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Subcommittee Approves Commonsense Measures to Protect Farmers and Patients From Product Shortages Caused By Rigid EPA Regulations

July 19, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power, chaired by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), today approved drafts of the “U.S. Agricultural Sector Relief Act,” and the “Asthma Inhalers Relief Act.” The legislative proposals, relating to implementation of the Montreal Protocol, now move to the full committee for consideration.

The “U.S. Agricultural Sector Relief Act,” which passed by a vote of 15 to 6, directs the EPA to seek critical use exemptions under the Montreal Protocol treaty process to ensure the availability of the crop fumigant methyl bromide where no viable alternative is available. For decades, methyl bromide was widely used for cultivation of crops like strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and flowers, and at mills and food storage and processing facilities. Under the Montreal Protocol and Title VI of the Clean Air Act, the U.S. has phased out the use of methyl bromide except for critical uses and other exemptions. Since 2005, U.S. nominations for exemptions have declined by over 90 percent, but there is a significant concern in the agricultural sector about access to sufficient quantities and alternatives still needed to control pests and diseases.

“With this spring’s devastating frosts and the subsequent summer drought, farmers in Michigan and throughout the country are already facing one of the worst growing seasons in decades,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). “For many crops and uses there are adequate substitutes, and as a result, methyl bromide usage is down by over 90 percent. But in those cases where no viable alternative is available, methyl bromide must remain available to our growers. This legislation is critical to the livelihood of countless Michigan farmers, farming communities, and thousands of spinoff jobs like trucking and processing.”

The “Asthma Inhalers Relief Act,” which passed by voice vote, seeks to provide asthma patients with access to remaining inventories of the over-the-counter asthma inhaler known as Primatene Mist, which has been phased out in the U.S. under the Montreal Protocol, and Title VI of the Clean Air Act. A ban on the inhaler went into effect on December 31, 2011, and to date, no over-the-counter replacement is available. An estimated two million asthma sufferers in the United States relied on this affordable medication before the ban went into effect. This legislation would direct EPA to allow for the distribution and sale of the remaining inventories of Primatene Mist to ensure asthma patients have access to non-prescription alternatives.

“While these inhalers represent only a fraction of one percent of global CFC emissions, there is a ban on them that became effective at the end of last year,” said Whitfield. “This bill simply allows the CFC inhalers already manufactured before the ban to be sold or distributed, providing a temporary supply for those asthmatics who depend on them.”


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English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. It's 100% free, no registration required.

For example in this sentence, do we need an article before comedy?

Improv is essentially [a] comedy.

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4 Answers 4

Comedy can be used as a countable or uncountable noun. In the example sentence, we are probably using it as an uncountable noun, in which case the article should be omitted.

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It depends on how you're describing Improv.

For example I would expect no article in this sentence:

Whose Line Is It Anyway? is essentially comedy with points.

Whereas I would in this one:

Shakespeare's A midsummer night's dream is a comedy.

As Jasper Loy point out, the distinction comes between countable and uncountable use.

In my first example comedy is not countable because it is used throughout the show, like you might use paint.

In the second example, there is only one play, so there is only one comedy.

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'a comedy' would describe a specific show:

Friends is a comedy.

In terms of improv, I'd say:

Improv is essentially a style of comedy.

Because you can improvise without it being comedic.

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'Improv is essentially a style of comedy' and 'Improv is essentially comedy' would be equivalent here. 'Essential' doesn't affect the way in which 'comedy' can be used. –  ijw Feb 1 '11 at 13:24
'Improv is essentially comedy' implies that all improv is comedy, which is incorrect. This may be altered with more context, but as a standalone, it's incorrect. –  user3444 Feb 1 '11 at 14:06

We do not need an article since comedy is being used as an uncountable noun here. Another example of this usage is:

He dreams of having a career in stand-up comedy.

An example of its usage as a countable noun is:

Friends was a highly successful TV comedy.

The use of the adverb essentially may cause confusion. You could say:

Improv is comedy.

Improv is essentially comedy.

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The Midland Spa - Morecambe

Here we are all about pampering and indulgence. Book in for a massage, or one of our high class face and body treatments. Give yourself a break. Escape to the sea and don’t look back.

Enter a relaxing and calming place providing tranquillity for both women and men. We offer a wonderful range of luxury treatments for you to choose from, and delightful packages to suit all occasions. The Midland Spa welcomes non residents and residents of the Midland Hotel.

Pre-booking for the Midland Spa is essential. Please contact the Spa on Tel: 01524 417 674.

Spa Beauty Treatments

Take a look at our Spa Treatments PDF for a comprehensive list of treatments available at the Midland Hotel Spa. Alternatively please call on Tel: 01524 417 674 or send an email to:


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Tuned In

The Lost Supper: Grab a Plate, Help Yourself

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The ABC publicity department wants none of us to get any work done today, because yesterday it posted two publicity stills of the cast of Lost re-creating Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Bigger versions of the photos (apologies for the right-hand column overrunning them; if I can get it cleaned up while retaining the full-size photos, I will), and my guesses at their meaning, after the jump:

1. Christianity, and the religion of Judaism from which the seder tableau of the supper derives, are complex belief systems run through with symbol and widely subject to interpretation. So is Lost.

2. As in Christianity, people come back from the dead in Lost (see Locke in the Christ position at table).

3. You will notice that there are two photos. The reason: in one, the actors are reproducing the poses from the DaVinci painting. In the other, they are looking at you, so you can see them better.

4. The final season of Lost returns Feb. 2, and ABC would like you to make plans to watch.

In all seriousness, I don’t think there’s much more vital information in these photos than in much of what has come out of ABC’s promo department in seasons past, other than using a favorite TV-ad gimmick and throwing in a lot of symbols to invite Paul-Is-Dead-style analysis. But for those of you who have more time on your hands—and better knowledge of the Apostles—than I do, go nuts.

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Stacks of paper

Stacks of paper awaiting the printing press.

Photograph by Lynn Johnson, National Geographic

The National Geographic Society's mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. We have long been a leader in green initiatives and coverage of conservation and sustainability issues - and we are committed to conducting our business as sustainably as possible, minimizing both our own environmental impact and the environmental impact of our suppliers and partners.

To combat global climate change, National Geographic's primary focus is to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for which it is responsible. We have made a commitment to identify and measure both the GHG we emit directly and the GHG that our business partners emit on our behalf. We are committed to reducing our impact immediately and exploring opportunities to mitigate our emissions going forward. To that end, we measure:

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  • Reduce our use of electricity by 5% as compared to our 2011 usage.
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We believe in reusing all that we can and recycling or composting that which cannot be reused, and we encourage this practice in our employees, customers, suppliers and partners.

When buying office or building supplies, we seek materials made from recycled products. Discarded office and building materials are made available for reuse first to staff and then to external groups. When reuse is impractical, we strive to recycle all recyclable materials such as paper, metal, plastics, glass, wire, building and construction supplies, batteries and carpeting.

We make a concerted effort to reduce our use of office paper. All black & white NGS copiers default to two-sided copying, and all NGS copiers require authorization to print in an effort to eliminate uncollected or unnecessarily repeated print jobs.  We have established a target to reduce copier paper use by 25% by 2015 as compared to our usage in 2011.

We compost organic materials used in our offices, including food waste and all non-recyclable paper such as used napkins, paper cups and paper towels.

We recycle electronic equipment and supplies, either through donation to a deserving user or through a certified recycler. We hold e-cycle drives, allowing our employees to bring their old, personal electronic equipment to us for responsible recycling. We require that our electronic waste disposal company be certified by either the Responsible Recycling (R2) Practices or the e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment® protocols.

We encourage the recycling of our products when our customers have finished with them.

Business Travel Policy

The Society minimizes its impact on the environment by promoting "green travel" where practical. Our eco-friendly travel policy encourages:

  • The most fuel-efficient and economical transportation.
  • Travel only when absolutely necessary.
  • Combining multiple tasks into one trip.
  • Teleconferencing, videoconferencing and using Web-based communications tools.
  • Using mass transit in lieu of taxis or rental cars.
  • Sharing rental cars among as many travelers as practical.
  • Using compact or sub-compact cars or the most fuel-efficient option available.
  • Staying in LEED- or green-certified hotels when possible.

Starting in 2013 , we set a goal to buy carbon offsets for all our business travel emissions for air travel, rental cars and hotel accommodations.

Tours and Expeditions

The Society also operates a travel service that offers guided educational tours around the world. It is our policy to make sure these tours are designed and conducted in such a way as to have minimal environmental impact, but we know that all of them do come with an emissions burden of some impact. It is our goal to minimize that impact, and to that end we calculate the emissions associated with our trips and purchase certified carbon offsets to reduce their overall environmental impact. The carbon offsets we purchase are in projects around the globe and are independently audited and certified.

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We select supply partners who practice clean manufacturing and demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement in source reduction and pollution prevention that meets or exceeds legal requirements, so as to minimize the environmental impact of their operations on our air, water and climate.

Our suppliers are expected to:

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Suppliers who provide manufacturing services to the Society are expected to follow Cleaner Production principles as defined in the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) - including such measures as pollution prevention, source reduction, waste minimization, eco efficiency, awareness of and reduction in the use of hazardous materials, reuse of waste, process modification - as follows:

  • Operate their plants using best available and cost-effective technology to comply with all applicable laws, regulations and permits.
  • Share their environmental performance data with us on a regular basis to demonstrate compliance with all operating permits and regulations.
  • Use renewable energy where possible and practical, instead of relying on fossil fuels.
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  • Identify any hazardous substances used in their operation and work to phase these out where possible.
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  • Dispose of toxic waste in accordance with the law and best practices, making every effort to ensure these materials are not dispersed into the environment.
  • Account for all manufacturing waste, and recycle all recyclables.
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  • Maximize the loading of trucks leaving their plant with our product, to minimize fuel consumption and emissions.
  • Promote these values among their employees.
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Environmental Impacts - Paper

Sustainability is about reducing our carbon emissions as well as making sure we and our business partners protect the environment. Our biggest impact in that regard relates to the manufacture of paper for our magazines and books, which affects both air- and water-borne emission at the site of the paper mill.

We expect our paper suppliers to ensure their operations are compliant with all federal and state laws and regulations, that their forest management practices and harvesting conform to internationally recognized and accepted certification programs, that they monitor and report their air and water effluent, and that they are transparent in this activity.

  • We do not use fiber sourced from old-growth or high-conservation-value designated forests.
  • No paper supplied to us may be bleached with elemental chlorine.
  • Our paper suppliers are expected to certify their own forest holdings and encourage their suppliers to pursue certification.
  • Our suppliers are expected to replant forestland or encourage self-propagation of indigenous trees as quickly as possible.
  • Our suppliers are expected to use best forest management practices, as described by one of the certifiers listed in the "Certified Forestry" section below, on the forests they own, lease or buy from.
  • We work with the forest industry to ensure we understand the regulations, and that our suppliers abide by them.
  • We stay current on international certification protocols.
  • We work with certification agents and will support their certification efforts.

Environmental Impacts - Certified Forestry

Only about 10% of the world's forests are currently governed by any certification standard. One of the best ways to stem the tide of climate change is to plant more forests to act as a carbon sink for GHGs. For the world's forests to be harvested and replanted sustainably there is an urgent need to certify the remaining 90%. National Geographic supports the growth of forest certification worldwide and recently joined several other companies to certify nearly 800,000 acres of privately held forest in Maine to the SFI standard. In 2012, the Society joined the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s Forest Partners Program which has the goal of certifying 10 million acres of forest by the end of 2017.

We recognize the following forestry certifications: Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC); Forest Stewardship Council (FSC); Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI); American Tree Farm System (ATFS); and Canadian Standards Association (CSA), which set standards for how forests are managed, harvested and replanted. All subscribe to a chain of custody for tracking the fiber through the manufacturing and use cycle. All address protecting the rights of indigenous people and ensure the protection and preservation of unique stands. National Geographic strives to buy only certified paper products. All Society magazines and catalogs printed in the United States are printed on 100% PEFC-certified paper. While FSC is currently the most widely-recognized forest certification in the U.S., we recognize all of the above certifications. Our goal is to have 100% of the fiber used on other National Geographic-produced printed products certified by at least one of the above certifiers.

Recycled Fiber

National Geographic believes the best way to meet the world's growing demand for paper is to recycle as much as possible and, where possible and practical, to make new products from recovered fiber. The use of recycled fiber must meet the requirements of the end product, which, in the case of our magazines and books, is, firstly, to have the requisite print quality to reproduce faithfully the spectacular images our photographers capture; secondly, the strength needed to run through a high-speed web press; and, thirdly, the affordability to keep our products price competitive. We are committed to testing the use of recovered fiber in our products so as to establish the proper balance of the above three conditions, with the goal of incorporating as high a percentage of recycled fiber as possible in our products. National Geographic already specifies high-recycled content in many of its products and supplies, including copier paper, cartons and packaging, book cover materials and packaging materials for DVDs, CDs and catalog products.

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All our suppliers are expected to:

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Our goal is to source and use only materials that are certified to be legally secured, certified to be sustainably harvested or manufactured, made without use of illegal or forced labor, and traded freely on the open market. We especially look for materials that are sustainably made, manufactured using renewable materials and renewable energy, are recyclable and have the lowest environmental impact.

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The Lacey Act makes it illegal to import illegally sourced plants or animals (forest products included) into the United States, and makes it illegal to import products made from illegally sourced plants or animals. National Geographic requires its suppliers to abide by all the requirements and conditions of the Lacey Act.

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As part of its mission to inspire people to care about the planet, the National Geographic Society licenses its trademarks and the intellectual property content of its magazines, special issues, books and other publications to various international media companies.

We expect all NG Licensees to use paper made only from legally sourced wood and to refrain from using wood sourced from internationally recognized high-conservation-value forests as well as forests that have been designated unique ecosystems or officially designated as containing an endangered species.

We further expect all our Licensees to use clean manufacturing processes in the creation of NG-licensed print products and require their paper procurement policies to support the general goals of environmentally sustainable fiber use, reducing pollution and conserving natural resources through recycling and waste reduction. We provide them with a copy of our sustainability policy and ask that they use this as a guiding principle in their operations.

In summary, regarding international Licensees, there are three components to NGS's publishing strategy with respect to sustainable paper sourcing. We expect Licensees to:

1. Minimize paper consumption.

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3. Maximize their use of recycled fiber sourced from legally certified operations and use it where practical and possible.

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National Geographic supports the 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact based on The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labor Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption. We:

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3.     Uphold the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.

4.     Uphold the elimination of forced and compulsory labor and require the same from our business partners.

5.     Support the abolition of child labor.

6.     Eliminate discrimination in employment and occupation.

7.     Support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges.

8.     Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility.

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10.  Work against corruption in all forms, including extortion and bribery.

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National Geographic pledges to conduct its sustainability efforts with transparency and openness. We expect our suppliers to conduct their business in the same way and require that they provide us with any relevant information as a condition of doing business with us. We pledge that our records on our sustainability efforts will be open, auditable and certified where possible. We commit to being science-based in our approach and to making decisions based on the best information available to us.


text:
Biodiversity Heritage Library

The following bibliography has been generated by automated services. BHL uses taxonomic intelligence tools to locate, verify, and record scientific names located within the text of each digitized page in the BHL digital collection.

View Discovered Bibliography in BHL

Title Year Details References
Our living oceans : report on the status of U.S. living marine resources, 1999. ; External link. 1999 [Washington, D.C.?] :U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service,[1999] 1
Page 290 External link.

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To request an improvement, please leave a comment on the page. Thank you!


text:
Research publications by members of the University of Glasgow
home > services > Enlighten

Disentangling area effects: evidence from deprived and non-deprived neighbourhoods

Atkinson, R., and Kintrea, K. (2001) Disentangling area effects: evidence from deprived and non-deprived neighbourhoods. Urban Studies, 38(11), pp. 2277-2298.

Full text not currently available from Enlighten.

This paper focuses on the question of whether it is worse to be poor in a poor area or in an area which is more socially mixed; in short, does living in a deprived area compound the disadvantage experienced by its residents, and do area effects contribute to social exclusion? The idea of social areas having direct or mediated effects on the lives of their residents continues to interest and challenge academic and policy debates on the effect of concentrated poverty and on the creation of more mixed and, thereby, more sustainable neighbourhood forms. However, area effects remain contentious and British research evidence is scant. Following a review of the theoretical and empirical understandings of the relationship between households and neighbourhoods, the paper presents survey data from a comparative study of deprived and socially mixed neighbourhoods in Glasgow and Edinburgh. These data provide evidence that supports the area effects thesis, in particular in relation to area reputation and employment. The paper concludes that, with certain caveats, living in areas of geographically concentrated poverty creates additional problems for residents.

Item Type:Articles
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Atkinson, Dr Rowland and Kintrea, Mr Keith
Authors: Atkinson, R., and Kintrea, K.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
Journal Name:Urban Studies
ISSN (Online):1360-063X

University Staff: Request a correction | Enlighten Editors: Update this record

Project CodeAward NoProject NamePrincipal InvestigatorFunder's NameFunder RefLead Dept
216781Competitive Place, Divided Spaces: Urban Change in Central ScotlandIvan TurokEconomic & Social Research Council (ESRC)L130251040Urban Studies


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The last post? Tracking the Australasian to Aussie Post, 1864-2002

Murphy, Wayne L. & Mitropolous, Maria (2002) The last post? Tracking the Australasian to Aussie Post, 1864-2002. Australian Journalism Review, 24(2), pp. 133-149.

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Aussie Post, the flagship of ocker Australiana, folded in January 2002. Post began life as the Australasian, a middlebrow magazine steeped in a nineteenth century civics of stable citizenship with a modicum of diversionary leisure. The transformation began when the Australasian became Australasian Post in 1946 under George Johnston's brief 15-week editorship. Johnston's idealistic vision of Post as a voice of post-war Australian modernity was soon overtaken by commercial imperatives as Post's identity wavered between its civic antecedents and a new low-brow populism, a niche it had finally settled into by the mid-1950s. This tension between staid civics and risqué populism shaped the magazine's long evolution into its final realisation of the pictorial general interest genre. This paper, based on a close examination of the magazines themselves, tracks Post's generic evolution and focuses on the struggle to redefine the magazine’s identity during the post-war period when the axis of Australian identity was reluctantly shifting from the staid traditions of Rule Britannia to the flashy modernity of Pax Americana.

Impact and interest:

Citation counts are sourced monthly from Scopus and Web of Science® citation databases.

These databases contain citations from different subsets of available publications and different time periods and thus the citation count from each is usually different. Some works are not in either database and no count is displayed. Scopus includes citations from articles published in 1996 onwards, and Web of Science® generally from 1980 onwards.

Citations counts from the Google Scholar™ indexing service can be viewed at the linked Google Scholar™ search.

Full-text downloads:

353 since deposited on 08 Aug 2011
104 in the past twelve months

Full-text downloads displays the total number of times this work’s files (e.g., a PDF) have been downloaded from QUT ePrints as well as the number of downloads in the previous 365 days. The count includes downloads for all files if a work has more than one.

ID Code: 42508
Item Type: Journal Article
Keywords: The Australasian, Australasian Post, Aussie Post, Media history, Popular magazines, Popular culture, George Johnston
ISSN: 0810-2686
Subjects: Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > STUDIES IN CREATIVE ARTS AND WRITING (190000) > JOURNALISM AND PROFESSIONAL WRITING (190300) > Journalism Studies (190301)
Divisions: Current > QUT Faculties and Divisions > Creative Industries Faculty
Current > Schools > Journalism, Media & Communication
Copyright Owner: Copyright 2002 Journalism Education Association of Australia Inc
Deposited On: 08 Aug 2011 00:50
Last Modified: 08 Aug 2011 04:06

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Martin, Tara G., Kuhnert, Petra M., Mengersen, Kerrie L., & Possingham, Hugh P. (2005) The power of expert opinion in ecological models using Bayesian methods: impact of grazing on birds. Ecological Applications, 15(1), pp. 266-280.

One of our greatest challenges as researchers is predicting the impact of land use on biota, and predicting the impact of livestock grazing on birds is no exception. Insufficient data and poor survey design often yield results that are not statistically significant or difficult to interpret because researchers cannot disentangle the effects of grazing from other disturbances. This has resulted in few publications on the impact of grazing on birds alone. Ecologists with extensive experience in bird ecology in grazed landscapes could inform an analysis when time and money constraints limit the amount of data that can be collected. Using responses from 20 well-recognised ecologists throughout Australia, we captured this expert knowledge and incorporated it into a statistical model using Bayesian methods. Although relatively new to ecology, Bayesian methods allow straightforward probability statements to be made about specific models or scenarios and the integration of different types of information, including scientific judgement, while formally accommodating and incorporating the uncertainty in the information provided. Data on bird density was collected across three levels of grazing (no/low, moderate, and high) typical of sub-tropical Australia. This field data was used in conjunction with expert data to produce estimates of species persistence under grazing. The addition of expert data through priors in our model strengthened results under at least one grazing model for all but one bird species examined. When experts were in agreement, credible intervals were tightened substantially, whereas, when experts were in disagreement, results were similar to those obtained in the absence of expert information. In fields where there is extensive expert knowledge, yet little published data, the use of expert opinion is a cost-effective way of making more confident predictions about the effect of management on biodiversity.

Impact and interest:

115 citations in Scopus
Search Google Scholar™
104 citations in Web of Science®

Citation counts are sourced monthly from Scopus and Web of Science® citation databases.

These databases contain citations from different subsets of available publications and different time periods and thus the citation count from each is usually different. Some works are not in either database and no count is displayed. Scopus includes citations from articles published in 1996 onwards, and Web of Science® generally from 1980 onwards.

Citations counts from the Google Scholar™ indexing service can be viewed at the linked Google Scholar™ search.

Full-text downloads:

897 since deposited on 21 Mar 2005
124 in the past twelve months

Full-text downloads displays the total number of times this work’s files (e.g., a PDF) have been downloaded from QUT ePrints as well as the number of downloads in the previous 365 days. The count includes downloads for all files if a work has more than one.

ID Code: 900
Item Type: Journal Article
Refereed: Yes
Additional URLs:
Keywords: elicitation, livestock grazing, Markov chain Monte Carlo, mixture model, multiple experts, two, component model, WinBUGS, woodland bird conservation, zero inflation
ISSN: 1051-0761
Subjects: Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES (010000) > STATISTICS (010400) > Applied Statistics (010401)
Divisions: Past > QUT Faculties & Divisions > Faculty of Science and Technology
Copyright Owner: Copyright 2005 Ecological Society of America
Copyright Statement: Copyright by the Ecological Society of America: Martin, Tara G., Kuhnert, Petra M., Mengersen, Kerrie, Possingham, Hugh P. 2005: THE POWER OF EXPERT OPINION IN ECOLOGICAL MODELS USING BAYESIAN METHODS: IMPACT OF GRAZING ON BIRDS. Ecological Applications: Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 266–280. This journal is available online.
Deposited On: 21 Mar 2005
Last Modified: 29 Feb 2012 13:17

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Transition and the output fall

Roland, Gérard and Verdier, Thierry (1999) Transition and the output fall. Economics of Transition, 7, (1), 1-28. (doi:10.1111/1468-0351.00002).

Full text not available from this repository.

Original Publication URL:

We present a model to explain why in the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe an important output fall has been associated with price liberalization. Its key ingredients are search frictions and Williamsonian relation-specific investment, implying that new investments are made only after having found a new long-term partner. When all firms search for new partners, output may fall because of three effects: a) disruption of previous production links, b) a fall in investment, and c) capital depreciation due to the absence of replacement investment. We show that forms of gradual liberalization like the Chinese 'dual-track' price liberalization may avoid the transitory output fall.

Item Type: Article
ISSNs: 0967-0750 (print)
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Subjects: H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory
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The republican movement and the legacy of the troubles

Biomedical Sciences Research Institute Computer Science Research Institute Environmental Sciences Research Institute Nanotechnology & Advanced Materials Research Institute

Patterson, Henry (2009) The republican movement and the legacy of the troubles. In: Republicanism in Ireland: confronting theories and traditions. Manchester University Press, pp. 147-163. ISBN 10:0719075920 [Book section]

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This considers the implications for the republican armed struggle of the emerging debates about dealing with Northern Ireland's troubles . It focuses on the difficulties republicans have in integrating the actualities of their campaign in border areas of Northern Ireland into a narrative of a legitimate struggle of national liberation.

Item Type:Book section
Faculties and Schools:Faculty of Social Sciences
Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Criminology, Politics and Social Policy
Research Institutes and Groups:Institute for Research in Social Sciences
Institute for Research in Social Sciences > Politics & International Studies
ID Code:9265
Deposited By:Professor Henry Patterson
Deposited On:25 Jan 2010 12:47
Last Modified:28 Jan 2010 13:43

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Test tubes in the lab Research in the ATI Dance Research

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Chipeta, M, Fan, L, Evans, BG and Karaliopoulos, M (2005) Integration of small and large packet-level FEC codes with data carousels for reliable multicast transport over satellite links In: 2nd International Symposium on Wireless Communications Systems (ISWCS 2005), 2005-09-05 - 2005-09-07, Univ Siena, Siena, ITALY.

Chipeta, M, Karaliopoulos, M, Evans, B G and Tafazolli, R (2005) On the Use of Packet-Level FEC and Data Carousels for the Delivery of Broadcast/Multicast Services to Mobile Terminals In: 2005 IEEE 61st Vehicular Technology Conference.

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Barradas, NP, Keddie, JL and Sackin, R (1999) Bayesian inference analysis of ellipsometry data Physical Review E - Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics, 59 (5). 6138 - 6151. ISSN 1063-651X

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2013 Equine Unlimited, Inc. Summer Camp

Kiddie Camp:

Equine Unlimited's Kiddie Camp is geared for children ages 4-6 years old. Each three day session gives horse loving boys and girls a chance to spend plenty of time with these wonderful animals. Campers are divided into teams and rotate between riding, hands-on learning activities, and craft projects. The campers will learn to safely groom, tack up and care for the horse or pony assigned to them. The riding portion starts with the basics and each child will progress at their own pace. We stress safety, good horsemanship, and fun.

Day Camp Includes: Kiddie camp 2013.

What to bring:

More Details:

*If your child has special dietary needs, you're welcome to send a special snack with them each day.

Click here for:

2015 Camp Dates

Online Camp Registration & Payment

Photographs courtesy of Cimaron Design.


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Sunday, June 10, 2012

light through the larkspur

 the late afternoon sun,
 casts such a beautiful light,
through the luminous flowers,
 nestled around this old bench,
 at the back of my property.

and his wifey,
 in the light.

i am.

elena nuez said...

those are gorgeous!!!

have a nice day,

Olive Cooper said...

Peter and wifey could not be any sweeter than the rest of your glorious images erin.

Glenda/MidSouth said...

Thanks for sharing your beautiful flowers and rabbit family.
Hope you have enjoyed your weekend.

Donna said...

Gorgeous! Peter and wifey are adorable :)

Laura @ 52 FLEA said...

Oh I love that blue!
And your bunnies are so sweet!

michele said...

and the light is DIVINE! so many lovely lovely images, erin!

Angelsdoor * Penny said...

Hi Erin
Your flowers bring joy to my heart just as your art does.. Thank you for being such an inspiration.

Vickie @ Ranger 911 said...

Gorgeous photos! And Mr. & Mrs. Cottontale came along just in time to star in their first photo shoot! They are adorable as long as lunch isn't your pretty flowers. :@

flowersandhome said...

Beautiful, dreamy pictures! What a lovely light indeed.

Debbie Nolan said...

Erin - your photos are gorgeous - I love larkspur and you caught it so perfectly. Your blog is so lovely - thanks for sharing. God Bless!

Heaven's Walk said...

Dreamy is right, Erin. Your photos are always so beautifully calming.... :)

xoxo laurie

The Magical Christmas Wreath Company said...

A handsome pair of rabbits indeed! Love the light shining through the larkspur which I haven't grown. It's very pretty Erin.

Cindy said...

Soooo beautiful... I love the little grassy meadow...

koralee said...

Your photos are always sooo beautiful. I must say we have peter's cousin living at our home...rabbits are so long as they just nibble the grass. xoxo HUGS

Deb said...

Very beautiful. Deb (Ontario, Canada)

Cobalt Violet said...

Yes, you are, my friend! You are in the light!
Thank you for always showing such beauty and loveliness. It is a gift.

Jeri Landers said...

I dearly love larkspur, it reminds me of 2nd grade! Walking to school, it was growing all along the sidewalk with the yellow Iris. Sweet!

Georgianna said...

Brilliant, beautiful, glorious images, Erin! Love the two bunnies seen through the flowers – magical!! Your photo essays just get better and better. xoxo


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Event Details

Date: 6/24/2015
Location: Milwaukee County Zoo - Zoo Terrace
Schedule: 5pm check in; 6:30 start time
Course Route: 1 Mile Family Fun Walk
Contact: Paula Strelitz
414-963-5934 or 262-364-6678

About Walk With Me Milwaukee 2015

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS CLOSED! For questions or additional information, contact Paula Strelitz (email: paulas@eastersealswise.com, office:414-963-5934, cell phone: 262-364-6678). Wristbands will be required to get into the Zoo.

Join us on Wednesday evening, June 24th, at the Milwaukee County Zoo as we take great "strides" in helping individuals with disabilities at our 9th Annual Walk With Me. Your support of this signature walk event helps us provide children and adults with autism and other disabilities the opportunities to live, learn, work and play in our communities. Registration begins at 5pm at the Zoo Terrace (but you can enjoy the zoo all day long with your registration!). Enjoy pre-walk entertainment featuring the All-Star SUPERband a the Zoo Terrace stage. Be sure to meet our 2015 Honorary Ambassadors and stars of the walk! The 1-mile family fun walk begins at 6:30pm. Enjoy the zoo or return to the Terrace for more fun and post-walk entertainment. Money raised through this event will be used to provide direct services for individuals with disabilities. Your support will go far beyond just one evening of walking. Lace up those walking shoes today! Together we are making a difference.

Walk With Me Milwaukee
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Top Definition
Members of the Zeta Alpha Tau sorority. All members of this select purchased friend club fall into this category with few exceptions. The word is a combination of what they call themselves, Zeta, and what they all are, cunts.
Where did all the zunts come from?

You aren't going to be a zunt are you?
Por jorge smith 29 de septiembre de 2010
4 more definitions
The word CUNT pronounced with a strong German slang accent.
Dude, her zunt was puffy and smelled like old lobsters.
Por ZuntleCapacitorWavelength 22 de septiembre de 2013
A person, generally male, who sniffs the seats of women's bicycles. (Attested: eastern Massachusetts, late 1950s)
Last night I saw some hairy old zunt hanging around the library's bike rack.
Por Hippoclid 27 de noviembre de 2009
Zipper front pants and cunt. A female who wears the pants in a female to female relationship.
Look at that lesbian, she is Zunt in that chicks life.
Por ROB & CORY 15 de marzo de 2005
a Blunt.
hey, you wanna come over for a zunt?
Por stangobsession 09 de agosto de 2010

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Lions sign WR Ogletree, release DT Smith

Turns out D'Anthony Smith's stay in Detroit was a short one.

A week and a day after the Lions claimed Smith off waivers from Seattle, they released him and signed wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, most recently of Tampa Bay.

On a lot of levels, this makes sense for Detroit. The Lions were still needing a receiver since Nate Burleson broke his forearm last Tuesday and Patrick Edwards was hobbled with an injured ankle.

Ogletree gives Detroit a taller veteran -- he's 6-1 -- to work with in the receiving corps.

Originally undrafted out of Virginia, the Queens, N.Y., native played his first four seasons in the NFL with Dallas, catching 57 passes for 730 yards and four touchdowns. He went to Tampa Bay to start this season and caught eight passes for 70 yards and a score in the team's first four games.

He was then released and the Lions jumped on him as an experienced, young receiver.

How fast he'll be able to make an impact remains to be seen. Detroit could use extra receivers against Green Bay and while Edwards practiced fully Wednesday, his status for Sunday is uncertain. At the very least, Ogletree's signing gives the Lions another healthy receiver to go with Calvin Johnson, Kris Durham, Ryan Broyles and return specialist Micheal Spurlock.


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Instant analysis: Wisconsin 70, Nebraska 31

INDIANAPOLIS -- A five-loss Wisconsin team that didn't win its division and, according to many, didn't belong in the Big Ten championship game dominated No. 12 Nebraska from the onset. The Badgers punched their ticket to the Rose Bowl for the third consecutive year in by far their best performance of the season.

Some quick thoughts from a mostly stunned Lucas Oil Stadium following Wisconsin's 70-31 victory.

It was over when: Wisconsin running back Montee Ball, exploiting Nebraska's game-long inability to defend the edge, scored on a 16-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter to put the Badgers up 35-10. Yes, this game was over that early, if not sooner. The Badgers had weathered a small Nebraska rally after scoring two touchdowns in the first 2:07 and reclaimed a commanding lead on Ball's run. Just in case Nebraska had any notions of another second-half rally, Ball raced 57 yards to the end zone in the third quarter, posterizing Huskers nickelback Ciante Evans along the way.

Game ball goes to: Wisconsin's running backs. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada was masterful in mixing and matching the Badgers' three top backs -- Ball, junior James White and freshman Melvin Gordon -- each of whom eclipsed 100 rushing yards. Ball (202 rushing yards, 3 TDs) stole the show in the third quarter, while Gordon (216 rushing yards, 1 TD) set the tone with a 56-yard touchdown on the fourth play of the game. White had a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown out of the Barge formation in the first half and added another rushing score as Wisconsin stormed out to a 42-10 halftime lead. He finished with 109 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns along with his passing score.

Stat of the game: There's something about Wisconsin's rushing offense and the state of Indiana this season. Despite an inconsistent rushing attack all season, the Badgers went nuts in their three games in the Hoosier State. They had 467 rushing yards and four touchdowns Oct. 13 at Purdue, a team-record 564 rushing yards and seven touchdowns Nov. 10 at Indiana and 539 rushing yards and eight touchdowns Saturday night.

Best call: There are so many to choose from, as Canada saved all his tricks for Saturday night. We saw the Barge a bunch, including White's pass to Sam Arneson at the end of the first half. But we'll go with a pitch from quarterback Curt Phillips to receiver Jared Abbrederis, a high school signal-caller who threw back to Phillips for a 27-yard gain. White scored from a yard out on the next play.

Second guessing: Down 49-10, the Huskers showed some life when Jamal Turner appeared to score on a 55-yard reception early in the third quarter. But the play was brought back when officials flagged Nebraska receiver Kenny Bell for unnecessary roughness on a block against Wisconsin's Devin Smith. Bell led with his shoulder, and while the play looked ugly, it seemed like a clean hit.

What it means: Wisconsin becomes the first five-loss team to punch its ticket to the Rose Bowl. While the Badgers undoubtedly saved their best for last, their advancement likely will increase criticism and mockery of the Big Ten after a rough season. After a wildly inconsistent season on offense, the Badgers had everything click in their most important game of the season. Nebraska, meanwhile, had its worst performance since an Oct. 6 beating at Ohio State. The game certainly raises questions about the Huskers, which were far from dominant in Legends Division play and overcame sloppiness with second-half fortitude. After so many escapes, the Huskers dug themselves way too deep a hole against Wisconsin. Nebraska is still searching for its first conference title since 1999.


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RG3 cleared to practice, still bears watching

As you can see and hear in this SportsCenter video from Adam Schefter, Washington Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III has been cleared to practice today and the team is optimistic he'll play Sunday. It's absolutely a good sign, and reports that Griffin has been symptom-free since he had to leave the game with a concussion Sunday are encouraging as well.

It's worth remembering, however, that the NFL's concussion protocols are a week-long process for a reason. Concussions are a tricky and serious business, and just because a guy is symptom-free on Tuesday doesn't mean symptoms can't show up again Wednesday or Thursday. The league is watching these situations very closely in light of the hundreds of former players suing them over alleged negligence regarding head injuries, and Griffin must be cleared by an independent neurologist before he can return to game action. The fact that he's been cleared by the league to practice is a good first step. It's just not the last one.


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Redskins: Dream/nightmare scenario

Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Redskins in 2012.

Dream scenario (9-7): This would mean Washington's first winning season since 2007, Joe Gibbs' final year as head coach. What has to happen to make it a reality? Well, lots, frankly. Robert Griffin III will need to be very good right away at taking care of the ball and limiting the kinds of mistakes it's reasonable to expect from rookie quarterbacks. Most important, the Redskins' offense must play very well around him. They'll need health from Tim Hightower and continued development from promising fellow running backs Roy Helu and Evan Royster. They'll need Pierre Garcon to play like the potential No. 1 wideout his free-agent price tag says they believe he can be. They'll need the offensive line to stay healthy and play well, with left tackle Trent Williams as its anchor. The Redskins' dream scenario sees Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan cementing their place among the league's top pass-rushing duos, DeAngelo Hall harnessing his ability and playing like a top corner, and something emerging from the muddle they take to training camp at safety. The defense looked like a young defense on the rise last year, and if the Redskins are to threaten or possibly exceed .500, it will have to continue that rise.

Nightmare scenario (5-11): And that would mean the same record as last year, and one game worse than the year before, and drop Mike Shanahan's three-year record as the team's head coach to a rather uninspiring 16-32. That would be what's called, in official NFL terms, "not good." In the Redskins' nightmare scenario, Griffin struggles with the transition, the wide receiver group is as uninspiring as Washington's free-agency critics believe it is and the offensive line falls apart due to injury for the second year in a row. In the nightmare scenario, the secondary remains a big-time weakness of the defense and costs the Redskins dearly in division games against the likes of Eli Manning, Tony Romo and Michael Vick. If all of this happens, the Redskins would enter the 2013 offseason with far more to fix than they currently believe they do, and with questions about Shanahan's future as coach. I don't think there's much that can happen to wreck the Griffin honeymoon between now and January, but if the rest of the team plays well around him and he commits too many turnovers, that particular nightmare scenario could make Redskins fans nervous about the new franchise quarterback going into next season.


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Print and Go Back Draft Kit [Print without images]

Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Updated: September 15, 7:22 PM ET
Fantasy hockey sleepers and busts

By Fantasy staff

The time-honored cliche when it comes to investing is buy low, sell high. Within the world of fantasy sports, a similar principle is at play: Acquire undervalued players (through the draft, free agency or trade) and avoid overpaying for players who are not going to perform up to their expected level of production. It can be a challenge to determine which players fit into those two categories, but luckily for you, we've gathered a panel of our fantasy hockey experts to reveal who they believe are the 2011-12 sleepers and busts.

Our experts polled this season are Sean Allen, Pierre Becquey, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Scott Cullen, Tim Kavanagh and Victoria Matiash. Each scribe has included brief analysis as to why he or she believes each player is going to perform above expectations or be a disappointment to those calling his name on draft day, and their thoughts can be found below the table displaying the players in each category.

Sleeper Forwards

Mikael Backlund, C, Calgary Flames: The Swedish native closed out the 2010-11 campaign as the pivot on the Flames' top scoring line, and all indications are he's going to get another look at the spot as the 2011-12 season begins. If he sticks, this would prove to be incredibly fruitful for those with the foresight to draft him, as he'll be playing alongside Jarome Iginla and Alex Tanguay. The points should pile up as a result. -- Tim Kavanagh

Jamie Benn
The Stars will be expecting a lot more from the emerging Jamie Benn this season.

Jamie Benn, LW, Dallas Stars: Maybe he's not necessarily a sleeper, since he has continued to get better and better in his young career, but the Stars finally turned Benn loose last season and he showed he could be a prime-time player. In fact, he forced his way into that role. While Benn finished with 33 points in his last 33 games, he was playing only 15-17 minutes per game when he suffered a shoulder injury in February. Upon his return, Benn's minutes finally went up and he was playing more than 20 minutes per game. Expect that to continue this season because, with Brad Richards gone, the Stars will need to count on 22-year-old Benn to be an offensive leader in his third NHL season. -- Scott Cullen

Matt D'Agostini, C, St. Louis Blues: Believe it or not, D'Agostini is the favored candidate to play on the Blues' top scoring line with David Backes and Andy McDonald at the start of the regular season. Seriously. Not that Chris Stewart or T.J. Oshie won't try to steal the gig in training camp, but it's the 24-year-old's to lose. As recently reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Blues coach Davis Payne insisted D'Agostini earned the opportunity by filling in adequately for the injured David Perron (concussion) in 2010-11. Playing with Backes and McDonald, the young forward amassed 21 goals and 25 assists in his first full NHL season. This isn't to suggest you should blow an early- or mid-round pick on D'Agostini, but if he's around later in fantasy drafts, why not snag him? It could prove to be a wise investment. -- Victoria Matiash

Tomas Fleischmann, C/W, Florida Panthers: I like it best when the numbers stand firmly behind my predictions, and in Fleischmann's case, the numbers scream, "Breakout!" Simply by projecting him for a full season of around 19 minutes of ice time per game, the numbers suggest he can score 70 points. With the pulmonary embolism that ended his season prematurely behind him, Fleischmann has emerged from a bottom-six forward with the Washington Capitals to the highest-paid forward for the Panthers. It's all thanks to the 21 points he scored in 22 games with the Colorado Avalanche after a trade and before his blood clot last season. I believe Fleischmann has the talent to at least come close to a point per game. -- Sean Allen

Nazem Kadri, C, Toronto Maple Leafs: There are two things the Maple Leafs need desperately: forwards who can put the puck in the net, and for at least one of their first-round picks from the past decade to blossom into a star (for their own team, so Tuukka Rask doesn't count). Kadri will be given the opportunity to do both. Although he failed to shine in his 29-game debut last season, he did score 41 points in 44 games with the AHL Marlies, scoring on 17.7 percent of his shots. He'll be 21 years old to start the season, and he might well have 30 goals and 60 points in his stick if he lands a top-six role, along with some decent power-play upside. -- Pierre Becquey

Magnus Paajarvi, Edmonton Oilers: Though perhaps buried on the depth chart -- he might have to settle for a third-line wing role initially this year -- this member of the promising "H.O.P.E Quartet" has one advantage over his Oilers brethren: his versatility. He's an excellent skater and has more defensive ability than his minus-13 rookie rating showed; that helped earn him occasional looks at the point on the power play later in the year. Sure enough, Paajarvi ended his rookie campaign on a high note, managing five goals, five assists and five power-play points in his final 19 games. The late rounds in fantasy drafts tend to be populated with ho-hum, 40-point veteran retreads; given the choice I'd much rather take the chance on the promising youngster who, while he has work to do to scale the depth chart, has the skills necessary to break through with a 50-60 point campaign. --Tristan H. Cockcroft

Sleeper Defensemen

Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames: Giordano will be 28 to start the season and looks ready to take that final step into the defensive elite. His ice time has increased in consecutive seasons, along with his point production, both at even strength and on the power play. With a final boost to 25 minutes of ice time per game alongside his excellent stay-at-home partner Jay Bouwmeester, Giordano's offensive output easily could climb to 15 goals and 60 points. As a bonus, a disproportionate number of points might come on the power play, where he's thrived throughout his career, acquiring 51 of his 108 career points in 277 games. -- Pierre Becquey

Travis Hamonic, New York Islanders: The 21-year-old emerged in the second half of his rookie season, and his ability to combine points and penalty minutes can make him very valuable. The Islanders are a young team with some offensive upside -- which helps -- and even if Mark Streit's return gives the Isles a genuine power-play quarterback again, Hamonic's second-half surge (18 points in 33 games) shouldn't be discounted. Last season, there were two defensemen (Kris Letang and P.K. Subban) who put up 30 points and 100 penalty minutes, and that's an entirely reasonable expectation for Hamonic this year. -- Scott Cullen

Erik Johnson
Erik Johnson still has time to live up to the promise of being a former No. 1 overall draft pick.

Erik Johnson, Colorado Avalanche: March 21, 1988. Wayne Gretzky was playing out the final season of his tenure with the Edmonton Oilers, financial markets worldwide were still shaken by the events of a stock market crash just five months prior and Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" had just dethroned Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" as the No. 1 song on the charts. It also was the day Erik Johnson -- the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2006 -- was born. Johnson's first two-plus seasons in St. Louis might have had the front office looking at the man in the mirror, wondering why the organization had invested such draft capital in the Minnesota native, and he was traded to Colorado. But there's no reason to give up on Johnson as an elite fantasy product. He's surrounded by a group of promising young forwards led by Matt Duchene, Paul Stastny and 2011 first-rounder Gabriel Landeskog, and he figures to inherit the power-play quarterbacking duties left vacant by the departure of John-Michael Liles. Forty-plus points, elite average ice time and tons of shots on net could be in the cards this season, and you won't have to pay a stiff price to draft him, either. -- Tim Kavanagh

Dion Phaneuf, Toronto Maple Leafs: Remember 260 shots, 60 points, 180 penalty minutes and a plus rating? Those are the kind of numbers Phaneuf used to put up as a 22-year-old with the Calgary Flames. He's 26 now and looking to embark on a season that will return him to elite top-five fantasy defenseman form. I don't think there is anything standing in Phaneuf's way. John-Michael Liles is a perfect defense partner for Phaneuf, and Tim Connolly should help improve the overall offense and the power play. Chalk me down as a believer in Phaneuf's return to power. -- Sean Allen

Sheldon Souray, Dallas Stars: Signed to a one-year (last NHL gasp) contract with the Stars, Souray will get one final chance to prove he's not a washed-up, bellyaching, rusty has-been. And there's enough evidence to suggest he makes the most of the opportunity. First of all, general manager Joe Nieuwendyk is a smart man; he wouldn't have thrown a million bucks Souray's way if there wasn't enough potential upside. Secondly, the 35-year-old reportedly has been working out hard this offseason with former NHLer Chris Chelios -- who takes physical fitness to a whole other level. And then there's that vicious shot of his; one of the most lethal in the NHL, Souray's rifle from the point helped him earn 23 goals and 30 assists with the Edmonton Oilers in 2008-09, and 67 points with the Montreal Canadiens back in 2006-07. That's not that long ago, really. With Alex Goligoski as their only other standout offensive defenseman, the Stars are in position to benefit greatly from playing Souray with the man-advantage. After being injured and/or stuck in the AHL last season, a very hungry Souray will do all he can to continue playing at the highest level. -- Victoria Matiash

Ryan Whitney, Edmonton Oilers: What can I say, I'm a sucker for Ryan Whitney and I think the Oilers are on the rise. Typically, I shy from the injury risks, and Whitney certainly qualifies; he had foot surgery in January and had a setback with it in August. There's a chance we're not going to see him the entire preseason, and that alone might be enough to suppress his draft-day value into the late rounds. But sometimes, just sometimes, you need gamble on the "per-game" performers, and look at Whitney's Oilers career numbers scaled to 82 games: 6 goals, 40 assists, plus-10 rating, 17 power-play points, 137 shots on goal. (And he was a heck of a lot more productive in 35 games in 2010-11 alone.) Remember, defensemen -- at least the back-end roster options -- tend to be more replaceable than, say, forwards or goalies. Take a shot on upside with your final picks. --Tristan H. Cockcroft

Sleeper Goaltenders

Craig Anderson
Craig Anderson picked up his game in a big way after joining the Senators last season.

Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators: Sometimes off-ice issues can have a way of affecting players on the ice, and even a mild conspiracy theorist would suspect something was up with Anderson during the opening portion of the 2010-11 season in Colorado. He started 31 games for the Avalanche, posting a 13-15-3 record with a 3.28 goals-against average and .897 save percentage. Those numbers horrified anyone in the fantasy world who had used a high draft pick on the man who had 38 wins, a 2.65 GAA and .917 SV% just a season before. Some suspect a failure to negotiate a contract extension with the Avs was at the root of Anderson's problems. But following a trade midseason to the Senators, Anderson hit the ice as a man on a mission, and finished off the season with an 11-5-1 record, with a 2.05 GAA and .937 SV%. To put those Ottawa numbers in perspective, had he carried them out for the entire season, they would have been just a shade behind those of Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas. I don't believe Anderson is capable of doing quite that well, but he's got the upside of a midrange No. 1 goalie in fantasy for the cost of a No. 2. And for those worried about the contract woes rearing their ugly head again? The Sens locked him up with a four-year extension in March. --Tim Kavanagh

Ray Emery, Chicago Blackhawks: No offense to young Alexander Salak, but if given the opportunity to wear GM Stan Bowman's shoes, we're all over inking Emery as the Blackhawks' No. 2 netminder, as long as the 29-year-old doesn't sustain an injury or make a fool of himself during his tryout via invite at training camp. Emery was fabulous (7-2, 2.28 GAA, .926 SV%) as a February pickup for the Anaheim Ducks, and frankly, the lack of interest in signing the free agent this summer still doesn't make sense. If truly recovered from last year's hip surgery as reported, Emery has to be considered the favorite to earn the backup gig ahead of Salak. And keep in mind, No. 1 Corey Crawford has only the one successful NHL season under his belt. If those often-unpredictable fantasy dominoes fall in certain formation, Emery could stand to get more than a small percentage of NHL starts in 2011-12. -- Victoria Matiash

Jonas Gustavsson, Toronto Maple Leafs: I seriously just can't shake that season in which Gustavsson completely dominated the Swedish Elite League over a full campaign and was named that very competitive league's best player after literally backstopping his team to a championship. Gustavsson's numbers over that season were eerily similar to those of the previous dominant goaltender in the Elitserien: Henrik Lundqvist. While Lundqvist made for a fairly quick convert to the North American game, Gustavsson's progress was halted by health problems. If Gustavsson's heart is all healed up and he is focused in 2011-12, I see him having little trouble stealing the No. 1 label from the unproven James Reimer. When Gustavsson was dominating the Swedish league in 2008-09, Reimer was being demoted to the ECHL. -- Sean Allen

Jaroslav Halak, St. Louis Blues: After a mediocre first season in St. Louis, Halak comes into this season with far lower expectations than he had prior to 2010-11, the campaign following his playoff heroics for Montreal. The Blues have a promising young team, and if Halak plays around his career average (2.57 GAA, .916 SV%) over 60-plus starts, he might have his breakout campaign. -- Scott Cullen

Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins: When it comes to sleeper-seeking among goalies, generally filling the final spots on your bench, draft either elite skills or clear opportunity, but not a little of both. Rask fits the former description; in his 70 career NHL starts, he's 36-26 with eight shutouts, a 2.26 goals-against average and .925 save percentage, numbers that would put him squarely in the top 10 in the league if he ever got a chance to start. So why doesn't he start? Simple: Tim Thomas, the reigning Vezina Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winners as well as the NHL's leader in both ratio categories in 2010-11, returns atop the depth chart. In other words, Rask's value is "handcuff" at best come draft day, but we shouldn't ignore that Thomas is 37 years old, and without the track record that traditionally comes with a workhorse, starting NHL goaltender. Heck, Rask might not warrant draft-day consideration in your league at all. But if Thomas were to suddenly go down, Rask would be not only an instant pickup, but an instant start, and that's why he's the true definition of a sleeper. --Tristan H. Cockcroft

Semyon Varlamov, Colorado Avalanche: Finally, a clear path to starters minutes for Semyon Varlamov. Jean-Sebastien Giguere is well past his prime, while 23-year-old Varlamov has his best years ahead of him. Armed with a .924 save percentage (fifth in the NHL) in his third and final season with Washington, with a potentially better-than-you-think defensive squad in front of him in Colorado and an offense that already scores more goals per game (2.7) than Varlamov has allowed in his career (2.39, 2.23 last season), Varlamov is a No. 2 goalie with bottom-tier No. 1 goaltender upside. -- Pierre Becquey

Bust Forwards

Claude Giroux, RW/C, Philadelphia Flyers: Someone has to replace Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, and that task will fall to Giroux, who certainly deserves the shot on the heels of his team-leading 76-point season. Certainly, Giroux has a scorer's pedigree from his days with Gatineau of the QMJHL. But the Flyers are a team in transition, and joining Giroux on the top line will be someone vaguely resembling Jaromir Jagr (mullet length undetermined at press time), and that's a long way from skating with Jeff Carter on a regular basis. Perhaps we've already seen Giroux's ceiling, as there's no guarantee his point total can improve simply because half the guys he used to share his points with aren't in town anymore. Better hope they didn't take half his production along with them. -- Pierre Becquey

Ryan Kesler, C, Vancouver Canucks: This isn't a suggestion that Kesler can't be a productive player, but he scored 41 goals last year while converting on a career-best 15.8 percent of his shots on goal. In most cases, career highs in shooting percentage will tend to regress toward career averages. Kesler doesn't have terrific linemates at the best of times, and Mason Raymond might not be ready to start the season after suffering a fractured vertebra in the Stanley Cup finals. That leaves the likes of Mikael Samuelsson, Marco Sturm and Chris Higgins as possible wingers for Kesler, and that alone is reason to consider it unlikely that Kesler will have a third straight season with 70-plus points. While these are some reasons to consider that Kesler's production might dip, the foremost reason is that he had offseason hip surgery and it might take him some time to get up to speed. --Scott Cullen

Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning: He's simply overrated, and it's not merely the bloated $85 million contract that decides it. Through 12 NHL seasons, Lecavalier has managed 30 or more goals precisely five times (and not once since 2007-08), 90 points twice (also not since 2007-08) and has a putrid minus-110 rating, averaging to minus-9 per year. Steven Stamkos has thundered ahead of him as the Lightning's new offensive leader, and that leaves Lecavalier a second-fiddle, offensively minded No. 2 center, and on a line where the man with whom he saw the most chemistry a year ago, Simon Gagne, is now gone. It's not that Lecavalier doesn't have a place on draft day; it's that he's that ho-hum, 25-and-35 scorer whose probable minus-10 rating will more than offset the 20-25 or so power-play points he might provide. Let someone else deal with the headache. --Tristan H. Cockcroft

Zach Parise
Zach Parise should be better than last season's injury-plagued campaign, but it's best to temper expectations.

Zach Parise, LW, New Jersey Devils: The Devils had a brutal start to the 2010-11 campaign, one that eventually resulted in coach John MacLean being fired. One of the significant hurdles along the way was Parise's knee injury less than a month into the season. After surgery to repair a torn meniscus and an extensive rehab, Parise made it back into the Devils' lineup for one game in April before shutting it down for the season. In the two seasons prior, Parise was a wildly valuable fantasy commodity, scoring at a 1.08 points-per-game clip, while registering a plus-30 and plus-24 in 2008-09 and 2009-10, respectively. Furthermore, he was very durable, playing in 163 out of a possible 164 regular-season games in those two seasons. Will he be as durable and effective on a surgically repaired knee? That's not certain. But another reason for Parise's selection in this group is that coach Peter DeBoer has confirmed he won't be asking Parise or Ilya Kovalchuk to switch positions this season. They're both left wings. Translation: They won't be on the same line together at even strength, and top center Travis Zajac will be out for the start of the season with a torn Achilles. Are the Devils talented enough up front to send out two big-time scoring lines? Are you willing to risk a first- or second-round pick to find out? -- Tim Kavanagh

Corey Perry, RW, Anaheim Ducks: Perry was such a great story last season that I hate to sour it by listing him as a bust, but there is no way he scores 50 goals again. No way. It is just too much of a statistical outlier to depend on it being repeated. Give him 40 goals, fine. He had 27, 32 and 29 goals in the three seasons prior to last season's eruption, so the 40-goal benchmark is not completely unreasonable. But 50? No sir. Perry will be one of the best fantasy right wingers there is; he'll net close to 80 points and eclipse 100 penalty minutes. But I'll be damned if he scores 50 goals again. It's just too many. To wit, even as an OHL superstar with the London Knights in 2004-05, Perry scored only 47 goals in a season in which he netted 130 points. -- Sean Allen

Jakub Voracek, RW, Philadelphia Flyers: Despite dealing away Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, and allowing Ville Leino to sign with the Buffalo Sabres over the summer, the Flyers remain balanced and in above-average shape in terms of talented forwards. And unfortunately for recent Columbus Blue Jackets' export Voracek, that could result in an undesirable third-line role. Assuming Jaromir Jagr plays on the Flyers' top line with Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk, one winger will have a chance to fight for a spot on the second line alongside Daniel Briere and Scott Hartnell. At the very least, Voracek will have to battle Wayne Simmonds for the position. And that's presuming Brayden Schenn doesn't merit the second-line center's job, moving Giroux to the wing. Plus there's the chance -- however slim -- that training camp invitee Michael Nylander could earn a gig as Jagr's centerman (they have a pleasant history), and Voracek's chances of skating as a top-six forward take an additional hit. There are too many variables at play here. Voracek has a very promising future in the NHL, but perhaps not immediately, and certainly less so with the elderly Jagr kicking about. -- Victoria Matiash

Bust Defensemen

Dan Boyle, San Jose Sharks: Since debuting with the Florida Panthers in 1998-99, Boyle has participated in 752 regular-season games and 84 playoff tilts. That's not to say the Ottawa native -- who turned 35 this offseason -- is ready for retirement or even necessarily on his way to hitting a significant wall this season. But the Sharks' behavior on the transaction wire this offseason might give us a clue as to their plans for him. A trade for Brent Burns (another offensively inclined D-man stud nearly 10 years his junior) might mean Boyle will see a bit less ice time in 2010-11, both on even strength and the power play, so as to keep him fresh for the long haul. It would seem that a reduction in that category (one of the seven tabulated for skaters in ESPN standard leagues) would be accompanied by less production on the scoresheet as well. Still a very useful player, Boyle just isn't worthy of the spot at which he's being projected to be taken in fantasy drafts this fall. -- Tim Kavanagh

Dustin Byfuglien
Keep a close eye on Dustin Byfuglien's weight heading into his first season in Winnipeg.

Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg Jets: Following his Stanley Cup win with Chicago in 2010, the 26-year-old had a terrific season playing defense full time for the Atlanta Thrashers in 2010-2011, but his midsummer arrest brought an interesting tidbit along with it -- namely that he's 286 pounds! Big (or really big), Buff could drop weight and get down to the 269 or so that he reportedly played at last season, but if he's pushing three bills this summer, I'd be extra cautious when it comes to taking Byfuglien on draft day. -- Scott Cullen

Christian Ehrhoff, Buffalo Sabres: The Sabres are paying for what will wind up being regarded as a couple of career years out of Ehrhoff with the Vancouver Canucks. Not to discount the quality defender Ehrhoff is, because he is a solid defenseman, but a sack of potatoes on the ice at the same time as the Sedin twins could have a plus-36 rating. It's not a knock, just a fact. Here's another: Ehrhoff never managed more than 10 goals or 42 points before joining the Canucks. It's already been suggested Tyler Myers will be paired with Robyn Regehr as the Sabres' top defensemen, leaving Ehrhoff with Jordan Leopold as the second pairing. While it's also been suggested Ehrhoff will still play the top power-play unit with Myers, I think the team has too many talented forwards not to use four forwards and Myers on the man advantage. I don't think Ehrhoff will be fantasy poison this season; I just think he'll be closer to the 25th-best fantasy defenseman instead of the 10th. -- Sean Allen

Andrei Markov, Montreal Canadiens: Markov is one talented son of a skater. But will that right knee of his allow him to resume his role as a 60-point man? Markov is no spring chicken any longer. He'll turn 32 in December, and his body has taken a beating over his 10-year career, sustaining injuries to both knees as well as his ankle. He'll definitely be worth starting when he's healthy, but should you really be risking your No. 1 defenseman having played only 52 games in the past two seasons, 60 if you include the playoffs? -- Pierre Becquey

Andrej Meszaros, Philadelphia Flyers: Of any player who finished in the top 25 on our Player Rater in 2010-11, Meszaros is the one least likely to crack the top 50 this season … and he might miss by a noticeable amount. One reason is that it's foolish to chase plus/minus: Of the 43 instances of a player managing a plus-30 or greater from 2005-06 through 2009-10, all but two declined in the category the following season, 21 declined by at least 20 and the group as a whole averaged a drop of 22.2. (Consider this a caution for Kevin Bieksa, Matt Carle and Toni Lydman as well.) The ones who remained fairly constant? They played for obvious juggernaut offenses -- think Detroit Red Wings, exiting-lockout Ottawa Senators, Washington Capitals … -- which the Flyers are not. Meszaros also greatly benefited from an expanded role during Chris Pronger's absence last season, and Pronger, so far, looks like he'll be ready for the season. --Tristan H. Cockcroft

Marc Staal, New York Rangers: Staal is a great all-around talent on the blue line, and the Rangers are fortunate to have the 24-year-old locked in for the next four years. But he isn't a fantasy stud. Not likely in the distant future, and certainly not in the coming months. First of all, centerman Brad Richards will be asked to anchor the power play, as he did with the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Rangers are still expected to acquire another offensive defenseman for the 2011-12 season. Plus, Michael Del Zotto is pumped and committed to rebound after a fairly disastrous sophomore season with the Rangers. If Del Zotto nears his original promise as a serious power-play threat from the blue line, Staal will be even less obligated to contribute in such a fashion. -- Victoria Matiash

Bust Goalies

Ilya Bryzgalov, Philadelphia Flyers: Can Brygalov still be Breezy under the intense spotlight under which all Flyers goaltenders live, and with Sergei Bobrovsky around to create a controversy at the first sign of trouble, on a team that's essentially trying to rebuild itself after jettisoning four of its top seven scorers from the previous season? Allow me to ask another way: When's the last time you gambled on a full-time Philly goalie, and won? -- Pierre Becquey

Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins: It's not that he's without value in fantasy -- certainly he has the skills to make another run at the top 10 goalies -- it's that with Fleury, you're chasing wins and wins aren't as consistently assured this year as in years past. Sidney Crosby (concussion) is out indefinitely and Evgeni Malkin (knee) is coming off surgery, and if you look at the Penguins' overall team performance before and after losing those two -- Feb. 4 was Malkin's final game -- the team was 34-19 and averaged 3.02 goals per game before, but 18-18 with a 2.28 GPG average after. Asked to be the Penguins' leader during the playoffs, Fleury did have a couple promising performances in the series loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but he also had a few stinkers, showing how unreasonable to expect him to pull a Martin Brodeur-like performance on a night-to-night basis. In fact, Fleury had a 2.52 GAA and .908 save percentage after the All-Star break, ratios that look disturbingly close to his 2.74/.908 career numbers. He's a product of his team, plan and simple, so temper your expectations this year. --Tristan H. Cockcroft

Jonas Hiller, Anaheim Ducks: Not going to lie -- last winter's bout of vertigo remains a major concern. Sure, the Anaheim Ducks say Hiller is symptom-free, and yes, the goaltender himself insists that's indeed the case, but it's still a worry. This isn't a case of an injured wrist or knee or ankle or thumb -- it's a frustratingly mysterious affliction. And until Hiller irrefutably proves it's a historical one -- by competing at the most intense level for several games in a row -- it might be best to look elsewhere for a No. 1 fantasy netminder. -- Victoria Matiash

Ryan Miller
Ryan Miller is a solid goalie, but he's not as great as the hype makes him out to be.

Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres: I don't want to accuse anyone of living in the glory of the past; I've still got cassette tapes lying around the house, after all. But it seems Miller (and his boisterous supporters) continues to reap the rewards of one amazing NHL regular season (2009-10) -- that happened to have a transcendent run as Team USA's backstop smack dab in the middle of it -- to being overdrafted thereafter in fantasy leagues. He was not only the first goalie off the board, but a first-round pick in many fantasy drafts prior to last season, and some fantasy prognosticators have him ranked as high as No. 5 among goalies heading into 2011-12. Here's the reality: Miller went 41-18-8 in 2009-10, with a 2.22 GAA and .929 SV%. In the other five seasons following the lockout, Miller has averaged 34.8 wins, while posting a collective GAA of 2.62 and SV% of .913 in that half-decade, never getting below 2.53 in GAA or above .918 in SV% in any one of the five campaigns. Don't get me wrong, those are pretty solid numbers. But they are not elite, draft-this-man-in-the-first-three-rounds numbers. -- Tim Kavanagh

Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings: It's not that Quick isn't an adequate NHL goaltender. It's that I still believe in Jonathan Bernier … big time. As Quick wore down again toward the end of last season, Bernier was relied on more. As he was relied on more, he got better. In February and March, Bernier played in 10 games, and earned a 1.60 GAA and a .942 SV% with three shutouts. The Kings will continue to turn to Bernier more and more this season, and they will find better numbers there every time. -- Sean Allen

Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins: Considering he wasn't even the starting goaltender on opening night last season, then went on to have one of the greatest seasons ever, it's easy enough to suggest Thomas can't duplicate his season of a lifetime. He can still be very good, but at 37 years old, it's easier to forecast trouble than it is another career year. -- Scott Cullen


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Eager to play for home crowd

Courtesy of Washington Athletics

Washington hosts Utah at Husky Stadium this weekend, its first home series of the season.

In all likelihood, this past weekend’s Judi Garman tournament marked the last time I will play college softball in Southern California, as we host UCLA in Seattle later this month.

I have countless softball memories in Southern California, starting with U10 Bobby Sox “Nationals” and quickly followed by (innumerable) showcase events in Huntington Beach, and more recently, my past four seasons with the Washington Huskies.

It has been the experience of a lifetime and I was happy to be able to share some of the memories with friends, including past teammates and opponents who currently play at Arizona, Nebraska, and Texas and were staying at the same Fullerton area hotel as the Huskies. Lots of laughs, but the question “where did the time go?” remained unanswered.

Coach Tarr had told us that our 2014 pre-conference schedule was the toughest one our program has ever had. As expected, we were tested at every turn. Opponents always bring their A-game when they play a top-ranked team, and that is especially the case when that team is from the Pac-12 “Conference of Champions.”

I am proud of how our team has competed and fought throughout the five weeks. We were not perfect, but let’s face it, no one ever is! Losses (four) teach us more than wins (19) ever will, and we learned valuable lessons from those games against LSU, Northwestern, Nebraska and Fresno State.

One of our overarching themes for pre-conference play was to compete each weekend as if it were a regional. NCAA postseason is “two and barbeque” as my Dad (who used to drive me to SoCal and back) would say, coining a phrase from the good ole days of travel ball. Translation: lose twice, you go home. I am proud to say that after each of these losses, we were able to bounce back. Moving forward, we take this mindset into conference play and we do not intend to lose two games in a single series for the remainder of the season.

I couldn’t be more excited to start conference play this weekend. After five weeks on the road, we have the opportunity to host the University of Utah at beautiful Husky Stadium. Our fans have followed us diligently throughout the preseason, many making trips down to Arizona or California, and those who couldn’t, were kept up to date through Twitter @UWSoftball and GoHuskies.com. Husky softball players and fans alike are eager for the first of only four home series this coming weekend. Although the forecast looks as if it could get a little wet, nothing stops Husky Nation!

As we transition into the second phase of our season, I am hopeful about the progress we have made and so excited to see how this team perseveres throughout conference play. Time to win ourselves a Pac-12 Championship.

Go Dawgs!


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Chat with Alonzo Mourning

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Mourning announced his retirement Thursday.
Welcome to The Show! On Friday, former NBA star Alonzo Mourning will stop by to chat. Mourning announced his retirement from the NBA on Thursday.

Mourning had been working on another comeback, after suffering a terrible leg injury he suffered in December 2007. He won his first NBA championship with the Miami Heat in 2006. For his career, he averaged 17.1 points and 8.5 rebounds and he was selected twice as the NBA defensive player of the year.

Now that Mourning is retired, it will give him more time to continue his work with the McDonald's All American Games, where he is the chair of the Advisory Council. On Friday, Mourning will be announcing "Zo's Top 33" -- the top 33 former All Americans based on their athletic ability and their commitment to giving back and helping their communities. Fans can check out the list on the brand new All-American blog at

Send in your questions now and join Mourning at 12:30 p.m. ET on Friday!

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Contact Us

Penn State to Hire New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien as New Head Coach

Bill O'Brien to be named Penn State head coach.
Elsa, Getty Images

Penn State is preparing to turn at least one page in the darkest chapter in school history, as ESPN reports the school has chosen New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien as the Nittany Lions’ new head coach.

The official announcement is expected to come Saturday, but sources report that the deal is done and that O’Brien will officially resume his new role as soon as the Patriots season is over.

This will be O’Brien’s first head coaching job. He has been a Patriots assistant since 2007. Prior to that, he spent 14 seasons in the college ranks at Duke, Maryland and Georgia Tech. Running O’Brien’s offense, the Patriots closed the season on an eight-game winning streak. They rank third in the NFL in scoring  and second in total offense.

O’Brien takes over a Penn State program still reeling from the sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the university.  Legendary head coach Joe Paterno was fired in November for failing to adequately report allegations that former PSU defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky had sexually abused young boys.  Paterno coached the Nittany Lions for 46 seasons and left as the winningest coach in football history with 409 wins.

O’Brien has never coached or played at Penn State, and the reaction by many former Nittany Lion players has been less than enthusiastic. Representatives from the influential Lettermen’s Club (composed of former PSU players) reportedly have scheduled a meeting with interim athletic director Dave Joyner Friday afternoon to express their concerns that defensive coordinator/interim head coach Tom Bradley or another coach with connections to the Penn State program was not given more serious consideration for the position.

Brandon Short, a former All-American linebacker and a member of the Lettermen’s Club, didn’t mince words, bluntly stating, “[O’Brien] doesn’t have the support of the vast majority of former Penn State players and the vast majority of the student body and the faculty won’t support him…It appears as if it is Dave Joyner’s intent to disassociate himself with everything related to Penn State. Then a group of former players will now disassociate ourselves from everything related to Penn State.”

Short said some former players were so upset, they were even considering going so far as to ask current players to transfer and recruits to de-commit. They are also discussing legal action to prohibit the university from using their names or likenesses for marketing purposes.

In a separate statement on Twitter, former All-American linebacker LaVar Arrington said, “I’m done. All my PSU stuff will be be down before O’Brien’s introduction! We are! No more for me!”

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