Pennsylvania is more than halfway toward its goal to help nearly 30,000 low-income homeowners improve their energy efficiency and reduce costs through the federal stimulus program.
Pennsylvania’s Weatherization Assistance Program provides energy retrofits to low-income homes and Governor Ed Rendell says the state is making great progress...
"Work that creates jobs, conserves energy and reduces costs for homeowners...Those homeowners are now saving an average of $600 each year on their energy costs. But this effort is about more than simply saving energy and money; this Recovery Act-funded initiative is boosting local economies across the state."
The Governor said more than $22.3 million has been invested so far in materials and supplies for the weatherization initiative.
The weatherization work is coordinated through the Department of Community and Economic Development, the Department of Labor & Industry coordinates all weatherization training. Individuals performing weatherization work for the program must be certified to ensure that work done on a consumer’s home is completed safely and provides the greatest possible energy savings.
More than 1,000 workers have already been trained over the last year and a new round of federal grants will help prepare 1,000 additional weatherization installers, crew chiefs and auditors across the state in the coming year. The governor said these job skills will carry well into the future.
Seven recipients will use a total of $799,000 in federal stimulus Act funds to continue providing weatherization training to students. The Community College of Allegheny County is receiving a $100,000 grant.
Prospective students should contact their PA CareerLink for enrollment information.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Chris Raabe Raabe Dominates Victory Lane in 2010
When Chris Raabe ended the 2008 and 2009 seasons, it was hard to imagine that the following seasons could possibly be any better. Raabe drove to victory lane 22 times in that 2008 season, winning the Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman championship at the age of 17.
He also won the track championships at Thunder Alley Speedway, Brockville Speedway and Rolling Wheels Raceway and the DIRTcar Northeast championship. The following year, Raabe equaled that feat with a back-to-back Mr. DIRTcar title, the DIRTcar Northeast crown, and track championships at Thunder Alley Speed Park and Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park.
In 2010, Raabe looked to at least duplicate those numbers, but he knew it wasn’t going to be easy, with a very impressive group of talented young racers in the Sportsman division looking to de-thrown the current Sportsman King.
The season started off with a Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman series race at the Blackrock Speedway. Raabe finished second in this event, and followed that up with an impressive streak of top two finishes for the next six races, including three first place efforts.
By the end of May, Raabe had a total of eight wins already in just 13 starts to date. Other then one DNF at Cornwall in these races, Raabe’s lowest finish through the end of the month was a 3rd place run at Brockville.
Raabe’s winning ways continued into June with another six victories in just 10 starts during the month. A second place finish and a fourth place were separated by a pair of DNFs at Cornwall and Mohawk Raceway, a result of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Another ten races in July were on the schedule for the Raabe team, and again the team shined with seven more victories. At this time, talk of the all-time DIRTcar Sportsman single season record for victories was running through the pit area. Tim Hindley, set the record at 24 wins in a season back in the mid 90’s and already through the month of July Raabe had 21 victories on the season.
Raabe tied Hindley’s record at the Mohawk Raceway on August 20th, and broke the record just one week later. The next goal for Raabe was to achieve 30 wins in a single season. That feat had only been accomplished by four different drivers in the past, and Raabe looked to etch his name into the DIRTcar record book once again. Raabe ended the month of August with another five wins, bringing the season total to 26.
Raabe grabbed 4 more wins in September, with the 30th win coming at Mohawk International Raceway on September 17th. Raabe joined an impressive list of DIRTcar Motorsports Hall of Fame drivers Will Cagle, Bob McCreadie, and future Hall of Fame drivers Alan Johnson and Danny Johnson as the only drivers to have 30 or more wins in a season in all of DIRTcar racing. Raabe also picked up a Mr. DIRTcar series win at Humberstone Speedway for the second year in a row.
October turned over a new page in Raabe’s racing career as he dabbled in the 358 Modified division at Super DIRT Week at Syracuse. Chris Raabe made his 358 debut at the moody mile and drove straight to victory lane. Raabe also continued his success in the Sportsman ranks with a win at Rolling Wheels Raceway, increasing his win total to 32 for the season, including the Futures race victory. The season ended at Brockville for the DIRTcar Fall Nationals, and tire problems, while leading the race ended his chance at his 33rd checkered flag of the season.
With the final checkered flag of 2010, Chris Raabe closes another chapter of a record breaking career. At the age of 19, he has 93 sanctioned and unsanctioned feature wins, 8 track championships, 4 series championships, and 2 overall Mr.DIRTcar championships.
DIRTcar Records
· First 14 year old to win in open wheel Modifieds
· Age 15, Youngest Track Champion in DIRTcar History
· Age 17, Youngest Mr. DIRT Champion in DIRTcar History
· Age 18, Youngest Back to Back Mr. DIRTcar Champion in DIRT History
· Age 19, Set the all-time single season win record in Modified Sportsman with 31 feature wins and 1 Modified 358 win
PHOTO: Chris Raabe won in his first ever race in a 358 Modified in the Futures Race at Super DIRT Week. (Jay Fish Photo)
Release by: Craig Revelle – Finish Line Web Design
Ohsweken Speedway honours its champs
ANCASTER, ON - The 2010 Ohsweken Speedway season was capped off in fine fashion on Saturday night with the annual awards banquet at the new Marritt Hall in Ancaster. Dave Dykstra was honoured as the third champion of the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division, while Jamie Cox was crowned ESSO Thunder Stock champion, Trevor Goulding received ESSO Mini-Stock accolades, and Karl Sault was awarded his second trophy as champion of the Bomber division.
The night began with a brief summary of the highlights of the 2010 season. The steady growth of fan attendance throughout the year was noted. 44 race teams were honoured for perfect attendance in 2010, while 8 others missed only 1 event. Next season was also mentioned, as new title sponsors are on board for the Thunder Stocks, Mini Stocks, and Bombers, while Corr/Pak remains for the Sprint Cars.
Special sponsor presentations were made to:
Arrow Express, Village Pizza, Village Café, Corr/Pak Merchandising, Best Western Cairn Croft Hotel, Awesome Racewear, Jones Brown Insurance, Trailers By Jim Bray, IroquoisPoker.net, Outhouse Image and Design, Evers Financial, Metal Works Powder Coating, Hoosier Tire Canada, HRW Automotive, Engine Pro Racing, Wiseco Pistons, BS&B Radiator, Grisdale Enterprises, Gales Auto Aftermarket, Hepfner Racing Products, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Kinser Air Filters, Diversified Machine Inc., The Brakeman, ISC Racers Tape, Rod End Supply, XYZ Machining, Pancho's Racing Products, Jay Hewer Racing Products, and King Racing Products.
Triple XXX Race Co. was also thanked for its support of Ohsweken Speedway, and the prize of a new 2011 chassis to Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division champion Dave Dykstra.
CORR/PAK MERCHANDISING SPRINT CARS - AWARDS:
HARD CHARGER
Keith Dempster (passed 34 cars in feature race action)
"HARD LUCK"
James Evans
DEDICATION AND DETERMINATION
Kyle Moffit
BEST APPEARING CAR
Derek Jonathan
TEAM OF THE YEAR
Dykstra Racing
MOST IMPROVED DRIVER
Travis Cunningham
SPORTSMANSHIP
Jim Huppunen
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
PRESENTED BY
IROQUISPOKER.NET
Jamie Turner
DRIVER OF THE YEAR
(Voted on by drivers)
Kevin Job
CORR/PAK MERCHANDISING SPRINT CAR
POINTS CHAMPIONSHIP
Dave Dykstra
The Top 10 in the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Cars were:
1st – Dave Dykstra, Port Colbourne...Following 7th and 4th place finish in the last 2 years, Dave's third season driving Sprint Cars was excellent. He claimed his first Sprint Car title with 2 feature wins, 9 "Top 5's", and an average feature finish of 3.83. The #5d team took home $5,000 plus product prizes, including a new 2011 chassis courtesy of Triple XXX Race Co.
2nd – Kevin Job, Campbellville...Kevin took the runner-up spot for the second year in a row with 8 "Top 10's" and an average feature finish of 9.5. The #21x team took home $3,420 plus product prizes.
3rd – Kyle Moffit, South Dayton, NY...The lone American in the top 10, Kyle was in the title chase for much of the season before mechanical problems got in the way. He claimed 2 feature wins and finished in the Top 5 on 5 occasions, with an average feature finish of 9.29. The #7 team took home $3,160 plus product prizes.
4th – Keith Dempster, Alton...The 2008 Corr/Pak champ had another solid season this year, with 4 "Top 5's" and an average feature finish of 7.42. The #5 team took home $2,895 plus product prizes.
5th – Glenn Styres, Ohsweken..."The Ohsweken Flyer" got 3 feature wins at Ohsweken in 2010 and sits alone atop the all-time win list at the track he owns. He got 5 "Top 5's" and had an average feature finish of 9.36. The #0 team took home $2,630 plus product prizes.
6th – Tom Huppunen, Fenwick..."The Fenwick Flyer's" title defence did not go as planned, but Tom persevered to finish in the Top 10. He got a feature win, 3 "Top 5's", and had an average feature finish of 12.00. The #12c team took home $2,370 plus product prizes.
7th – Jim Huppunen, Fenwick...Tom's younger brother had a strong sophomore season, finishing in the Top 10 after taking 12th last season. He finished in the Top 10 in 9 out of 14 races, and had an average feature finish of 10.93. The #14h team took home $2,100 plus product prizes.
8th – Kyle Patrick, Tilbury..."The Tilbury Tornado" returned after a full season off and didn't skip a beat. He finished in the Top 10 in 7 of his 13 races, and had an average feature finish of 8.90. The #33k team took home $1,840 plus product prizes.
9th – Jamie Turner, Caistor Centre...A former Modified ace, Turner returned to racing after a few years off and looked fast all year. He scored 3 Top 10's and an average feature finish of 13.67. The #11 team took home $1,580 plus product prizes.
10th – Travis Cunningham, Grimsby...The 2009 Rookie of the Year got a late start to the season, missing the first 3 races at Ohsweken due to engine problems. He made up for lost time though, collecting 3 runner-up finishes in a row in August. His average feature finish was 10.4. The #71 team took home $1,320 plus product prizes.
ESSO THUNDER STOCKS - AWARDS:
HARD CHARGER
Jamie Cox (passed 85 cars in feature race action)
"HARD LUCK"
Mike Thorne
DEDICATION AND DETERMINATION
Chris Dickie
BEST APPEARING CAR
Rob Disher
TEAM OF THE YEAR
Van Wart Racing
MOST IMPROVED DRIVER
Phil Nyssen
SPORTSMANSHIP
Chris Dickie
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Ed McNamara
DRIVER OF THE YEAR
(Voted on by drivers)
Jamie Cox
ESSO THUNDER STOCKS
POINTS CHAMPIONSHIP
Jamie Cox
The Top 10 in the ESSO Thunder Stocks were:
1st – Jamie Cox, Cambridge...Following a 2nd place finish last season, Cox aimed for the top of the podium this year and outlasted Billy Bleich to get the title. He had a strong 2nd half to the season once again, claiming the win in 4 of the last 6 races. He finished in the Top 5 in 11 of 13 races and had an average feature finish of 3.85.
2nd – Billy Bleich, Port Robinson...Billy was in the title hunt again this year, but fell just short. He scored 2 feature wins in a row to start the season, and had 9 "Top 10's" in 14 races. His average feature finish was 4.43.
3rd – Ryan Dinning, Caledonia...Consistency was Ryan's hallmark in 2010, but mechanical problems took him out of the title fight. He finished in the Top 5 on 8 occasions this year, and had an average feature finish of 4.23.
4th – Lee Winger, Caledonia...Lee finished outside the Top 10 only once this year, and finished in the Top 5 in half his 14 races. His average feature finish was 6.14.
5th – Mike Thorne, Caledonia...2 hard crashes did little to deter the 55 crew. Mike got a feature win and finished in the Top 5 in 7 of 14 races this year. His average feature finish was 5.92.
6th – Chris Dickie, Brantford...Chris continues to improve each season, and has improved his finish in the season standings each year since 2007. This year he finished in the Top 10 in half his 14 races, and had an average feature finish of 10.43.
7th – Ed MacNamara, Sherkston...A former Truck division driver at Humberstone, Ed raced the former Billy Hogue machine to the Rookie of the Year title at Ohsweken. He finished in the Top 10 in 6 of his 13 races, and had an average feature finish of 12.77.
8th – Phil Nyssen, Burford...Phil challenged Ed MacNamara for the Rookie of the Year title for much of the season, but had too many mechanical problems along the way. He finished the season strong with 3 "Top 5's" in the last 7 races, and had an average feature finish of 11.15.
9th – Rob Disher, Grimsby...A strong season went sour for Rob in August when he missed starting 2 features. Rob's #17 was in the Top 10 in 10 of his 14 races, and he had an average finish of 8.75.
10th – Wyatt Van Wart, Cambridge...Wyatt's rookie year was a struggle with mechanical problems, but the former Mini Stock racer competed in all 14 Thunder Stock events. His average feature finish was 13.71.
ESSO MINI-STOCKS - AWARDS:
HARD CHARGER
Trevor Goulding (passed 102 cars in feature race action)
"HARD LUCK"
Mike Giberson
DEDICATION AND DETERMINATION
Jamie Goudge and Robin Elliott
BEST APPEARING CAR
Trevor Goulding
TEAM OF THE YEAR
Erskine Racing
MOST IMPROVED DRIVER
Mike Taylor
SPORTSMANSHIP
Steve Hess
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Jake Brown
ART HILL MEMORIAL
DRIVER OF THE YEAR AWARD
(Voted on by drivers)
Steve Hess
ESSO MINI STOCKS
POINTS CHAMPIONSHIP
Trevor Goulding
The Top 10 in the ESSO Mini-Stocks were:
1st – Trevor Goulding, Welland...A part-time visitor to Ohsweken in the past, Trevor decided to go for the title in 2010 and it paid off. He started the season with 3 wins in his first 4 races and never looked back. His worst finish all season was 7th on August 13. Trevor scored a win in the Art Hill Memorial 42 along with 3 other wins, and had an average feature finish of 3.08.
2nd – Steve Hess, Ohsweken...Steve finished outside the Top 5 just once all season, when he did not finish the feature on June 25. He scored 3 feature wins and had an average feature finish of 4.75.
3rd – Craig & Doug Erskine (#48), Brantford...Craig did the majority of the driving, while Doug filled in nicely with a 3rd place on May 28. The #48 finished outside the Top 10 only once in 2010, scored 1 feature win, and had an average feature finish of 5.31.
4th – Mike Evers, Caledonia...One of the long-standing veterans of the Mini Stock division, Mike had another consistent season. The #265 was in the Top 10 in all but 2 races this year, and had an average feature finish of 5.4.
5th – Mike Taylor, Burlington...Mike's second full season in the Mini Stocks was a good one. He scored his first feature win in August, and finished in the Top 5 in 7 of 13 races. His average feature finish was 7.54.
6th – Abel Castelein, Cayuga...The 2008 champ didn't get off to a good start this season, but never finished outside the Top 5 in his last 9 races. He also scored 4 feature wins and had an average feature finish of 5.18.
7th – Kevin Hilborn, Brantford...Kevin was in the title hunt for the first half of the season, but things went south after that. He was in the Top 5 in half his 12 races, and had an average feature finish of 8.00.
8th – Steve Miller, Paris...Steve finished in the Top 10 in 7 of 13 races, and had an average feature finish of 11.92.
9th – Paul Goodale, Brantford...Paul finished in the Top 10 in points despite missing a race. He recorded 7 Top 10's and an average feature finish of 11.36.
10th – Jake Brown, Brantford...Jake had big shoes to fill, taking over for brother Mitch in the #10 which won 15 races over the past 2 seasons, and the 2009 championship. Jake improved as the season went on, and scored 8 "Top 10's" in 13 races on his way to the Rookie of the Year title. His average feature finish was 10.85.
BOMBERS – AWARDS:
HARD CHARGER
Karl Sault (passed 57 cars in feature race action)
DEDICATION AND DETERMINATION
John Cote
MOST IMPROVED DRIVER
Jeremy Hughes
SPORTSMANSHIP
Sarah Rutherford
DRIVER OF THE YEAR
(Voted on by drivers)
Karl Sault
BOMBERS
POINTS CHAMPIONSHIP
Karl Sault
The Top 10 in the Bombers were:
1st – Karl Sault, Dundas...Karl triumphed over a much-improved Bomber field for his 2nd consecutive title. He scored 4 feature wins and 10 "Top 10's" in 13 races on his way to the championship. His average feature finish was 3.62.
Tie 2nd – Jeremy Hughes & Lee Hils (#10), Burlington...Jeremy drove the majority of the races and got 3 feature wins and 6 "Top 5's" in 13 races. His average feature finish was 6.36.
Tie 2nd – John Cote & Mike Bodogan (#38), Hamilton...Cote drove in all but 1 race, and scored a feature win in August. He finished in the Top 5 on 6 occasions, and the #38 had an average feature finish of 6.50.
4th – Jesse & Mike McDonald (#88j), Caledonia...Jesse scored 2 feature wins and 6 "Top 5's" in 13 races this year. His average feature finish was 7.69.
5th – Kacey Huffman, Hamilton...A stalwart in the Bombers, Kacey scored 5 "Top 5's" in 13 races this year, with an average feature finish of 6.45
6th – Sarah Rutherford, Dundas...Sarah scored a season-best 2nd place on Season Championship night, and finished in the Top 10 in 7 of 13 races. Her average feature finish was 9.17.
7th – Matt Smith, Rockton...Matt missed the first 2 races of the season, but finished outside the Top 10 just twice the rest of the way. His average feature finish was 7.7.
8th – Chris & Brian Cowell, Caledonia...Chris & Brian teamed up to put the #99cc in the Top 10 in 8 of 13 races this year. Their average feature finish was 9.64.
9th – Kyle Andress, Hamilton...Kyle had good runs this season, but didn't get the finishes to show for them. He did get 4 "Top 10's" and an average feature finish of 11.55.
10th – Shawn Ireland & Kevin Martin (#113), Burlington...The second half of the season didn't go according to plan for team #113. All 6 of their Top 10 finishes came in the first 7 races. Their average feature finish was 10.82.
SPECIAL AWARDS:
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY: Curt Styres
Ohsweken Speedway would like to thank all the racers, fans, staff, sponsors, and everyone else who made 2010 the best season yet!
Weekly Friday Night Thunder action is again on tap for Ohsweken's 16th season in 2011. It all begins on Friday, May 20, 2011.
Press release by Tommy Goudge / Ohsweken Speedway. Photo Credit: Peter Anderson (pandersonphotos.com). Left to Right - Karl Sault, Jamie Cox, Dave Dykstra, Trevor Goulding.
Golf-McIlroy Shines on Happy Hunting Ground in Hong Kong
Rory McIlroy, has once again demonstrated his fondness for Hong Kong Open by shooting a seven under par 63, the opening day of the event on Thursday.
Playing under the rule lie preferred McIlroy recorded eight birdies and one bogey completed near lunch time, before Britain's Simon Dyson.
Dyson capped his round hole-in-one, on December 3rd hole par 32-year-old English scored his third. Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, the highest player ranked ninth in Hong Kong, bogeyed the final round of 65 is tied in third place early on.
Also five under par is Ireland's Damien McGrane and Korean Young Nam, who received the invitation to sponsor the competition.
Cardinals’ drive pays off for Musial
Get Stan Musial in the list of winners of the Presidential Medal of Freedom was a long effort of the season for the Cardinals.
The team has started a "Stand for Stan" campaign in May to inspire President Barack Obama in honor of Hall of Fame Cardinals, who will be 90 next week.
The team used social networks like Twitter and Facebook, and launched a website for the fans involved. The team also distributed cardboard cut Musial for the fans, cartoon depicting a batter in a big smile and waving a bat autographed the car.
Musial received a congratulatory phone call Wednesday from baseball commissioner Bud Selig. U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill said Musial was "the greatest Cardinal ever."
Miettinen Scores in OT, Wild Beats Ducks 2-1
Minnesota Wild have acknowledged that they were lucky. Anaheim Ducks felt they deserved the two points instead of one.
Although Anaheim dominated much of the second period and all evening on the third Wednesday in Minnesota earned a 2-1 victory behind the strong goaltender Niklas Backstrom and a game-winner, threw off the shoulder Antti Miettinen at 3:36 of the overtime.
Accordingly, a team of ducks that have dominated Minnesota 16-2 in the third period one fixed point. Minnesota coach Todd Richards said his team did not play well in the final period of regulation.
"We remain in the game, but we can not be too fooled us either," said Richards. "We find ways to win, you must give the guy credit for that. But we must be better.
We must be more consistent in our play. " The poor third period, but was removed with a very strong point of the ice
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
NFL Odds Preview for November 21, 2010: Houston Texans vs. New York Jets (-7)
Betting Overview:The Houston Texans and New York Jets are two teams going in opposite directions. Once the halfway point of the season hit, the NFL betting prospects of the Texans seemed to go downhill. They were starting to come up on the wrong end of NFL scores, and the NFL predictions of the Texans making the playoffs now seem in jeopardy.
The Jets seem to be coming together very nicely as they start to hit the playoff stretch. Before the season started, Jets head coach Rex Ryan was taking a lot of heat for being confident and predicting that his team would be the one standing when Super Bowl XLV was over. Now it looks like all of Ryan’s talk may be coming true.
Offense:
The weird thing about this game is that the Houston Texans possess a more potent offense that the Jets. But the Texans are becoming predictable, and that may be what is hurting them right now. The combination of quarterback Matt Schaub to wide receiver Andre Johnson is one of the most prolific in the league, and Johnson does have a skill for getting open even in double coverage. However the Texans’ luck is beginning to run out as Schaub and Johnson are starting to get caught up in coverages specifically designed to slow them down. Stop Schaub to Johnson and you stop the Texans air attack. That means that the linebackers can focus on the run and shut down running back Arian Foster.
The Jets have the 11th ranked offense in the league, but they are getting better rapidly. With weapons such as wide receiver Braylon Edwards and running back LaDainian Tomlinson, the Jets offense is getting more proficient at scoring points at the most opportune moments. To make things worse for opposing defenses, quarterback Mark Sanchez is rapidly improving as well.
Defense:
The Texans cannot stop the run, and the Texans cannot stop the pass. A glaring example of why the Texans are having so many problems is the “Hail Mary” play that lost them the game in week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The pass from Jaguars quarterback David Garrard should have been knocked to the ground, but instead it was batted right into the hands of Jacksonville receiver Mike Thomas. The Texans defense is riddled with bad technique and lazy play. That is not going to cut it against the Jets offense.
The Jets are solid on defense at the front and in the secondary. The only weakness in the Jets defense seems to be their 15th ranked pass defense. But when you have defensive backs such as Anotnio Cromartie and Darelle Reavis defending the pass, it seems unlikely that the Jets will be giving up many big plays on defense. The front seven of the Jets is ranked fifth in the run holding the opposition to 90 yards per game. If the Jets defensive line can take Arian Foster out of the game, then that leaves Cromartie and Reavis to shut down the pass.
The Bottom Line:
The Texans defense has developed some bad habits over the past 10 weeks that Mark Sanchez and the Jets offense cannot wait to exploit. It won’t take the Jets long to put this game out of reach.
BSN Sports Pick: New York Jets
Photo Gallery: Football - Loudoun Valley vs. Stafford Playoff Game by Chris Anderson
(Nov. 17, 2010) - Click on any photo to view the entire gallery that Chris Anderson shot of the Loudoun Valley High School playoff football win over Stafford last Friday.
NFL Game Preview for November 21, 2010: Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys (-7)
Betting Overview:Things were going so well for the Detroit Lions just a couple of weeks ago. Yes the Lions only had two wins this season, but the NFL betting experts never expected them to win more than a couple anyways. The NFL scores the Lions were starting to put up, thanks to quarterback Matthew Stafford, were threatening to defy the NFL predictions that had the Lions winning four games or less this season. Then Stafford was lost for the season, and the Lions lost to the previously winless Buffalo Bills, and the season-ending tailspin has begun.
The Dallas Cowboys have seen their fair share of turmoil this season as well. Things got so bad in Dallas that owner Jerry Jones felt compelled to fire head coach Wade Phillips and replace him with assistant head coach Jason Garrett. But things are looking up for the Cowboys. They beat the New York Giants in week 10, and looked organized and inspired in doing so. The Cowboys won’t be making the playoffs, but at least they will now see which players want to be on the roster next season.
Offense:
It has become apparent that the Lions offense is lost without Matthew Stafford. Shaun Hill may be a competent backup, but there is something about the way that Stafford runs the offense that makes it so much more efficient when he is in there. Now that Stafford is out for the season, teams can key in on stopping rookie running back Jahvid Best. Shutting down the Detroit running game is how the Bills beat the Lions, and the Cowboys will use the same tactics.
When Dallas quarterback Tony Romo broke his collarbone, many Cowboys fans felt that the season was truly over. But Jon Kitna is a savvy veteran quarterback, and while he does not have the arm strength of Romo he does understand how to attack a defense. Kitna is using weapons like wide receivers Dez Bryant and Roy Williams to open up the opposing defense for the Dallas run game. The Dallas offense finally seems to be hitting on more than one cylinder and it is a good sign for Dallas fans.
Defense:
A team does not get to be 2-7 by accident, and the Detroit Lion’s biggest inconsistency is their defense. The Detroit defense is ranked 21st overall giving up an average of 353 total yards per game. The Lions defense is giving up 130 yards per game on the ground, and they are not showing an ability to get turnovers out of the opposing offense. Rookie defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh is impressive so far this season with six and a half sacks, but the rest of the Detroit defensive line only has seven sacks combined.
The Dallas defense has become famous, along with the offense, for mistakes that cost them the game. Bad penalties and an inability to stop the opposing offense in key situations has cost the Cowboys games this season. The Cowboys defense seemed to get things straightened out in the Giants game, but it will be interesting to see if they can keep it going all season long.
The Bottom Line:
The players in Dallas took the firing of Wade Phillips personally. While it may seem anti-climatic that they now feel inspired to win because he is gone, it does mean that the Cowboys can start to climb the standings and try to finish the season .500.
BSN Sports Pick: Dallas Cowboys
Girls Lacrosse: Loudoun Valley's McGinn Signs with George Mason
Caitlin McGinn (#14) will play NCAA Division I at GMU next year.
(Nov. 17, 2010) - Loudoun Valley High School defensive standout Caitlin McGinn, who has helped the Vikings advance to the state semifinals three straight years, has signed her National Letter of Intent to play NCAA Division I lacrosse next year at George Mason University.
In three years as a starter for the Vikings, McGinn had
Green Lantern trailer hits the web
DC Comics and Warner Bros will be hoping to launch another superhero franchise when Green Lantern joins his Justice League buddies Batman and Superman in getting the big screen treatment next summer courtesy of director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) and star Ryan Reynolds (Buried). The $150m flick will serve as an origin story (a sequel is already in development), with Hal becoming the first human to be granted the honour of serving in the Green Lantern Corps., a mystical brotherhood of warriors and protectors of peace and justice in the universe. Also joining the cast are Mark Strong (Kick-Ass), Blake Lively (The Town), Peter Sarsgaard (An Education), Angela Bassett (Notorious), Tim Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption) and Temuera Morrison (Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones).
Check out the new trailer:
Will Green Lantern have enough to take on Marvel's Thor, X-Men: First Class and Captain America: The First Avenger? Find out when it hits cinemas on June 17th, 2011.
Softball: Stone Bridge Catcher Lewis Signs to Play at Wagner College
Ashburn (Nov. 17, 2010) - Stone Bridge High School catcher Beth Lewis signed her NCCAA Division I Letter of Intent to play softball at Wagner College on Nov. 12.
Wagner, located in New York City (Staten Island), is part of the Northeast Conference. After considering several collegiate programs, Lewis chose Wagner because of its strong academics, location, and campus aesthetics. Coached by Glen
Wagner, located in New York City (Staten Island), is part of the Northeast Conference. After considering several collegiate programs, Lewis chose Wagner because of its strong academics, location, and campus aesthetics. Coached by Glen
Volleyball: Freedom and Heritage End Seasons in State Quarterfinals
(Nov. 17, 2010) - Freedom High School had its best girls volleyball season in history and Heritage High School captured a regional title for the first time in school history both both schools were unable to advance out the VHSL state quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Freedom fell on the to road (25-13, 27-25, 25-15) to a Grafton team that finished AA runner-up to Loudoun County in 2007 and 2009.
Freedom fell on the to road (25-13, 27-25, 25-15) to a Grafton team that finished AA runner-up to Loudoun County in 2007 and 2009.
Mark Stielow wins OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational in his 1969 Camaro
November 9, 2010 (MILWAUKEE) – Last Friday, while the rest of the SEMA exhibitors and attendees packed up and headed home, 52 drivers, their vehicles, sponsors and the entire OPTIMA Batteries team headed southwest one hour to Pahrump, Nevada, to compete in the highly-anticipated OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational presented by K&N and Magnaflow. When all was said and done, Mark Stielow and his highly-modified and beautifully designed 1969 Camaro came out on top, winning the coveted title of OPTIMA Batteries Ultimate Street Car of 2010.
OPTIMA Batteries awarded Stielow and each of the segments winners and runners-up at an awards ceremony immediately following the close of events on Saturday, November 6 at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch. The following is a list of winners:
Overall OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car
1st – Mark Stielow, 1969 Camaro
2nd – Kyle Tucker, 1970 Camaro
Raybestos Performance Design Competition
1st – Jim & Mike Ring, 1966 Mustang
2nd – Brent Jarvis, 1965 Corvette
BFGoodrich Hot Lap Challenge
1st – Steve Ruiz, 2004 Z06 Corvette
2nd – Mark Stielow, 1969 Camaro
Ridetech Street Challenge Autocross Competition
1st – Mark Stielow, 1969 Camaro
2nd – Brian Nutter, 2002 Corvette
Baer Brakes Speed Stop Challenge
1st – Mark Stielow, 1969 Camaro
2nd – Paul Arvid “Polly” Blytt, 1986 Pontiac Trans Am
Winners were awarded trophies, plaques and a slew of products and gift certificates equaling nearly $25,000 from sponsors including Magnaflow, K&N Filters, BFGoodrich, Ridetech, Baer Brakes, Detroit Speed & Engineering, Vintage Air, GoPro, Bowler Transmission and Classic Instruments.
Stielow’s ’69 Camaro has had an amazing week, winning both the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car title and the “Best Hot Rod” at the Gran Turismo Awards®, handed out earlier in the week during the SEMA show by Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. It is the second car that Mark has built using the 6.2L LS9 V8 engine from GM, working with Thomson Automotive. The engine has been tuned to produce over 700 HP, but that’s not the end of the story. The car looks like a classic Camaro from the outside but under this classic body, the car sports a host of performance upgrades including a Detroit Speed chassis, carbon-ceramic Brembo ZR1 Corvette disc brakes, C6 Corvette front suspension on the Art Morrison front sub-frame, trick Rick’s stainless gas tank, and coolers for the transmission and rear-end.
“Winning the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational topped off a great week, and year, for me,” said Stielow. “The competition was more prepared than ever and I felt some pressure going into the event, but I was happy to take home the title in front of my friends and family who came to cheer me on.”
The OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational is an invitation-only event that took place this year on Saturday, November 6 – right on the heels of the leading specialty automotive trade event, the SEMA Show. Held at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, Nevada, this Invitational was created to challenge the finest street machines in the world, showcasing the quality, performance and talent of the country's top builders, performance parts manufacturers and car owners.
“This year’s event once again exceeded our expectations in terms of excitement, level of performance and design and the involvement of the entire performance industry,” said Cam Douglass, director of marketing and product development for OPTIMA Batteries. “From muscle cars to hot rods to imports and street trucks, we had builders and owners of the hottest cars in the world out on the track showing that these vehicles really can do what they are built for.”
The entire event, from the pre-SEMA builds to the awards ceremony, was shot for a national TV show, which will air in early 2011 on a national cable network. For full event results, more information on the OUSCI results, TV show, participants, official rules and more, visit http://www.optimainvitational.com/.
About OPTIMA® BatteriesOPTIMA YellowTopÒ, RedTopÒ and BlueTopÒ batteries are available through leading battery distributors throughout the globe. Consumers should look for the unique colored top and six-pack design for which OPTIMA is known throughout the world. For the nearest retailer, consumers can also call 1-888-8OPTIMA (1-888-867-8462) or visit www.optimabatteries.com.OPTIMA batteries are manufactured by Johnson Controls, Inc. Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI - News) is the global leader that brings ingenuity to the places where people live, work and travel. By integrating technologies, products and services, we create smart environments that redefine the relationships between people and their surroundings. Our team of 140,000 employees creates a more comfortable, safe and sustainable world through our products and services for more than 200 million vehicles, 12 million homes and one million commercial buildings. Our commitment to sustainability drives our environmental stewardship, good corporate citizenship in our workplaces and communities, and the products and services we provide to customers. For additional information, please visit http://www.johnsoncontrols.com.
OPTIMA Batteries awarded Stielow and each of the segments winners and runners-up at an awards ceremony immediately following the close of events on Saturday, November 6 at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch. The following is a list of winners:
Overall OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car
1st – Mark Stielow, 1969 Camaro
2nd – Kyle Tucker, 1970 Camaro
Raybestos Performance Design Competition
1st – Jim & Mike Ring, 1966 Mustang
2nd – Brent Jarvis, 1965 Corvette
BFGoodrich Hot Lap Challenge
1st – Steve Ruiz, 2004 Z06 Corvette
2nd – Mark Stielow, 1969 Camaro
Ridetech Street Challenge Autocross Competition
1st – Mark Stielow, 1969 Camaro
2nd – Brian Nutter, 2002 Corvette
Baer Brakes Speed Stop Challenge
1st – Mark Stielow, 1969 Camaro
2nd – Paul Arvid “Polly” Blytt, 1986 Pontiac Trans Am
Winners were awarded trophies, plaques and a slew of products and gift certificates equaling nearly $25,000 from sponsors including Magnaflow, K&N Filters, BFGoodrich, Ridetech, Baer Brakes, Detroit Speed & Engineering, Vintage Air, GoPro, Bowler Transmission and Classic Instruments.
Stielow’s ’69 Camaro has had an amazing week, winning both the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car title and the “Best Hot Rod” at the Gran Turismo Awards®, handed out earlier in the week during the SEMA show by Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. It is the second car that Mark has built using the 6.2L LS9 V8 engine from GM, working with Thomson Automotive. The engine has been tuned to produce over 700 HP, but that’s not the end of the story. The car looks like a classic Camaro from the outside but under this classic body, the car sports a host of performance upgrades including a Detroit Speed chassis, carbon-ceramic Brembo ZR1 Corvette disc brakes, C6 Corvette front suspension on the Art Morrison front sub-frame, trick Rick’s stainless gas tank, and coolers for the transmission and rear-end.
“Winning the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational topped off a great week, and year, for me,” said Stielow. “The competition was more prepared than ever and I felt some pressure going into the event, but I was happy to take home the title in front of my friends and family who came to cheer me on.”
The OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational is an invitation-only event that took place this year on Saturday, November 6 – right on the heels of the leading specialty automotive trade event, the SEMA Show. Held at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, Nevada, this Invitational was created to challenge the finest street machines in the world, showcasing the quality, performance and talent of the country's top builders, performance parts manufacturers and car owners.
“This year’s event once again exceeded our expectations in terms of excitement, level of performance and design and the involvement of the entire performance industry,” said Cam Douglass, director of marketing and product development for OPTIMA Batteries. “From muscle cars to hot rods to imports and street trucks, we had builders and owners of the hottest cars in the world out on the track showing that these vehicles really can do what they are built for.”
The entire event, from the pre-SEMA builds to the awards ceremony, was shot for a national TV show, which will air in early 2011 on a national cable network. For full event results, more information on the OUSCI results, TV show, participants, official rules and more, visit http://www.optimainvitational.com/.
About OPTIMA® BatteriesOPTIMA YellowTopÒ, RedTopÒ and BlueTopÒ batteries are available through leading battery distributors throughout the globe. Consumers should look for the unique colored top and six-pack design for which OPTIMA is known throughout the world. For the nearest retailer, consumers can also call 1-888-8OPTIMA (1-888-867-8462) or visit www.optimabatteries.com.OPTIMA batteries are manufactured by Johnson Controls, Inc. Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI - News) is the global leader that brings ingenuity to the places where people live, work and travel. By integrating technologies, products and services, we create smart environments that redefine the relationships between people and their surroundings. Our team of 140,000 employees creates a more comfortable, safe and sustainable world through our products and services for more than 200 million vehicles, 12 million homes and one million commercial buildings. Our commitment to sustainability drives our environmental stewardship, good corporate citizenship in our workplaces and communities, and the products and services we provide to customers. For additional information, please visit http://www.johnsoncontrols.com.
Water Quality Drops
The quality of the drinking water in the Pittsburgh area has dropped.
The good news is that while there are rising levels of contaminants, the water is drinkable. The bad news – officials aren’t exactly sure what is causing the increase in trihalomethanes or THM’s over the past couple months.
In high quantities and over long periods of time, THM’s can cause damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system.
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority sampled The Allegheny River for bromides, which when combined with chlorine become a contaminant. Levels were unusually high.
Bromide is a naturally occurring substance in the soil. But it can come from other sources as well, says Ronald Schwartz of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
"There’s also industrial sources like coal fired power plants for example, we also find it in our mine drainage discharges, we also find it in the oil and gas wastewater, there’s a number of sources of bromide and we’re sort of finding where the higher sources may be in the region," he said.
The Allegheny County Health Department says the levels of THM’s don’t exceed health standards.
The good news is that while there are rising levels of contaminants, the water is drinkable. The bad news – officials aren’t exactly sure what is causing the increase in trihalomethanes or THM’s over the past couple months.
In high quantities and over long periods of time, THM’s can cause damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system.
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority sampled The Allegheny River for bromides, which when combined with chlorine become a contaminant. Levels were unusually high.
Bromide is a naturally occurring substance in the soil. But it can come from other sources as well, says Ronald Schwartz of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
"There’s also industrial sources like coal fired power plants for example, we also find it in our mine drainage discharges, we also find it in the oil and gas wastewater, there’s a number of sources of bromide and we’re sort of finding where the higher sources may be in the region," he said.
The Allegheny County Health Department says the levels of THM’s don’t exceed health standards.
The Weak and the Meek Separate, PNC, BAC, RF, JPM, C
NEW YORK - Strong U.S. Financial are beginning to separate from the weaker financial institutions which have rallied with the stock market since it hit its lows in March 2009.
The strongest institutions, PNC Financial, U.S. Bancorp and Wells Fargo stocks continue to move higher as other banks decline. The banks which are severely weakening are Marshall & Ilsley and Regions Financial which are down nearly 30% in the last month. Investors have rapidly switched into the banks with the strongest amounts of capital such as U.S. Bancorp, PNC, BAC, JP Morgan & Chase and Wells Fargo and switched out of the more speculative names. Stocks such as Bank of America and Citigroup which are profitable and well capitalized have not seen as much of rise in their stock price due to extra bailout packages they took from the government which can limit their ability to increase their dividends.
Stocks such as PNC Financial which has the second highest tier 1 common ratio in the businesses only behind Comerica Bank and is eagerly awaiting to redistribute capital to its shareholders.
But there is more... The stocks of the companies which have to pay back TARP are caught in perpetual loop. As their share prices go down the potential for dilution to pay back tarp increases which intuitively would cause its share price to go down further. For instance RF owes the government $3.4 billion at $7 a share the stock would only be diluted by 25% to pay back $3.4 billion but at $5 a share it would be diluted by nearly 40%. If the stock drops to $1 it would be diluted by 75%. This may not prove to be a problem if the shares increase in the future and RF pays the government back with more expensive shares. However, the government may not be forgiving to the bank and may force them to raise the capital at a inopportune time. This is what makes the stock unattractive regardless of the underlying fundamentals which are not very good either.
We continue to recommend, PNC Financial to see the full report click here.
The strongest institutions, PNC Financial, U.S. Bancorp and Wells Fargo stocks continue to move higher as other banks decline. The banks which are severely weakening are Marshall & Ilsley and Regions Financial which are down nearly 30% in the last month. Investors have rapidly switched into the banks with the strongest amounts of capital such as U.S. Bancorp, PNC, BAC, JP Morgan & Chase and Wells Fargo and switched out of the more speculative names. Stocks such as Bank of America and Citigroup which are profitable and well capitalized have not seen as much of rise in their stock price due to extra bailout packages they took from the government which can limit their ability to increase their dividends.
Stocks such as PNC Financial which has the second highest tier 1 common ratio in the businesses only behind Comerica Bank and is eagerly awaiting to redistribute capital to its shareholders.
But there is more... The stocks of the companies which have to pay back TARP are caught in perpetual loop. As their share prices go down the potential for dilution to pay back tarp increases which intuitively would cause its share price to go down further. For instance RF owes the government $3.4 billion at $7 a share the stock would only be diluted by 25% to pay back $3.4 billion but at $5 a share it would be diluted by nearly 40%. If the stock drops to $1 it would be diluted by 75%. This may not prove to be a problem if the shares increase in the future and RF pays the government back with more expensive shares. However, the government may not be forgiving to the bank and may force them to raise the capital at a inopportune time. This is what makes the stock unattractive regardless of the underlying fundamentals which are not very good either.
We continue to recommend, PNC Financial to see the full report click here.
The Man and His Dream: A Francis Ford Coppola Profile (Part 3)
Trevor Hogg profiles the career of legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola in the third of a five-part feature... read parts one and two.
“The success of The Godfather [1972] went to my head like a rush of perfume. I thought I couldn’t do anything wrong,” admitted Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola who decided to produce a $23 million romantic fantasy. “One from the Heart [1982] suffered from the perception of me as some wild, egomaniac Donald Trump type of guy, and once they think about you that way, it’s just so many months before you’re brought down.” A middle class couple (Frederic Forrest and Teri Garr) split up and head off to Las Vegas where they encounter fanciful lovers. “I wanted to take a fable-like story and treat it almost the way [Walt] Disney would approach a story in his animated films,” explained the filmmaker. “If we had made the movie in Las Vegas, it would have been just another relationship movie set on a real location with people jumping in and out of cabs, talking about their love affairs. I wanted to do something people hadn’t seen before.” Originally set in Chicago, Coppola chose to change the location of the story. “With its polarity of fantasy, glitter reality, disappointment, and everything turning on the notion of chance, Vegas is a perfect place to set a love story.”
Production costs rose significantly when the Detroit native, trying to bring about a “theatrical reality”, recreated Las Vegas on the Zoetrope Studio lot. Investors did not take kindly to the decision and pulled out as filming commenced, resulting in Coppola using his real-estate holdings as collateral so to secure the required bank loans. Shot over a period of twenty-two months, One from the Heart also stars Raul Julia (Romero), Nastassja Kinski (Tess), Lainie Kazan (Beaches), Harry Dean Stanton (Alien), Allen Garfield (The Ninth Gate), Jeff Hamlin, Italia Coppola and Carmine Coppola. The picture grossed $636, 796 domestically contributing to a $50 million debt which forced Francis Ford Coppola to auction off his ten-acre Hollywood studio. “I think One from the Heart was overshadowed in the minds of the public by the money troubles,” reflected Coppola. “Few people seemed to look at the movie in just its own light.” At the Academy Awards, Tom Waits received an Oscar nomination for composing the musical score as well as twelve songs for the picture.
“I threw The Outsiders [1983] into production immediately after the failure in the United States of One from the Heart,” remarked Francis Ford Coppola who cinematically adapted the novel by S.E. Hinton. “Rather than go through six months of being whipped for having committed this sin of making a film that I wanted to make, I escaped with a lot of young people to Tulsa.” When Johnny Cade (Ralph Macchio) kills an attacker, he ignites a war between two rival gangs. “For me the primary thing about her books is that the characters come across as very real. Her dialogue is memorable, and her prose is striking. Often a paragraph of her descriptive prose sums up something essential and stays with you.” To foster tension between the actors portraying the rival groups, the director boarded the “socs” in luxury accommodations and the “greasers” on the ground floor of a hotel. “All of the greasers were orphans, all outsiders, but together they formed a family,” stated Coppola. “The Outsiders was the type of film that I personally liked, a melodrama with a romantic tone.”
“I tried to make The Outsiders as I imagined fifteen year olds and sixteen year olds would like it to be,” stated the moviemaker who made symbolic use of sunsets throughout the story. “When you watch the sun set, you realize that it is already dying. The same thing applies to youth. When youth reaches the highest level of perfection, you can already sense the forces that will destroy it.” Starring in the drama are Matt Dillon (There’s Something About Mary), C. Thomas Howell (Red Dawn), Patrick Swayze (Ghost), Rob Lowe (Contact), Emilio Estevez (The Breakfast Club), Diane Lane (Secretariat) and Tom Cruise (Top Gun). “With The Godfather and The Outsiders all the people we went with became stars afterwards, but they were just kids interested in being actors. It’s a mixed problem when we can’t afford a real name actor so we have to find someone new and exciting.” Made on a budget of $10 million, the picture earned $26 million domestically. At the Young Artist Awards, the movie won Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture (C. Thomas Howell) and received nominations for Best Family Feature Motion Picture and Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (Diane Lane). The Moscow International Film Festival nominated the movie for the Golden Prize. “I feel that The Outsiders suffered from a little bit of chaos of everybody turning yellow when they saw the rough cut of it, and that influenced its being cut shorter and shorter,” said Coppola, who rectified the situation in 2005 for the DVD version renamed The Outsiders: The Complete Novel, which included twenty-two minutes of extra footage and new music.
“While I was shooting The Outsiders in Tulsa, I asked Susie Hinton, ‘Have you written anything else I can film?’ She told me about Rumble Fish [1983], and I read it and loved it,” recalled Francis Ford Coppola. “I said to her, ‘On our Sundays off from filming The Outsiders, lets write a screenplay of Rumble Fish; and then as soon as we can wrap The Outsiders, we’ll take a break and start filming Rumble Fish.’ And so we did.” Former gang leader (Mickey Rouke) is tragically idolized by his younger brother (Matt Dillion). The black and white photography, which is interrupted twice in the movie by brief moments of colour, was meant to convey the colour blindness experienced by the character portrayed by Mickey Rourke (Diner). Rourke when asked on how he approached his portrayal of Motorcycle Boy, he remarked as “an actor who no longer finds his work interesting.” The sound technicians had such a hard time hearing the performer’s dialogue on set they nicknamed the project “mumble fish”.
“I promised myself that on Rumble Fish I could write my own music, and I had a very precise concept of how it was going to work,” revealed Francis Ford Coppola who envisioned an experimental musical score featuring mainly percussion instruments to emphasize the idea of time running out. The task was subsequently handed over to Stewart Copeland, the drummer for the British band The Police whom the director believed was the far more capable musician. Copeland subsequently went about recording the street sounds in Tulsa and mixed them into the movie soundtrack. When the picture starring Matt Dillion, Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), Diane Lane, Dennis Hopper (Speed), Diana Scarwid (Silkwood), Vincent Spano (The Tie That Binds), Nicolas Cage (Con Air), Christopher Penn (Reservoir Dogs), Laurence Fishburne (Akeelah and the Bee), Tom Waits (Coffee and Cigarettes), and Glenn Withrow (Armed and Dangerous) premiered at the New York Film Festival it was greeted with boos and audience walkouts. Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote, “The film is so furiously overloaded, so crammed with extravagant touches, that any hint of a central thread is obscured.” In the Chicago Sun-Times, film critic Roger Ebert wrote, “I thought Rumble Fish was offbeat, daring, and utterly original. Who but Coppola could make this film? And of course, who but Coppola would want to?” The $10 million production grossed $2.5 million domestically and won the FIPRESCI Prize and the OCIC Award at the San Sebastiàn International Film Festival. The Golden Globes nominated the film for Best Original Score while Diane Lane competed for Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture at the Young Artist Awards.
"The Cotton Club [1984] happened originally with Bob Evans,” stated Francis Ford Coppola, referring to the former Hollywood studio executive. “I took a shot at the script, then I reworked it. The whole thing was trying to hold it together for him. He kept offering for me to direct it, and I didn’t want to because I’m terrified of being in a situation where I have people second-guessing me.” Musician Dixie Dwyer (Richard Gere) falls for Vera Cicero (Diane Lane), the girlfriend of mobster Dutch Schultz (James Remar) while working at a famous Harlem jazz club. Owney Madden (Bob Hoskins) and Dutch Shultz were actual crime figures of the Prohibition Era while the character of Dixie Dwyer (Richard Gere) is loosely based on famous 1920s hot jazz musician Bix Beiderbecke. “I knew that The Cotton Club material was so rich that if I had control, there was no reason why I couldn’t make a beautiful film out of it,” explained the director who had Evans banned from the set. Mario Puzo (The Godfather) was the original screenwriter but was replaced by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist William Kennedy, who wrote a rehearsal script in eight days; over all he did over thirty drafts of the screenplay. The financiers for the project were as colourful as the characters being portrayed on the big screen by Gregory Hines (Running Scared), Lonette McKee (He Got Game), Nicolas Cage, Lisa Jane Persky (The Dogwalker), Allen Garfield, Fred Gwynne (Pet Sematary), Laurence Fishburne, Maurice Hines and Tom Waits. Las Vegas casino owners Edward and Fred Doumani invested $30 million while another monetary backer was Arab arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. The crime-drama which was made for $58 million earned $26 million domestically.
Teaming up with long-time friends and colleagues George Lucas (THX 1138) and Walter Murch (Cold Mountain), Francis Ford Coppola produced a seventeen minute long 3D science fiction musical Captain Eo (1986) starring Michael Jackson. Captain Eo (Michael Jackson) sets out on a quest to deliver a gift to a wicked queen (Anjelica Huston) residing in a dark and desolate world. “I did it because it was in 3D,” declared the director on why he was drawn to the project which had a budget of $17 million. Coppola and his leading man Michael Jackson interviewed prospective performers in character so to test their understanding of the roles. The short film screened at Disneyland Park from 1986 to 1997 and was re-released in February of 2010 as Captain Eo Tribute after the death of the famous singer.
“Peggy Sue [Got Married, 1986], I must say, was not the kind of film that I normally would want to do,” admitted Francis Ford Coppola who gave into studio pressure to helm the $18 million time-travelling project. “At first I felt the script – although it was okay – was just like a routine television show.” After fainting at her high school reunion, Peggy Sue (Kathleen Turner) awakens to discover that she has been transported back to her teenage years. When putting the movie together, the director stated he kept in mind, “Thorton Wilder’s endearing play Our Town, in which the heroine goes back and sees… her youth.” The title song that plays during the opening credits of the film, which grossed $41 million domestically, is a demo tape recording of Buddy Holly singing and playing the guitar to his sequel to the hit tune Peggy Sue. Featuring in the commercial hit are Nicolas Cage, Barry Miller (Saturday Night Fever), Catherine Hicks (Fever Pitch), Joan Allen (The Bourne Supremacy), Jim Carrey (Dumb and Dumber), Maureen O’Sullivan (Hannah and Her Sisters), Sofia Coppola (Anna), Helen Hunt (As Good as It Gets), John Carradine (The Grapes of Wrath), Kevin J. O’Connor (The Mummy) and Wil Shriner (Time Trackers). The Academy Awards nominated the comedy-drama for Best Actress (Kathleen Turner), Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design, while at the Golden Globes it contended for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress – Musical or Comedy (Kathleen Turner). Peggy Sue Got Married won an American Society of Cinematographers Award and was adapted into a short-lived live musical by screenwriters Jerry Leichtling (Blue Sky) and Arlene Sarner (Julie Walking Home) which opened in the London West End theatre district in 2001.
Heading to the small screen, Francis Ford Coppola produced the episode Rip Van Winkle (1987) for the Showtime television series Faerie Tale Theatre. Harry Dean Stanton stars as the title character, who after having a drink of wine provided to him by some ghostly sailors, sleeps for twenty years. Starring alongside Stanton are Ed Begley Jr. (Pineapple Express), Tim Conway (The Longshot), Glenn Withrow, Talia Shire (Rocky), Sofia Coppola and Christopher Penn.
“Gardens of Stone [1987] was an extremely modest, personal story about a particular unit in the U.S. Army,” said Francis Ford Coppola of his cinematic adaptation of the novel written by Nicholas Porffitt. “Whether I was attracted to it because I had spent a short time in a military school, and I remembered a certain appeal, or because of the uniqueness of these people who bury the dead, I don’t know.” A veteran sergeant (James Caan) mentors a young soldier (D.B. Sweeney) and prepares him for the duty in the Vietnam War. “The Vietnam conflict was an example of one of the many similar, illogical, ludicrous conflicts that are cooked up on the world power front that our youth are sacrificed to.” The director wanted “to present an in-depth portrayal of servicemen as a family whose members are bound together by a traditional code of honour and by mutual loyalty and affection.” Tragedy struck Coppola and his family during the first week of principle photography when a boating accident claimed the life of his son Gian-Carlo who was serving as a technical assistant. “It’s true that movies you work on become part of your life at that time,” reflected the filmmaker. “They raise questions about family and friends. I was doing a movie about the burying young boys and suddenly found that my own boy died right in the midst of it; and his funeral was held in the same chapel where we shot similar scenes of deceased veterans in Gardens of Stone.” Cast in the military tale which grossed $5 million domestically are Anjelica Huston (The Royal Tenenbaums), James Earl Jones (The Hunt for Red October), Dean Stockwell (Married to the Mob), Mary Stuart Masterson (Fried Green Tomatoes), Sam Bottoms (The Last Picture Show), Elias Koteas (Zodiac) and Laurence Fishburne. The Moscow International Film Festival nominated the picture for the Golden Prize; it also contended for the Political Film Society Award for Peace.
Aided by the financial support of George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola set about shooting a biopic about a man who was as revolutionary minded as himself.
Continue to part four.
For more on Francis Ford Coppola and his body of work visit the online home of American Zoetrope.
Movies... For Free! Dementia 13 (1963)
Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada.
“The success of The Godfather [1972] went to my head like a rush of perfume. I thought I couldn’t do anything wrong,” admitted Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola who decided to produce a $23 million romantic fantasy. “One from the Heart [1982] suffered from the perception of me as some wild, egomaniac Donald Trump type of guy, and once they think about you that way, it’s just so many months before you’re brought down.” A middle class couple (Frederic Forrest and Teri Garr) split up and head off to Las Vegas where they encounter fanciful lovers. “I wanted to take a fable-like story and treat it almost the way [Walt] Disney would approach a story in his animated films,” explained the filmmaker. “If we had made the movie in Las Vegas, it would have been just another relationship movie set on a real location with people jumping in and out of cabs, talking about their love affairs. I wanted to do something people hadn’t seen before.” Originally set in Chicago, Coppola chose to change the location of the story. “With its polarity of fantasy, glitter reality, disappointment, and everything turning on the notion of chance, Vegas is a perfect place to set a love story.”Production costs rose significantly when the Detroit native, trying to bring about a “theatrical reality”, recreated Las Vegas on the Zoetrope Studio lot. Investors did not take kindly to the decision and pulled out as filming commenced, resulting in Coppola using his real-estate holdings as collateral so to secure the required bank loans. Shot over a period of twenty-two months, One from the Heart also stars Raul Julia (Romero), Nastassja Kinski (Tess), Lainie Kazan (Beaches), Harry Dean Stanton (Alien), Allen Garfield (The Ninth Gate), Jeff Hamlin, Italia Coppola and Carmine Coppola. The picture grossed $636, 796 domestically contributing to a $50 million debt which forced Francis Ford Coppola to auction off his ten-acre Hollywood studio. “I think One from the Heart was overshadowed in the minds of the public by the money troubles,” reflected Coppola. “Few people seemed to look at the movie in just its own light.” At the Academy Awards, Tom Waits received an Oscar nomination for composing the musical score as well as twelve songs for the picture.
“I threw The Outsiders [1983] into production immediately after the failure in the United States of One from the Heart,” remarked Francis Ford Coppola who cinematically adapted the novel by S.E. Hinton. “Rather than go through six months of being whipped for having committed this sin of making a film that I wanted to make, I escaped with a lot of young people to Tulsa.” When Johnny Cade (Ralph Macchio) kills an attacker, he ignites a war between two rival gangs. “For me the primary thing about her books is that the characters come across as very real. Her dialogue is memorable, and her prose is striking. Often a paragraph of her descriptive prose sums up something essential and stays with you.” To foster tension between the actors portraying the rival groups, the director boarded the “socs” in luxury accommodations and the “greasers” on the ground floor of a hotel. “All of the greasers were orphans, all outsiders, but together they formed a family,” stated Coppola. “The Outsiders was the type of film that I personally liked, a melodrama with a romantic tone.”“I tried to make The Outsiders as I imagined fifteen year olds and sixteen year olds would like it to be,” stated the moviemaker who made symbolic use of sunsets throughout the story. “When you watch the sun set, you realize that it is already dying. The same thing applies to youth. When youth reaches the highest level of perfection, you can already sense the forces that will destroy it.” Starring in the drama are Matt Dillon (There’s Something About Mary), C. Thomas Howell (Red Dawn), Patrick Swayze (Ghost), Rob Lowe (Contact), Emilio Estevez (The Breakfast Club), Diane Lane (Secretariat) and Tom Cruise (Top Gun). “With The Godfather and The Outsiders all the people we went with became stars afterwards, but they were just kids interested in being actors. It’s a mixed problem when we can’t afford a real name actor so we have to find someone new and exciting.” Made on a budget of $10 million, the picture earned $26 million domestically. At the Young Artist Awards, the movie won Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture (C. Thomas Howell) and received nominations for Best Family Feature Motion Picture and Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (Diane Lane). The Moscow International Film Festival nominated the movie for the Golden Prize. “I feel that The Outsiders suffered from a little bit of chaos of everybody turning yellow when they saw the rough cut of it, and that influenced its being cut shorter and shorter,” said Coppola, who rectified the situation in 2005 for the DVD version renamed The Outsiders: The Complete Novel, which included twenty-two minutes of extra footage and new music.
“While I was shooting The Outsiders in Tulsa, I asked Susie Hinton, ‘Have you written anything else I can film?’ She told me about Rumble Fish [1983], and I read it and loved it,” recalled Francis Ford Coppola. “I said to her, ‘On our Sundays off from filming The Outsiders, lets write a screenplay of Rumble Fish; and then as soon as we can wrap The Outsiders, we’ll take a break and start filming Rumble Fish.’ And so we did.” Former gang leader (Mickey Rouke) is tragically idolized by his younger brother (Matt Dillion). The black and white photography, which is interrupted twice in the movie by brief moments of colour, was meant to convey the colour blindness experienced by the character portrayed by Mickey Rourke (Diner). Rourke when asked on how he approached his portrayal of Motorcycle Boy, he remarked as “an actor who no longer finds his work interesting.” The sound technicians had such a hard time hearing the performer’s dialogue on set they nicknamed the project “mumble fish”.“I promised myself that on Rumble Fish I could write my own music, and I had a very precise concept of how it was going to work,” revealed Francis Ford Coppola who envisioned an experimental musical score featuring mainly percussion instruments to emphasize the idea of time running out. The task was subsequently handed over to Stewart Copeland, the drummer for the British band The Police whom the director believed was the far more capable musician. Copeland subsequently went about recording the street sounds in Tulsa and mixed them into the movie soundtrack. When the picture starring Matt Dillion, Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), Diane Lane, Dennis Hopper (Speed), Diana Scarwid (Silkwood), Vincent Spano (The Tie That Binds), Nicolas Cage (Con Air), Christopher Penn (Reservoir Dogs), Laurence Fishburne (Akeelah and the Bee), Tom Waits (Coffee and Cigarettes), and Glenn Withrow (Armed and Dangerous) premiered at the New York Film Festival it was greeted with boos and audience walkouts. Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote, “The film is so furiously overloaded, so crammed with extravagant touches, that any hint of a central thread is obscured.” In the Chicago Sun-Times, film critic Roger Ebert wrote, “I thought Rumble Fish was offbeat, daring, and utterly original. Who but Coppola could make this film? And of course, who but Coppola would want to?” The $10 million production grossed $2.5 million domestically and won the FIPRESCI Prize and the OCIC Award at the San Sebastiàn International Film Festival. The Golden Globes nominated the film for Best Original Score while Diane Lane competed for Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture at the Young Artist Awards.
"The Cotton Club [1984] happened originally with Bob Evans,” stated Francis Ford Coppola, referring to the former Hollywood studio executive. “I took a shot at the script, then I reworked it. The whole thing was trying to hold it together for him. He kept offering for me to direct it, and I didn’t want to because I’m terrified of being in a situation where I have people second-guessing me.” Musician Dixie Dwyer (Richard Gere) falls for Vera Cicero (Diane Lane), the girlfriend of mobster Dutch Schultz (James Remar) while working at a famous Harlem jazz club. Owney Madden (Bob Hoskins) and Dutch Shultz were actual crime figures of the Prohibition Era while the character of Dixie Dwyer (Richard Gere) is loosely based on famous 1920s hot jazz musician Bix Beiderbecke. “I knew that The Cotton Club material was so rich that if I had control, there was no reason why I couldn’t make a beautiful film out of it,” explained the director who had Evans banned from the set. Mario Puzo (The Godfather) was the original screenwriter but was replaced by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist William Kennedy, who wrote a rehearsal script in eight days; over all he did over thirty drafts of the screenplay. The financiers for the project were as colourful as the characters being portrayed on the big screen by Gregory Hines (Running Scared), Lonette McKee (He Got Game), Nicolas Cage, Lisa Jane Persky (The Dogwalker), Allen Garfield, Fred Gwynne (Pet Sematary), Laurence Fishburne, Maurice Hines and Tom Waits. Las Vegas casino owners Edward and Fred Doumani invested $30 million while another monetary backer was Arab arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. The crime-drama which was made for $58 million earned $26 million domestically.Teaming up with long-time friends and colleagues George Lucas (THX 1138) and Walter Murch (Cold Mountain), Francis Ford Coppola produced a seventeen minute long 3D science fiction musical Captain Eo (1986) starring Michael Jackson. Captain Eo (Michael Jackson) sets out on a quest to deliver a gift to a wicked queen (Anjelica Huston) residing in a dark and desolate world. “I did it because it was in 3D,” declared the director on why he was drawn to the project which had a budget of $17 million. Coppola and his leading man Michael Jackson interviewed prospective performers in character so to test their understanding of the roles. The short film screened at Disneyland Park from 1986 to 1997 and was re-released in February of 2010 as Captain Eo Tribute after the death of the famous singer.
“Peggy Sue [Got Married, 1986], I must say, was not the kind of film that I normally would want to do,” admitted Francis Ford Coppola who gave into studio pressure to helm the $18 million time-travelling project. “At first I felt the script – although it was okay – was just like a routine television show.” After fainting at her high school reunion, Peggy Sue (Kathleen Turner) awakens to discover that she has been transported back to her teenage years. When putting the movie together, the director stated he kept in mind, “Thorton Wilder’s endearing play Our Town, in which the heroine goes back and sees… her youth.” The title song that plays during the opening credits of the film, which grossed $41 million domestically, is a demo tape recording of Buddy Holly singing and playing the guitar to his sequel to the hit tune Peggy Sue. Featuring in the commercial hit are Nicolas Cage, Barry Miller (Saturday Night Fever), Catherine Hicks (Fever Pitch), Joan Allen (The Bourne Supremacy), Jim Carrey (Dumb and Dumber), Maureen O’Sullivan (Hannah and Her Sisters), Sofia Coppola (Anna), Helen Hunt (As Good as It Gets), John Carradine (The Grapes of Wrath), Kevin J. O’Connor (The Mummy) and Wil Shriner (Time Trackers). The Academy Awards nominated the comedy-drama for Best Actress (Kathleen Turner), Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design, while at the Golden Globes it contended for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress – Musical or Comedy (Kathleen Turner). Peggy Sue Got Married won an American Society of Cinematographers Award and was adapted into a short-lived live musical by screenwriters Jerry Leichtling (Blue Sky) and Arlene Sarner (Julie Walking Home) which opened in the London West End theatre district in 2001.Heading to the small screen, Francis Ford Coppola produced the episode Rip Van Winkle (1987) for the Showtime television series Faerie Tale Theatre. Harry Dean Stanton stars as the title character, who after having a drink of wine provided to him by some ghostly sailors, sleeps for twenty years. Starring alongside Stanton are Ed Begley Jr. (Pineapple Express), Tim Conway (The Longshot), Glenn Withrow, Talia Shire (Rocky), Sofia Coppola and Christopher Penn.
“Gardens of Stone [1987] was an extremely modest, personal story about a particular unit in the U.S. Army,” said Francis Ford Coppola of his cinematic adaptation of the novel written by Nicholas Porffitt. “Whether I was attracted to it because I had spent a short time in a military school, and I remembered a certain appeal, or because of the uniqueness of these people who bury the dead, I don’t know.” A veteran sergeant (James Caan) mentors a young soldier (D.B. Sweeney) and prepares him for the duty in the Vietnam War. “The Vietnam conflict was an example of one of the many similar, illogical, ludicrous conflicts that are cooked up on the world power front that our youth are sacrificed to.” The director wanted “to present an in-depth portrayal of servicemen as a family whose members are bound together by a traditional code of honour and by mutual loyalty and affection.” Tragedy struck Coppola and his family during the first week of principle photography when a boating accident claimed the life of his son Gian-Carlo who was serving as a technical assistant. “It’s true that movies you work on become part of your life at that time,” reflected the filmmaker. “They raise questions about family and friends. I was doing a movie about the burying young boys and suddenly found that my own boy died right in the midst of it; and his funeral was held in the same chapel where we shot similar scenes of deceased veterans in Gardens of Stone.” Cast in the military tale which grossed $5 million domestically are Anjelica Huston (The Royal Tenenbaums), James Earl Jones (The Hunt for Red October), Dean Stockwell (Married to the Mob), Mary Stuart Masterson (Fried Green Tomatoes), Sam Bottoms (The Last Picture Show), Elias Koteas (Zodiac) and Laurence Fishburne. The Moscow International Film Festival nominated the picture for the Golden Prize; it also contended for the Political Film Society Award for Peace.Aided by the financial support of George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola set about shooting a biopic about a man who was as revolutionary minded as himself.
Continue to part four.
For more on Francis Ford Coppola and his body of work visit the online home of American Zoetrope.
Movies... For Free! Dementia 13 (1963)
Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada.
News: Heritage's Carlin and Feaster Have Memorable Day at ESPN Rise Above Awards
Heritage High School senior Chuck Carlin
Washington, D.C. (Nov. 15, 2010) - Heritage High School's Chuck Carlin and Nicole Feaster had quite a day Monday as they were presented with ESPN Rise Above awards at the Arena Stage.
The ESPN Rise Above awards were presented to six local high school student-athletes (from DC, Loudon and Prince George's Counties) as part of ESPN's Monday Night Football
Washington, D.C. (Nov. 15, 2010) - Heritage High School's Chuck Carlin and Nicole Feaster had quite a day Monday as they were presented with ESPN Rise Above awards at the Arena Stage.
The ESPN Rise Above awards were presented to six local high school student-athletes (from DC, Loudon and Prince George's Counties) as part of ESPN's Monday Night Football
Looking for the next Ron Gardenhire
Managerial candidates Wally Backman and Jose Oquendo were middle infielders on the Mets in the '80s, as was Tim Teufel, now managing in the Mets' system. But the best choice among those Met '80s-era middle infielders is unavailable - he was just named AL Manager of the Year.
In nine years as Twins manager, Ron Gardenhire has finished first six times, second once and third twice. He finished under .500 only once, going 79-83 in 2007. Since the Twins traded Johan Santana, they have won at least 87 games all three seasons. All this with a team that had a limited payroll until 2010.
Gardenhire played for the Mets from 1981-1985. He was the starting shortstop in 1982 in an infield that included Backman, Dave Kingman and Hubie Brooks. The only other year Gardenhire got significant playing time was 1984, when he shared shortstop with Oquendo, who was on the Mets from 1983-1984.
If Backman, now one of four finalists, gets the job, that will mean that managers will have come from players who started games at three of the four infield positions on the 1984-85 Mets, since Ray Knight managed the Reds in 1996, 1997 and one game in 2003.
Who would have guessed that the only 80s-era Mets infield position with no managerial possibilities would be Keith Hernandez' first base?
If you count catcher as part of the infield, the mid-1980s Mets also produced a manager there. Sorry, Gary Carter, it was John Gibbons, who played briefly for the Mets in 1984 and 1986 and managed the Blue Jays from 2004-2008. Gibbons was both hired and fired by then-Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi, who was also Gibbons' roommate in the Mets' farm system. Gibbons, now the Royals' bench coach, reportedly took himself out of consideration for the Mets' job last month.
If the new Mets' moneyball front office ends up hiring Teufel down the road, it would bring things full circle - when the Mets acquired Teufel from the Twins before the 1986 season, one of the players they gave up was Billy Beane.
In nine years as Twins manager, Ron Gardenhire has finished first six times, second once and third twice. He finished under .500 only once, going 79-83 in 2007. Since the Twins traded Johan Santana, they have won at least 87 games all three seasons. All this with a team that had a limited payroll until 2010.
Gardenhire played for the Mets from 1981-1985. He was the starting shortstop in 1982 in an infield that included Backman, Dave Kingman and Hubie Brooks. The only other year Gardenhire got significant playing time was 1984, when he shared shortstop with Oquendo, who was on the Mets from 1983-1984.
If Backman, now one of four finalists, gets the job, that will mean that managers will have come from players who started games at three of the four infield positions on the 1984-85 Mets, since Ray Knight managed the Reds in 1996, 1997 and one game in 2003.
Who would have guessed that the only 80s-era Mets infield position with no managerial possibilities would be Keith Hernandez' first base?
If you count catcher as part of the infield, the mid-1980s Mets also produced a manager there. Sorry, Gary Carter, it was John Gibbons, who played briefly for the Mets in 1984 and 1986 and managed the Blue Jays from 2004-2008. Gibbons was both hired and fired by then-Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi, who was also Gibbons' roommate in the Mets' farm system. Gibbons, now the Royals' bench coach, reportedly took himself out of consideration for the Mets' job last month.
If the new Mets' moneyball front office ends up hiring Teufel down the road, it would bring things full circle - when the Mets acquired Teufel from the Twins before the 1986 season, one of the players they gave up was Billy Beane.
Obama slips in Montana
Barack Obama is pretty unpopular in Montana and may have lost out on his best chance to win the state in 2008- unless the Republicans end up nominating Sarah Palin or Newt Gingrich.
Obama came within 3 points of victory in Montana the last time around but now only 41% of voters in the state approve of the job he's doing while 54% disapprove. It's a Republican state to begin with and beyond that Republican voters are much more unified in their disapproval of Obama (94%) than Democrats are in their favor of him (84%). He's lost more support than he's gained since falling just short in the 2008 election.
Because of Obama's diminished popularity two Republicans- Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee- lead him by much larger margins in hypothetical match ups than what John McCain attained in the state. Romney has a 50-39 advantage over Obama and Huckabee leads him 51-41. Montana doesn't look like it would be a swing state right now with either of them as the GOP nominee.
Things look a lot more interesting though if Palin or Gingrich were to get the nod. Palin leads Obama only 47-45 and Gingrich's advantage over the President is just 46-44. Most striking is the numbers with independents if one of them was to be nominee. Obama leads Palin by 18 points with them at 52-34 and Gingrich by 17 points with them at 49-32. Not exactly the kind of numbers you would expect to see in a conservative state.
Only Huckabee out of the Republican candidates is viewed particularly favorably in Montana. 46% of voters have a positive opinion of him to 35% with a negative one. Romney comes close to breaking even at 38/39. The rest of the field meanwhile is pretty unpopular- Palin's favorability breakdown is 44/50 and Gingrich's is 34/47. These poor reviews for the GOP front runners in a state that's been largely a Republican stronghold at the Presidential level are emblematic of the weakness of this potential candidate field.
Obama's lost some ground in Montana and 2008 was probably his best opportunity to win the state but if he gets one of the weaker Republicans as his opponent the next time around he may have a chance there again.
Full results here
Obama came within 3 points of victory in Montana the last time around but now only 41% of voters in the state approve of the job he's doing while 54% disapprove. It's a Republican state to begin with and beyond that Republican voters are much more unified in their disapproval of Obama (94%) than Democrats are in their favor of him (84%). He's lost more support than he's gained since falling just short in the 2008 election.
Because of Obama's diminished popularity two Republicans- Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee- lead him by much larger margins in hypothetical match ups than what John McCain attained in the state. Romney has a 50-39 advantage over Obama and Huckabee leads him 51-41. Montana doesn't look like it would be a swing state right now with either of them as the GOP nominee.
Things look a lot more interesting though if Palin or Gingrich were to get the nod. Palin leads Obama only 47-45 and Gingrich's advantage over the President is just 46-44. Most striking is the numbers with independents if one of them was to be nominee. Obama leads Palin by 18 points with them at 52-34 and Gingrich by 17 points with them at 49-32. Not exactly the kind of numbers you would expect to see in a conservative state.
Only Huckabee out of the Republican candidates is viewed particularly favorably in Montana. 46% of voters have a positive opinion of him to 35% with a negative one. Romney comes close to breaking even at 38/39. The rest of the field meanwhile is pretty unpopular- Palin's favorability breakdown is 44/50 and Gingrich's is 34/47. These poor reviews for the GOP front runners in a state that's been largely a Republican stronghold at the Presidential level are emblematic of the weakness of this potential candidate field.
Obama's lost some ground in Montana and 2008 was probably his best opportunity to win the state but if he gets one of the weaker Republicans as his opponent the next time around he may have a chance there again.
Full results here
Local Postal Jobs Open
The United State Postal Service is looking for people to fill several seasonal positions that pay between $11.00 and $17.50 and hour. Tad Kelley is the Post Office spokesperson for the Pittsburgh region. He says the $11.00 jobs involve mail processing, handling and in some cases delivery. Kelley says applicants must be 18 years old or be a high school graduate. The higher paying jobs involve driving a truck and require a Class “A” CDL. Kelley says the jobs usually run out in January and the numbers of hours per week varies.
Applications are being taken on line. Search for Pittsburgh and casual. Search Applicants will not have to take a civil service test but Kelley says they will be asked to take a drug test and will have to pass a background check.
Kelley encourages applicants to get to the website as soon as possible. “We are accepting applications right now, this will go through the end of the month of November,” says Kelley, “We really need to get people on board right away as we are seeing the Christmas mail come early this year and there are a lot of opportunities to gain hours and earn some holiday money.”
Applications are being taken on line. Search for Pittsburgh and casual. Search Applicants will not have to take a civil service test but Kelley says they will be asked to take a drug test and will have to pass a background check.
Kelley encourages applicants to get to the website as soon as possible. “We are accepting applications right now, this will go through the end of the month of November,” says Kelley, “We really need to get people on board right away as we are seeing the Christmas mail come early this year and there are a lot of opportunities to gain hours and earn some holiday money.”
No Room for RNAi in Roche's Operational Excellence Plans
Tucked inside Roche's months-awaited announcement today containing details on its restructuring program (and the loss of 4,800 jobs, mostly in the US and mostly in pharma) is a nugget that will make RNAi-watchers gulp. Three years on from its landmark deal with Alnylam in the field of RNA interference, Roche is shutting down all of the discovery for which it paid so dearly.That deal with Alnylam included $331 million in up-front payments and -- in addition to non-exclusive rights to Alnylam's IP in four therapeutic areas -- bought Alnylam's European research site in Kulmbach, Germany. Roche now says it will shutter Kulmbach and all its other RNAi work:
Following a comprehensive portfolio review, Roche will discontinue certain activities in research and early development. These include RNA interference research in Kulmbach, Germany, and in Nutley, New Jersey, and Madison, Wisconsin, in the US. In addition, plans also include reorganising certain internal functions to free up resources for upcoming phase II studies of new molecular entities. Approximately 600 positions will be affected.Adding to Roche's woes, the 5% stake it took in Alnylam in 2007 -- at $21.50 per share (a 40% premium at the time) -- was subject to a three-year lockup and is now way under water. If there's RNA interference activity in Roche's future, it's hard to divine where. Roche CEO Severin Schwan was clear on a call this morning with investors: "We plan to exit ... our siRNA efforts," he said. Nobody pressed him further during the Q&A. Case closed.
The news comes on the heels of Novartis' decision in late September to not exercise an option that would have given it Roche-like access to Alnylam's platform for the relatively low sum of $100 million. Novartis remains committed to RNAi drug development, the companies noted at the time, and is pursuing RNAi therapies against what it calls its "full and final" list of 31 targets. But the Novartis news prompted Alnylam's own restructuring. The RNAi pioneer said it was laying off 25-30% of its workforce.
So where do these Swiss stances leave Alnylam -- not to mention other RNAi hopefuls including Roche's other partner Tekmira? Alnylam was ready with a response, expressing disappointment and surprise at Roche's decision. At the very least, these moves suggest that signing new blockbuster deals will be difficult. But it has never been clearer that Alnylam will no longer live or die based on its ability to sign monster non-exclusive platform deals: it's now a drug developer. The real risk is that Roche's decision, and to some extent Novartis', reflect a broader belief in a bleak clinical future for RNAi therapeutics. With human proof-of-concept data not too far away, we won't necessarily have to wait long for a glimpse.
Meanwhile, Alnylam's market cap languishes below $500 million, and the company announced earlier this month that its still-impressive cash pile was $372 million. That's historically low value ascribed to the company's IP, dealmaking potential, future milestones and royalties, and clinical pipeline.
The field of RNAi needs a win, and badly. Merck, the other big pharma to take a big leap into the space with its $1.1 billion acquisition of Sirna back in 2006, says astonishingly little about its therapeutic progress there (and siRNAs are absent from its pipeline chart). Now and then a rumor that someone's going to pony up money to buy the UK's Silence Therapeutics bubbles to the surface, and just as surely recedes again. RXi is committed to delivering for its investors a deal by the end of 2010. Time is running out on that promise. The next generation RNAi play Dicerna has demonstrated that it can pull in investors, but it has yet to enter the clinic with its dicer-substrate molecules.
RNAi may not succeed as a therapeutic modality. More likely, it just needs time to mature, to solve its delivery problems, to gain traction in the clinic. Whether or not any Big Pharma or investors are willing to wait for that remains to be seen.
Webb, Kaine lead Allen
Jim Webb appears to be in decent position for reelection, if he doesn't run again Tim Kaine would be an able substitute, and at this early stage George Allen is clearly the strongest potential candidate on the GOP side. Those are the takeaways from PPP's first full scale poll of the 2012 Virginia Senate race.
Webb leads Allen 49-45 in a hypothetical contest, a margin slightly better than what he earned in his upset victory over Allen in 2006. Webb leads Allen 49-44 with independents and wins over slightly more Republicans (9%) than Allen does Democrats (6%). There's been a lot of speculation in recent days about whether Webb might decline to seek a second term. We found that if Kaine was the Democratic nominee instead of Webb he would actually do slightly better, leading Allen 50-44.
Voters are pretty mixed in their feelings about all three in the trio of Webb, Kaine, and Allen. Webb has a 43/37 approval rating, not bad but not stellar either. Kaine's favorability rating is 43/40 and Allen's is 40/41.
Allen looks like he would be a much more formidable opponent at this point than either of Virginia's down ballot statewide office holders, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Cuccinelli trails Webb 49-39 and Kaine 50-39 in possible contests, while Bolling trails Webb 49-38 and Kaine 48-41 in head to heads. For Bolling a large part of the problem is anonymity- 55% of voters in the state say they don't know enough about him to have an opinion positive or negative. For Cuccinelli the problem is more that voters don't like him- 39% have an unfavorable opinion of him while only 31% have a favorable one and independents split against him by a 28/42 margin.
We also looked at Tom Perriello as a possible Webb alternative. He trailed Allen 47-42 and Bolling 42-41 but led Cuccinelli 44-41 in hypothetical matches.
Some other thoughts on the numbers:
-Clearly Allen is not 'unelectable' in the future but he also doesn't have very much appeal to Democrats so he could struggle if Virginia moves away from the Republican friendly electorate it saw in 2009 and 2010- which it almost definitely will move away from with Obama back on the ticket.
-70% name recognition, like Cuccinelli has, is pretty darn high for an Attorney General. The last one we polled on- North Carolina's Roy Cooper- has been in office for 9 years longer and only had 50% name recognition. The negative slant in Cuccinelli's numbers suggests though that he's made himself notorious more than anything else.
Obviously 2012 is a long way off but it looks like Democrats have a good chance at changing the bad direction they've been on in the state over the last couple years and holding onto this Senate seat.
Full results here
Webb leads Allen 49-45 in a hypothetical contest, a margin slightly better than what he earned in his upset victory over Allen in 2006. Webb leads Allen 49-44 with independents and wins over slightly more Republicans (9%) than Allen does Democrats (6%). There's been a lot of speculation in recent days about whether Webb might decline to seek a second term. We found that if Kaine was the Democratic nominee instead of Webb he would actually do slightly better, leading Allen 50-44.
Voters are pretty mixed in their feelings about all three in the trio of Webb, Kaine, and Allen. Webb has a 43/37 approval rating, not bad but not stellar either. Kaine's favorability rating is 43/40 and Allen's is 40/41.
Allen looks like he would be a much more formidable opponent at this point than either of Virginia's down ballot statewide office holders, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Cuccinelli trails Webb 49-39 and Kaine 50-39 in possible contests, while Bolling trails Webb 49-38 and Kaine 48-41 in head to heads. For Bolling a large part of the problem is anonymity- 55% of voters in the state say they don't know enough about him to have an opinion positive or negative. For Cuccinelli the problem is more that voters don't like him- 39% have an unfavorable opinion of him while only 31% have a favorable one and independents split against him by a 28/42 margin.
We also looked at Tom Perriello as a possible Webb alternative. He trailed Allen 47-42 and Bolling 42-41 but led Cuccinelli 44-41 in hypothetical matches.
Some other thoughts on the numbers:
-Clearly Allen is not 'unelectable' in the future but he also doesn't have very much appeal to Democrats so he could struggle if Virginia moves away from the Republican friendly electorate it saw in 2009 and 2010- which it almost definitely will move away from with Obama back on the ticket.
-70% name recognition, like Cuccinelli has, is pretty darn high for an Attorney General. The last one we polled on- North Carolina's Roy Cooper- has been in office for 9 years longer and only had 50% name recognition. The negative slant in Cuccinelli's numbers suggests though that he's made himself notorious more than anything else.
Obviously 2012 is a long way off but it looks like Democrats have a good chance at changing the bad direction they've been on in the state over the last couple years and holding onto this Senate seat.
Full results here
UPDATE: The Beatles Sing Itunes (NASDAQ: AAPL)
Yesterday, all of Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) troubles seemed so far away. Today they are even farther. Apple announced something special on Tuesday - words of wisdom, let it be. Rumors that the lonely Beatles will join the iTunes collection, where Steven Jobs believes they belong. Apple is rumored to have been working a deal out with EMI, the band's record company, to convince them to see it their way. Jobs went to McCartney's door the night before but there was no reply and the talks appeared to be breaking down. Job's said I felt like a loser knocking on his door with no one answering, especially when I saw McCartney peak through his window. I soon got help which is something I did not need when I was much younger than today and this assistance helped secure the Almighty Beatles. After the deal was completed the secret had to be kept. Jobs said I made sure only to tell the secret to people who promised not to tell.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Said Allan Edwards, co-CEO of The Markets Are Open, excitedly. "All you need is iTunes now. Edwards said it won’t be long until I am downloading some Beatles tracks for my Ipod. I thought the Beatles would never be on Itunes but I should have known better.” Andy Kibbens said, its getting better all the time for Apple. Competitors such as BlackBerry will be singing in the dead of night."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Said Allan Edwards, co-CEO of The Markets Are Open, excitedly. "All you need is iTunes now. Edwards said it won’t be long until I am downloading some Beatles tracks for my Ipod. I thought the Beatles would never be on Itunes but I should have known better.” Andy Kibbens said, its getting better all the time for Apple. Competitors such as BlackBerry will be singing in the dead of night."
Volleyball: Loudoun County Breezes Into State Semifinals - Again!
By Jason S. Rufner
Special to VivaLoudoun via Loudoun Tims-Mirror
Leesburg (Nov. 16, 2010) - Loudoun County High School girls volleyball coach Jenica Matthias and her staff had done their part. They'd turned in their homework on opposing Powhatan prior to their meeting in the Virginia AA quarterfinal and now it was up to the Raider players to do their part, to utilize that scouting to their
Special to VivaLoudoun via Loudoun Tims-Mirror
Leesburg (Nov. 16, 2010) - Loudoun County High School girls volleyball coach Jenica Matthias and her staff had done their part. They'd turned in their homework on opposing Powhatan prior to their meeting in the Virginia AA quarterfinal and now it was up to the Raider players to do their part, to utilize that scouting to their
Volleyball: Stone Bridge Sweeps Into AAA State Semifinals
By Dan Sousa
VivaLoudoun Editor
Ashburn (Nov. 17, 2010) - Four years ago a group of Stone Bridge High School girls volleyball freshmen set their sights on making the state tournament and then proceeded to come tantalizingly close for three straight years, falling one game shy each time of clinching a State bid. This season Stone Bridge finally advanced to the AAA state tournament and the
VivaLoudoun Editor
Ashburn (Nov. 17, 2010) - Four years ago a group of Stone Bridge High School girls volleyball freshmen set their sights on making the state tournament and then proceeded to come tantalizingly close for three straight years, falling one game shy each time of clinching a State bid. This season Stone Bridge finally advanced to the AAA state tournament and the
Dermody is New PA House Dem Leader
The big news out of Pennsylvania House Democrats’ leadership vote wasn’t the selection of a new Minority Leader. Instead, it was the ouster of longtime Appropriations Committee Chair Dwight Evans.
Evans had been the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee for twenty years.
In that role, the Philadelphia lawmaker decided which projects got funded, and which lost out on state money.
New minority chair Joe Markosek of Monroeville, Allegheny County says Democrats were “disgruntled,” partially by Evans’ lack of transparency.
"I think communications is really the biggest part of folks getting along with each other. In us governing, not only the issues here in the House, but the best thing we can do for the folks of Pennsylvania."
Evans didn’t have much to say after the vote.
"I think it’s just kind of a feeling about the wave, in terms of what happened in general. And I think that, you know, you look at it, you do your best, you make the most of it, and you hope you can move things forward."
Before the vote, Governor Rendell praised Evans.
"During my eight years as governor, no one has understood the budget better than Dwight Evans. No one has been a more positive factor in driving eventual compromise that allowed us to be one of the ten most fiscally stable states in the country, while at the same time advancing a very progressive agenda."
The elections continue an east-to-west power swing.
New Minority Leader Frank Dermody and the Democratic Caucus Chair Dan Frankel are also from Allegheny County (Oakmont and Pittsburgh respectively).
There aren’t any Philadelphia lawmakers in the Democrats’ new leadership team.
Interest in Arena Memorabilia "Tremendous"
The first phase of the sale of Civic Arena items concludes tomorrow. The Sports and Exhibition Authority (SEA) and the Penguins are selling off seats and memorabilia. In the first round, 4,800 pairs of seats are available at a fixed price of $495 plus $120 shipping to season ticket holders. The seats become available to the general public December 1. Also starting that day, 4,300 "commemorative" single seats will be put on sale for the same price.
Shawn Allen is the Chief Operating Officer of AssetNation which is handling the sale. His company ran the sale for 3 Rivers Stadium seats ten years ago...
"That was a pure auction where we started at a low price and auctioned them up because it was a short period of time. Since we have a longer period of time for the Civic Arena, we decided to go out on a a "buy it now" sale price rather than an auction."
Allen says there is already tremendous interest in non-seat memorabilia which will be auctioned online December 8...."Some of the banners....the Ring of Honor around the Civic Arena. That is such a unique item that we really thought an auction was the best way to not only generate revenue for the city and the Penguins, but allow that piece to go to the most interested party."
The high bidders are responsible for removing the items from the arena. The sale is projected to bring in $1.6 million for the SEA and $800,000 for the Penguins. The SEA could use that money to pay for razing of the arena. Most of the Penguins' share is expected to go to the team's foundation to support youth hockey.
Shawn Allen is the Chief Operating Officer of AssetNation which is handling the sale. His company ran the sale for 3 Rivers Stadium seats ten years ago...
"That was a pure auction where we started at a low price and auctioned them up because it was a short period of time. Since we have a longer period of time for the Civic Arena, we decided to go out on a a "buy it now" sale price rather than an auction."
Allen says there is already tremendous interest in non-seat memorabilia which will be auctioned online December 8...."Some of the banners....the Ring of Honor around the Civic Arena. That is such a unique item that we really thought an auction was the best way to not only generate revenue for the city and the Penguins, but allow that piece to go to the most interested party."
The high bidders are responsible for removing the items from the arena. The sale is projected to bring in $1.6 million for the SEA and $800,000 for the Penguins. The SEA could use that money to pay for razing of the arena. Most of the Penguins' share is expected to go to the team's foundation to support youth hockey.
Namitha Joins Love College
Actress Namitha, who has been in many glamorous roles, is ready to change your image. Now she has decided to launch his coup factor and headed for a serious role.
This is a picture of her forthcoming Telugu film Love College.
The image below suggests that the actress made action scene in the movie.
His body language suggests that the actress wants to show their hidden talents The film is a dubbed version of the upcoming film I Love U.
Namitha Kannada film is directed by M Jayasimha Reddy and produced by Mr. Reddy Raviteja. Acts as a yoga teacher in the film.
In this supplement, the actress is seen in a tracksuit and a yellow shirt with the symbol OM Vedic danger.
Ranbir Behind Shahid-Priyanka’s Break Up?
Bollywood actors Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra would have called their relationship, although his followers still not sure what kind of relationship they share. According to reports, Shahid and Priyanka approached each other during the filming of Kaminey.
However, there was no commitment in the relationship, and it is this fact which led eventually to break the couple up.
But the big question is - no other person who ruined their relationship. If reports are to judge whether, Ranbir Kapoor may be the man behind the breakup.
Although the couple is still very quiet, speculation of the media suggests that Shahid is uncomfortable with the growing proximity between Priyanka and Ranbir Kapoor while shooting Anjaani Anjaana.
Priyanka, on the contrary, not only refused to end her friendship with Ranbir, but went ahead and signed another film with him.
Nearly 1 in 8 Births in PA Is Premature
The percentage of premature births in Pennsylvania is declining but not enough to prevent the state from earning a "D" on the third annual report card from the March of Dimes. This latest report card studied births from 2008. In Pennsylvania, 11.6% of the births in 2008 occurred before 37 weeks gestation. That compares to 11.8% in 2007. Still, Dolores Smith, State Director of Program Services for the March of Dimes, says that in Pennsylvania more than 17,000 babies are born too soon each year before their lungs, brains and other organs are fully developed.
Pennsylvania's rate of women of childbearing age who smoke did fall to 23.4%. Smith says a leading cause of preterm birth is smoking while pregnant.
“If women smoke during their pregnancy they tend to have lower birth-weight babies even if their babies are full term. But there also is a risk of preterm birth related to maternal smoking while pregnant.”
Smith says preterm births bring serious health risks to the baby and can be prevented by being healthy and planning pregnancies while maintaining a relationship with one’s OB/GYN.
According to Smith, there are many problems that arise out of preterm births.
“Some have really very serious long-term issues, cerebral palsy, blindness, vision and hearing loss, difficulties in swallowing or breathing. There are some very serious complications simply because a baby is born too small and too soon.”
Smith also says that different health factors in different races can also affect pregnancy, and African-American women should be aware they face a higher possibility of having a child preterm.
“We look at all the disparities in health outcomes, you know heart health, diabetes, hypertension related to being African-American particularly. We also see that some of those same factors can negatively impact birth outcomes.”
The March of Dimes Report Card gave the nation a grade of "D" because the rate of premature births is still far from the Healthy People 2010 goal of 7.6%.
Pennsylvania's rate of women of childbearing age who smoke did fall to 23.4%. Smith says a leading cause of preterm birth is smoking while pregnant.
“If women smoke during their pregnancy they tend to have lower birth-weight babies even if their babies are full term. But there also is a risk of preterm birth related to maternal smoking while pregnant.”
Smith says preterm births bring serious health risks to the baby and can be prevented by being healthy and planning pregnancies while maintaining a relationship with one’s OB/GYN.
According to Smith, there are many problems that arise out of preterm births.
“Some have really very serious long-term issues, cerebral palsy, blindness, vision and hearing loss, difficulties in swallowing or breathing. There are some very serious complications simply because a baby is born too small and too soon.”
Smith also says that different health factors in different races can also affect pregnancy, and African-American women should be aware they face a higher possibility of having a child preterm.
“We look at all the disparities in health outcomes, you know heart health, diabetes, hypertension related to being African-American particularly. We also see that some of those same factors can negatively impact birth outcomes.”
The March of Dimes Report Card gave the nation a grade of "D" because the rate of premature births is still far from the Healthy People 2010 goal of 7.6%.
Senate Could Override Rendell Veto Of Education Bill
Governor Ed Rendell is facing the first veto override of his administration during his final months in office.
In October, Rendell vetoed a wide-ranging education bill because of language granting tax exemptions to groups and people who rent out space to charter schools.
The House overrode the veto Monday, and the Senate may do the same today.
Rendell is urging Senators to vote “no.”
"Again, not for any personal reasons, but because it’s wrong. It will increase property taxes for local taxpayers. They should have no doubt about that. When you raise your hand and vote to override this veto tomorrow, you are voting to increase local property taxes."
Senate Republican leaders had ruled out a lame duck session, but a spokesman says they hadn’t expected the House to successfully override the veto.
In other veto news, Rendell says he’s not sure whether or not he’ll sign a bill expanding the right to self defense with deadly force.
Rendell says he’s in favor of the existing “Castle Doctrine” – but doesn’t want to see people shooting others on public streets without first attempting to retreat.
"I think it would precipitate additional violence. And generally, I am against things that would precipitate or open the door to additional violence. We are far too violent as a society as it is. But I have to weigh all of the equities in making my decision."
The governor says he doesn’t like language in the bill, but he’s still weighing his options.
In October, Rendell vetoed a wide-ranging education bill because of language granting tax exemptions to groups and people who rent out space to charter schools.
The House overrode the veto Monday, and the Senate may do the same today.
Rendell is urging Senators to vote “no.”
"Again, not for any personal reasons, but because it’s wrong. It will increase property taxes for local taxpayers. They should have no doubt about that. When you raise your hand and vote to override this veto tomorrow, you are voting to increase local property taxes."
Senate Republican leaders had ruled out a lame duck session, but a spokesman says they hadn’t expected the House to successfully override the veto.
In other veto news, Rendell says he’s not sure whether or not he’ll sign a bill expanding the right to self defense with deadly force.
Rendell says he’s in favor of the existing “Castle Doctrine” – but doesn’t want to see people shooting others on public streets without first attempting to retreat.
"I think it would precipitate additional violence. And generally, I am against things that would precipitate or open the door to additional violence. We are far too violent as a society as it is. But I have to weigh all of the equities in making my decision."
The governor says he doesn’t like language in the bill, but he’s still weighing his options.
Urlacher Will Set Bears’ Record For Tackles Thursday Night
The Chicago Bears have a rich history at middle linebacker as a franchise which is credited with the invention of the position.
Brian Urlacher is the most prominent with four tackles in Thursday's game against the Miami Dolphins to the stage of the life of the sun, will become the organization as a leader in the statistics of the time on the defensive.
It is true, begin to address these issues until 1971, but that brings together stunning Urlacher.
In 1484, trails Hall of Famer and 10-time Pro Bowl, Mike Singletary performer for three. Accolades staff Urlacher does not say much now with the Bears (6-3) in the heart of the playoff race in the NFC.
"This probably means that Lance (Briggs) I pass in a few years," he said. But 32 years Urlacher does not leave early season and 30 years old, Briggs Trailer for him over 400 tackles. Briggs, who has 1081, needs 22 to pass the safety Gary Fencik old.
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