thus the manifestation of the execution of the genetic program (nafs, the software). From this, it can also be deduced that our computers, robots are forms of “artificial life” (man-made software).

P.A. Wahid

Posted by P.A.Wahid on August 2, 2006 12:35 PM


text:
Azgard Defence

Azgard DefenceAzgard Defence is a unique strategy game in which you’re challenged to build a line of towers to protect your home from invading creatures. To survive, you must choose wisely from among 15 kinds of towers and find the most effective placement. You must also earn as much money as possible so you can upgrade your fortifications. With addictive gameplay and great visuals, Azgard Defence is one of the best “tower defense” games around!

Continue reading Azgard Defence

The Source Article


text:
Rachael Leigh Cook pregnant with first child

(Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

(Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

Actress Rachael Leigh Cook is pregnant with her first child.

The “She’s All That” star is expecting husband Daniel Gillies’ child and admits she has been struggling to hide her baby bump on the set of TV drama “Perception.”

The 33-year-old tells UsMagazine.com, “I’ve been hiding my rapidly growing bump while shooting but this kiddo is vying for screen time. We clearly have a future actor on our hands.”

The couple, who wed in 2004, also has another big pending arrival – they co-star in new TV movie “Broken Kingdom,” which Gillies has also directed.

Categories: Rachael Leigh Cook

Comments are closed.


text:
Yearly Archive for 2012

: 2012

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Frugal Motivation: Being Frugal is more than just about Saving Money

Frugality gets a bad rap (especially extreme frugality). Some make fun of it (here is a link to Ramit’s hilarious video on extreme frugality—watch at your own risk), while others express an overall
Categories: Financial Health

Attacking the Cost of Doing Laundry in Our Household

The two of us generate enough dirty clothes to run two loads of laundry per week (with one-two extra loads per month), or approximately 110 loads per year. Over the past year I have been focusing some
Categories: Save Money

Are You Experiencing Symptoms of Financial Distress? Please Take My Survey

Money isn’t everything. It holds no water to first kisses, delicious conversations, checking items off of a to-do list, Friday night snuggles or any of the other beautiful subtleties of life. But if a
Categories: Financial Health

7 Ways I am Working Smarter

When I first heard the phrase “work smarter, not harder”, I dismissed it as business jargon for “work harder for us with no extra pay”. My cynicism did not allow me to see its potential in my own
Categories: Home DIY

ANTM Financial Lesson No. 2: Money Does Not Hold You Back from Your Passion

One of the challenges I found particularly interesting while watching a marathon of America’s Next Top Model involved a thrift store. I never thought I would see models and wannabe-models step foot
Categories: Financial Health

Slowly Boiling in a Pot of COL Inflation and Increased Fees

The agency I work for has not given a cost of living increase in three years now. I heard that it used to be a fairly consistent thing but with budget cuts during the recession it was one of the items
Categories: Budgets

Hosting Our Halloween Party for $3.46 per Guest

My mother, brother, and his girlfriend visited us last week from PA. In their honor we threw a Halloween party and invited 25 of our friends and family. What a blast! We wanted it to be a really
Categories: Entertainment, Holidays

Liquidating Our Electronic Graveyard: How did We do?

I opened up our closet in Paul’s office the other day and realized that our graveyard of electronic carcasses had grown big enough in size for me to attempt to reap some cash out of it. There was the
Categories: Extra Money

When Numbers Lie: Vanity Metrics in Clothing and Finances

I am going to be unlike the stereotype and share with you the history of my waist size. Throughout high school I was a solid zero. I even wrote a humorously melodramatic, 100-word soliloquy that I

America’s Next Top Model Financial Lesson No. 1: Invoke what Makes You Tick

I will be the first to admit that getting caught up in an America’s Next Top Model marathon is out of character for me. It was a Sunday mid-afternoon and my curiosity and boredom made it an attractive
Categories: Financial Health


text:
Robin Hood a fading figure?

As you know, I can get pretty ghoulish about our collective cultural demise.

Take, for example, the new Robin Hood movie starring Russell Crowe.

There’s nothing especially bad — or especially good– about the movie itself, which is fine and diverting and not too bloody or stupid, which is about all I ask.

But I have it on very limited anecdotal evidence (my favorite kind) that the under-18 crowd is pretty puzzled by the movie, because they have barely heard of Robin Hood and the very limited geopolitics involved (the Crusades, mostly) are beyond their ken.

This is kind of sad. I’m crazy old fogey enough to believe that legends and mythologies and rhymes that have stood up century after century have some kind of right to exist, or at least to be more important than Mario and Luigi.

After all, one of the great things about Robin Hood is that he’s kind of a blank slate. Longbow, greenwood, Merry Men, Marion and “rob from the rich, give to the poor” — that’s about it, and even much of that limited template is of relatively recent addition. All of this means that every generation can get the Robin Hood it deserves.

Women’s rights in the forefront? Maid Marion becomes the brains of the operation. Want to be multicultural? Add a Muslim to the Merry Men. There’s no intact original story, so you can make one up.

The Crowe-Scott movie seems vaguely Tea Party-ish — maybe decaffeinated Tea Party — with a moment that comes uncomfortably close to making Robin responsible for the Magna Carta, and lots of talk about the importance of fending for oneself.

(Oh, and I love anachronisms. Do you really think anybody used “visionary” as a noun back then?)

Anyway, even if Robin Hood is sinking from view as a cultural hero, I just don’t see Donkey Kong hanging around for a thousand years.

Categories: General
Kyrie O'Connor

19 Responses

  1. Eric Voute says:

    Someday, though not today, I’ll offer up a rant about Olympian archery. Robin Hood was my hero when I was growing up. I taught archery in Boy Scout camp. Still have a fine collection of Robin Hood books. And I wanted to be the Flynn Robin. What’s not to like? Generous, gallant, quick with sword and repartee. He wins the beauty and the king’s approval and recovers his birthright. Sorta covers it.

    I look forward to the film, but I wonder about the preq sense of it, given that it, timewise, feeds into the early portion of the Flynn version. Maybe Crowe will get leaner and fifteen years younger.

    But I think and hope it will be a bit of fun.

    Yours in longbows,

    Eric Voute

  2. Robert says:

    My youngest is now 18, so, technically outside your anecdotal age group… but, we introduced him and his older brother to Robin Hood via the 1973 Disney all-animal, all-animated musical version. They enjoyed it. Much later — he was probably 16 — when I semi-forced him to watch the 1938 Errol Flynn version (which I would personally consider to be the authoritative film version, bar none), and he was wowed by it. (That did my heart good!) So, if we can just get the pre-18 group you speak of to sit down and watch the OTHER Australian actor do Robin Hood, then balance will be restored to the Universe, and we can go back to simply DRINKING tea and coffee.

  3. Reeseman says:

    As the parent of two under-18s, I now feel vindicated to have purchased for their early education Disney’s all-furry version of Robin Hood. That Maid Marian… what a fox.

  4. craig says:

    I have it on very limited anecdotal evidence (my favorite kind) that the under-18 crowd is pretty puzzled by the movie, because they have barely heard of Robin Hood and the very limited geopolitics involved (the Crusades, mostly) are beyond their ken. – Kyrie

    Word is that this was a mojor factor in precipitating the Dark Ages. No kids I am not talking about the 1950’s.

    “Great” civilizations, and I use that terminoligy losely in reference to the good ol US of A, have always risen and fallen but just like that rapid advance of technology we seem to be moving ahead and downward at breakneck speed.

  5. Rodger says:

    Kids today truely don’t know anything about anything older than about 1995. This is a different country than we grew up in Memo.

  6. ken says:

    For 30 years now, the bumper-sticker on my office door has read:

    Once upon a time, people used to get it, but these days I’m always amazed at the number of blank stares it elicits.

  7. Tom N. says:

    Kyrie, I share your concern about the subliterate culture that America is producing. But when the kids are playing their video games and texting and updating their Facebook pages eight or ten hours a day, who has time for cultural history? I blame both parents and schools for letting things get out of hand.

    Yes, I’m a grumpy old guy.

  8. Steve Palmer says:

    Kyrie wrote:

    The Crowe-Scott movie seems vaguely Tea Party-ish — maybe decaffeinated Tea Party — with a moment that comes uncomfortably close to making Robin responsible for the Magna Carta, and lots of talk about the importance of fending for oneself.

    This from the guy whose motto was “Rob from the rich and give to the poor?”

  9. The Central Scrutinizer says:

    The movie cannot be considered sufficiently tea partyish unless it has nebulous goals, inflammatory Bayeux tapestry, and calls for “limited feudalism” (but with generous monthly doles from the king’s coffers for the elderly).

  10. Mart says:

    Sorry MeMo. you’re starting to sound like the whaler captain after petroleum was discovered. Or the ice man after the fridge was invented. Or, God forbid, like the newspaper editor after Gore invented the internet. Life moves on.

    Oh speaking of newspaper editors, there was an Op/Ed in the paper today that had a very MeMo-ish ring to it. Don’t suppose you penned it?

  11. JayBee says:

    I attribute much of our collective cultural demise to standardized testing in public schools. Try to find someone in the under-18 crowd that is remotely familiar with the Marx Brothers or Laurel and Hardy. It’s sad.

    (My brother, HBee, and I were big fans of Erroll Flynn. Not Erroll Flynn as Robin Hood, but Erroll Flynn. It might not be so creepy, but I was around 12 or 13 years old, so HBee would have been around 10. There’s still a passage from his book, “My Wicked Wicked Ways”, that we quote just to make one another laugh.)

  12. Vernon Williams says:

    If many people today don’t even know recent history, how can you expect them to know something from 700 or 800 years ago that is only vaguely historical?

    I remember reading a scary anecdote from a few years ago, I can’t remember where (I may even be plagiarizing Memo for all I know). Two guys were talking about 9/11, with one comparing it to Pearl Harbor. The other asks, “What’s Pearl Harbor?” This was bad enough, but the reply was even worse: “Oh, it’s where the Vietnamese bombed some harbor and started the Vietnam War.”

    On the other hand, lots of kids were relatively ignorant of history when I was young (mumbledy mumbledy decades ago), but there were always some, like myself, who were into it, and the same is true today. I run into a lot of kids today with an awareness of the past, even though many are not. There are always a few who are into any particular subject, be it history, science, math, literature, or whatever.

  13. Lacy Lynn says:

    Rob the rich and give to the poor. Isn’t that what President Obama said?

  14. Vernon Williams says:

    My earlier post has prompted some further meditations on the subject.

    Our parents’ generation knew a lot about history because it forced itself upon them, made them participants in it, whether they wanted to be or not. How many of them knew anything about Pearl Harbor or Bataan or Tarawa or Iwo Jima or Okinawa or Anzio or Normandy or Bastogne before December 7, 1941? These names were etched in their collective memories because they were there.

    I think that generally, people learn the history that directly impacts them. For instance, how many of the World War II generation knew much about Belleau Woods or Verdun or Ypres from the War to End All Wars, or about Chosin Reservoir or the Pusan Perimeter or Inchon or the Yalu River, from the next war? How many of our generation knew anything about Quang Tri or Da Nang or Saigon or Hanoi before they started being drafted to fight there? Even closer to home, how many Americans knew anything about Iraq and Afghanistan before the Gulf Wars?

    A lot of people in the South remembered the Civil War for a long time, probably more so than in the North, because they lost, had their noses rubbed in it, being forced to free their slaves and to endure Reconstruction, with effects that lingered for many decades. They relished their history, because it was about all they had left.

    I have to agree with Mart about the advance of technology. There is an old song, “Time Changes Everything”, but the truer statement is that “Technology Changes Everything”. Technology gives, and technology takes away.

    Consider perhaps the most important innovation in historical times, the invention of the printing press and movable type. This allowed the widespread dissemination of information, breaking the information monopoly of the elites, like the scribes and priests, helping to fuel the great religious and political changes in Europe over the last 500 years.

    It also started the explosive growth of science and technology in the West, allowing scientists and innovators in one place to learn about and build upon the work of those in other places, which in turn led to a lengthy period of Western hegemony. Not to mention making mass production of books and newspapers possible. But the technological changes this unleashed are now making books and newspapers less relevant. And when it occurred, mass printing reduced the need for the ability to remember large quantities of information, which was one of its downsides. Before the printing press, some people would memorize entire books, but no more.

    But the Internet and high end cell phones like the iPhone are making it possible to find information on virtually anything very quickly and easily, much more easily than physically going to a library, browsing many books, then checking their table of contents and indices to try to find information you want.

    I actually learned a lot of what I know browsing library books in this way, serendipitously learning one thing while searching for another. Still, the almost instantaneous availability of information obviously has huge potential benefits (whether or not they will actually be realized).

  15. Old Gringo Stan says:

    Nobama = present day Hussein Hood

    My favorite was “Robin and Marion” with Sean Connery and Jean Simmons….Robert Shaw was the bad guy….an epic and realistic story of battle, duty, love and fate…or destiny?….I know she poisoned him….but it was a poison of love and he was severly wounded….a poetic Miss Dr Kevorkion

  16. Jack says:

    I’m 63 and I don’t know a lot about Vaudeville or the Big Band era, so what? By the way, Robin Hood, as it has been portrayed over the years, is more literature than history.

  17. craig says:

    Rob the rich and give to the poor. Isn’t that what President Obama said?

    Posted by: Lacy Lynn at May 17, 2010 09:57 PM

    Right on sister Lynn but it is a losing effort as no matter what “changes” are made it seems the rich never loose the ability to game what ever system is in place to keep getting a bigger and bigger share of the pie. You may be too young to remember but at one time we actually had a viable middle class in America. Now it is just the rich and everyone else.

  18. ken says:

    Today I actually agree with Craig!

  19. Paul says:

    For a long time now, the game in America has been “Rob the middle class and give to the rich and the poor.” The Republicans might give more to the rich, the Democrats might give more to the poor, but either way the middle class gets hosed.


text:
Man said he acted in self-defense in fatal road rage incident

A 28-year-old man said he acted in self-defense when he choked a man to death after a minor fender bender accident on the Gulf Freeway, according to a KHOU 11 News story.

Johnathan Darling said Tate Herman Welton, 42, of Friendswood, threatened him after they were involved in a fender bender in the 8800 block of the Gulf Freeway on Monday evening.

“He said, ’I’m going to mess you up,’” Darling recounted.

“You messed up my day,” he said Welton yelled. “I’m going to be late for work. We’re going to fight,” he said the other driver said while walking toward him after their cars touched bumpers in the northbound feeder. Both  men were trying to move into the same center lane.

As Darling retreated and asked his wife to call 911, Welton  struck him in the back of the head and face, according to the release.

Darling fell to the ground and Welton continued to punch him, police said. As both men were on the ground, Darling managed to get the other man in a headlock.

“Fearing he would be assaulted again, Darling held the male in a headlock until HPD officers arrived,” the release said.

As police tried to separate the two men, they noticed the 42-year-old was having trouble breathing and called paramedics. The man was taken to Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Categories: General
Erin Mulvaney

Comments are closed.


text:
Wendy Williams not ashamed of her 200 wigs, thinning hair

WIG WONDER: Talk show host Wendy Williams says her wigs fit her personality.

Talk-show host Wendy Williams, who never appears in public without a signature long hairpiece, showed her wig collection recently to In Touch magazine and revealed she has hundreds.

“I keep maybe seven around at a time. I have my favorites. But you never throw out a wig!” Williams said in the exclusive interview.

Williams’ isn’t hiding behind the hairpiece.

“I’m not ashamed of wearing wigs.” she said. The reason? Fourteen years ago she was diagnosed with a thyroid condition, which caused her hair to thin.

“The hair I have naturally is not the hair that fits my personality,” she explains.

To read more, visit Intouch Weekly.

Joy Sewing

2 Responses

  1. Cosmo says:

    Uh… Wendy Williams was born a man, wasn’t she?

  2. El Machete says:

    Could her thinning hair be because of years of hair extensions and chemical products used to straighten her naturally kinky hair? What do you think?


text:
Patrick, Smitherman spend big on local TV time in S.A. and Houston

dan patrick

AUSTIN — State Sen. Dan Patrick and Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman are the first two statewide candidates to drop six-figure sums to reserve ad time on broadcast TV in San Antonio and Houston ahead of the March 4 primary.

Public records show Smitherman, who has two  challengers in the attorney general’s race, and Patrick, who is vying in a four-way lieutenant governor’s campaign, will start airing ads on local TV in the two cities starting the second week of February. The ads will air through the primary.

The combined ad buys in the two cities cost Smitherman’s campaign more than $620,000. Smitherman started the year with about $2 million in the bank.

Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman

Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman

Patrick collectively spent about $600,000 on the TV time, according to public records.

Patrick, who is trailing Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the polls but is hoping to force a run-off, had already spent big money on cable ads airing across the state. This marks his first set of buys on local TV. He started the year with about $3 million in the bank.

Between Patrick and Smitherman, the two candidates collectively snapped up ad space on each of the local stations in both cities.

Aside from Patrick and Smitherman, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, also running for lieutenant governor, recently dropped about $116,000 to air ads on San Antonio’s broadcast channels. His ads also don’t start airing until the second week of February.

David Saleh Rauf

Comments are closed.


text:
Lunchtime links: A Clemens-free collection from around baseball

Today’s edition of the links will be a Clemens-free zone. You can get your hourly dose of Roger in our frequently updating trial section.

• While much of the focus to the Houston-centric was on the Astros’ team meeting before an 8-2 win over the Pirates, in Pittsburgh they were focused on outfield misadventures and a big inning for the Astros that sneaked up on a cruising Charlie Morton. (Rob Biertempfel, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Only three games separate first and fourth places in the National League Central. (Don’t ask about fifth and sixth, they’re the two worst teams in baseball.)

• The standings are so close because the Reds didn’t blow an 8-0 lead against the Cardinals. Well, technically they did, but they still won. (John Fay, Cincinnati Enquirer)

• Good stuff from ESPN on the upward trend of strikeouts in Major League Baseball. Call the most exciting play in baseball a triple, an inside-the-park home run or whatever, it’s generally something that happens when the ball is put in play.

David Schoenfeld has the numbers on the rise in strikeouts and Christina Kahrl goes into some of the explanations.

The latest from the Dodgers bankruptcy hearing where a judge ruled that commissioner Bud Selig will not have to provide sworn testimony. (Los Angeles Times)

Even the Mets players, not exactly playing for the world’s most solvent organization, are making fun of the Dodgers. (Dylan Hernandez, Los Angeles Times)

You have until 3 p.m. to vote for the last All-Stars. The injured Shane Victorino is holding off the National League competion, while Paul Konerko has the lead in the American.

Categories: General
Zachary Levine

you must be signed in to comment

You are currently Signed In

Sign In Sign Out

Trending Astros & MLB Video


text:
Phillips fills in as head coach as Kubiak falls ill

Wade Phillips had taken over as an interim head coach twice before in his long NFL career, replacing his father Bum in New Orleans in 1985 and Dan Reeves in Atlanta in 2003, but he’d never had to do it in the middle of a game.

“And I hope I never have to again,” Phillips said Sunday night as he trudged back to the Texans’ locker room following the latest and saddest defeat in a season gone horribly wrong at every turn. After leading the Indianapolis

Colts 21-3 at halftime, the Texans lost their sixth consecutive game 27-24 as the defense fell apart and Randy Bullock missed three field goals.

The 66-year-old Phillips, who has been the team’s defensive coordinator since 2011, suddenly found himself in the role of emergency head coach after Gary Kubiak became lightheaded and then collapsed, leaving the field at the end of the second quarter and getting transported to a nearby hospital — “as a precautionary measure,” Phillips told NBC.

Trying circumstances

Later, Kubiak was in stable condition, according to the Texans, but no further information was available, and Phillips, trying to assess the surrealistic turn of events, admitted he could not shed any light on what had transpired.

“There was a lot of unknown,” Phillips said. “Nobody knew what was going on.”

But he declined to blame the Texans’ latest stunning reversal of fortune on the confusion, saying: “The ballgame came down to them playing well at crunch time, and we didn’t. We just don’t seem to make the plays at the right time, the plays we have to make. We played so good in the first half when we (showed) what we can do. But we’ve still got to finish it off.”

Because Kubiak is very popular with his players, Phillips was asked if their concern for his well-being could have contributed to what looked like a monumental letdown.

“You can’t blame it on that,” he said.

Phillips made no attempt to involve himself in the play-calling with Kubiak out of commission in the second half, leaving that to offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, who remained at his post in the press box. Phillips stuck to his normal role in overseeing the defense except when decisions needed to made about kicking field goals, timeouts, etc. After being a head coach five previous times in his long career — he worked full seasons for Denver, Buffalo and Dallas — he was comfortable in that role.

Familiar script

But it has been a tremendously difficult patch for Phillips, given that he’d lost his father, the legendary former Houston Oilers coach, only nine days previously. Between the first and second quarters, a tribute to Bum played on the giant scoreboard screens, and cameras showed Phillips watching.

The Texans had blown a 20-3 halftime lead against Seattle at Reliant Stadium a month earlier, and that script repeated itself against the Colts, although this one was almost all on Bullock and the defense, which let Andrew Luck throw three touchdown passes in the final 16 minutes and pull off his 10th fourth-quarter comeback in just a season and a half in the NFL.

While a Matt Schaub pick-six allowed the Seahawks to tie the score and force overtime, Case Keenum was nearly flawless in his first home start, flinging three touchdown passes to Andre Johnson, all in the first half.

“I thought our young quarterback played outstanding,” Phillips said. “Just look at the stats. He obviously made some great throws and hit a higher percentage than their guy. It was a shame it got wasted. (Luck) hit 18 out of 40 (passes), but he hit the big plays at the right time. That was really the difference. I thought we played our hearts out again. But I was certainly disappointed defensively.”

Defense needs work

Phillips was especially chagrined when Luck beat the Texans’ ostensibly fail-safe zone coverage with a 58-yard strike to T.Y. Hilton with 9:46 left that got the Colts back where they needed to be, trailing by just five points. Luck, it seemed, had the Texans right where he wanted them.

Realistically, the Texans no longer have a viable shot at making the playoffs, and there’s no telling what Kubiak’s near-term situation is going to be. But Phillips insisted the trying circumstances wouldn’t be accepted as an excuse for a letdown from anyone in the locker room over the final half of the season.

“Like I told the players,” he said, “when we signed up, we didn’t sign up just to say, ‘OK, if everything is going good … .’ We signed up for the whole season, to play and work and to coach as hard as we can. And that’s what we’re going to do with this team. If anybody (outside the organization) wants to give up, they can. But we’re not going to.”

Comments are closed.


text:
Raising Patient Safety Awareness Across the Country

By Joe McCannon, Senior Advisor to the Administrator, CMS. Cross-post from Heathcare.gov

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is continuing to work with a wide variety of public and private partners to improve the care and services patients receive in our health system.

We are proud to announce that we have collaborated with nearly 4,500 organizations, including over 2,000 hospitals that have officially committed to improving patient safety by joining the initiative! In fact, HHS is thrilled to recognize the 100% participation rate by Iowa hospitals to promote innovations to improve hospital care and reduce wasteful spending.

Are you a partner? If so, you can add the badge below to your website. All you need to do is click here or on the image below and grab the code provided on the right side of the page where it says “show code.”

Building off the extraordinary work many local hospitals and health systems around the country have already been doing – from Denver Colorado to Richmond Virginia – the Partnership for Patients aims to improve the quality, safety and affordability of health care for all Americans.

One Denver hospital in particular is setting the bar for Patient Safety. Last month, HHS Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, visited Denver Health along with Dr. Don Berwick, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Denver Health, along with other hospitals and organizations across the country are committed to providing better health care.

Check out this PBS NewsHour program to learn why improving health outcomes and lowering costs go hand in hand. Seven years ago, Denver Health took a structured approach to improving quality and safety. By focusing on high opportunity clinical circumstances, Denver Health ranks first, with the lowest ratio of deaths according to the 2010 University Health System Consortiums Quality and Aggregate Score. While this success is encouraging, too many Americans go without quality healthcare: which is where the Partnership for Patients comes in.

CMS Administrator Don Berwick meets with VCU medical students.

This partnership is connecting health care providers all across the nation. At a recent visit to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Secretary Sebelius learned about the “time-out” towel. This towel is used to cover surgical instruments at Regions Hospital to help ensure operations don’t being until safety protocol has been observed. This partnership is fostering innovation and encouraging health care providers to share their own success stories.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius visiting Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

To kick off this unprecedented partnership, two goals have been identified:

•Reduce preventable injuries in hospitals by 40 percent
•Cut hospital re-admissions by 20 percent

By achieving these goals and providing better care, countless Americans will have more healthy years to spend with their loved ones. Together we can build a stronger, safer health care system and he Partnership for Patients helps us do just that, one hospital at a time.

Comments are closed.

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 610 other followers

%d bloggers like this:


text:
Video: Life on the eve of the Battle of Gettysburg

What was it like as the Battle of Gettysburg approached 150 years ago? Four leading experts spent one evening recently at the National Constitution Center discussing the popular mood in late June 1863 as General Robert E. Lee entered Pennsylvania.

gettysburgTed Widmer, Sean Wilentz, Judith Giesberg, and Adam Goodheart of the popular New York Times “Disunion” blog talked about the epic battle  in front of a sold-out audience at the Center.

The authors appeared in conjunction with the release of their new book, and these insightful historians provided social and political context for understanding the pivotal Gettysburg battle and the turmoil in America circa 1863.

Sean Wilentz said that Lee had come to regard his Army of Northern Virginia as invincible as victory after victory ensued. People in Philadelphia feared an imminent attack from Lee’s forces—or at least the presence of a menacing presence in Pennsylvania.

The Union was also unsettled by economic problems and a forced draft.

“Violence seemed to explode out of the heart of our country,” said Adam Goodheart. He said the Civil War era also saw an explosion of early mass media with the telegraph and newspapers bringing news into living rooms faster than ever.

He also said Pennsylvania was in a state of near panic, as Lee’s forces crossed into the state as people in Pittsburgh started digging defensive trenches, and wagons and horses were on the state’s roads.

“The Union army wasn’t much better off,” said Goodheart. The Union was getting some of its intelligence by reading local newspapers, for example.

General Robert E. Lee also saw the headlines in northern newspapers, which showed discontent in the popular media in the North.

More Gettysburg Coverage

Read six different versions of the Gettysburg Address

Did Abraham Lincoln omit God from the Gettysburg Address?

Video: A constitutional conversation about Gettysburg

Lee understood that a successful Pennsylvania campaign could force the Union to the negotiating table, and he asked Jefferson Davis to make such preparations.

Judith Giesberg pointed to a diary of Emile Davis, a young African- American woman, as a unique indicator of the mood in Philadelphia as the Battle of Gettysburg approached. (The diary is at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and also available online.)

Speaking about the news that Lee was near Harrisburg, Davis wrote on June 30 that “the greatest excitement prevails. I am all most sick worrying about father. The city is considered in danger.”

Davis also said her friends marched off to Harrisburg to volunteer to fight, only to be turned away since blacks weren’t accepted into Pennsylvania’s regiments. That policy changed after Gettysburg.

You can watch the full video of the scholars’ discussion by going to Parts 1 and 2 below discuss the popular mood in Pennsylvania.

You can watch the full video of the 70-minute discussion, with an introduction by the Center’s Jeffrey Rosen, below:

Part 1: The Eve Of Gettysburg – Introduction and Background

Part 2: The Eve Of Gettysburg- The Popular Mood

Part 3: The Eve Of Gettysburg: A Constitutional Conversation


text:
Great reads on small business and entrepreneurship Mike | December 6th, 2010

The fragmentation of mass media comes with its own set of benefits and detriments.  So while there is more and more great content available to us, it gets more difficult to track down the best bits. Starting with this post, I am compiling some of the articles I most enjoyed, found most thought-provoking, or felt would be of value to those of us who run our own businesses or are engaged in starting one. The 12 articles listed below are organized by category: Small business news, Small business and the economy, Starting a business, and Running your business.

Small business news

NY Times

Governments Clearing the Way for Small Business Creation, Report Says
“Governments have responded to the financial crisis by making it easier for entrepreneurs to start new businesses, paving the way for employment growth amid an uncertain economic outlook, according to a World Bank report released late Wednesday.”

American Public Media: Marketplace

Small businesses see benefits in going green

“While the U.N. summit in Cancun undertakes big environmental initiatives, some small businesses are already taking up the green cause. What they’re discovering is that beyond the environmental factors, going green is helping out their bottom line, too.”

Small business and the economy

Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Why AmEx Wants You to ‘Buy Local’
American Express is leading the way with it’s efforts to promote local businesses with its “Small Business Saturday” promotion, launched just after Thanksgiving. (Another BusinessWeek article can be found here)

Small business ‘surge’ in hiring – ADP
“The nation’s engine of job growth is revving up: small businesses were responsible for 58% of the private sector hiring in November, according to a report released Wednesday.”

American Public Media: Marketplace

Can start-ups help the economy?
“We hear all the time how important small-business growth is to job creation — and the signs so far aren’t good. The Labor Department reports the total number of businesses in the U.S. economy shrank during the recession. And new businesses that are opening their doors are adding fewer jobs.”

American Public Media: Marketplace

Lack of unemployment funding could hurt local businesses

“Funding for unemployment benefits officially runs out today, although Democrats are pushing for a $12 billion extension. In the meantime, the two million long-term unemployed could find themselves cutting back drastically, and this could affect local businesses in a big way.”

Starting a business

Four Home-Based Business Myths
“The home-based business industry is buzzing with new startups, products and services. If you are considering launching a home-based company, it’s a good idea to have all the facts. There are a lot of misconceptions about what it takes to run a successful business from home.”

NY Times

Trained for Battle, Now Operating A Small Business
“While combat veterans face countless challenges in their transitions back to civilian life, [many veterans] credit the military with giving them the courage, discipline and determination to start businesses. They believe even harrowing experiences, if managed and overcome, can lend perspective and fearlessness in commerce and provoke that “healthy discontent with the status quo” that galvanizes entrepreneurs.”

Running a business

Party On for a Tax Break
“The holidays are here, and for many people this is a season of gifts and parties. For entrepreneurs, this is the time of year when business protocol dictates sending gifts to clients, hosting dinners with potential clients and throwing holiday parties for employees. Lucky for business owners, many of these expenses are tax-deductible.”

Three Tips to Design a Sales Compensation Plan
“How to set commissions that motivate your team. As we begin a new year, many business owners will consider revamping or creating a new sales compensation plan. It can be one of your most critical undertakings. The best plans serve as strong motivation for your sales reps and help you recruit top producers, which ultimately will boost your bottom line.”

NY Times

Case study: Background Checks, and Their Boundaries

OfficeDrop scans paper documents into digital files. Its clients include hospitals that want to archive patient records and a minister with too many hand-written sermons. Prasad Thammineni started the company in 2007 and opened his doors to clients a year later.”

Fox Business News

Leveraging Loyalty: How to Keep Customers Hooked
“Attracting new customers is an obvious way to grow your business, and often the primary focus of a small business owner. But like any important relationship, experts say it’s what you do after you win the business that really determines long-term success.”

Photo: Jason McHuff

Need something designed? Name your price. Pick from 110+ entries. Love it or your money back.

Like our blog? You’ll freaking love our Twitter updates. Oh, and you’ll dig our Facebook page too.

Hey, it's crowdSPRING!

Tens of thousands of the world's best and most successful entrepreneurs, businesses, agencies and nonprofits rely on crowdSPRING for affordable and risk-free custom logo design, web design, a new company name or other writing and design services. More than 168,000 designers and writers work on crowdSPRING. We create designs and names people love. 100% guaranteed.

Get Blog Updates

Free E-Books

interviews with graphic and web designers

12 Question Interviews with cS designers.
Get it »

contracts for graphic designers

Contracts for designers who hate contracts.
Get it »

contracts for software and website developers

Contracts for software developers who hate contracts. Get it »

More in Resources, Small business (298 of 537 articles)

/** chartbeat **/