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Forever Geek

2012-01-29T05:14:00.001-08:00

Forever Geek

Arkham Horror Open Beta for the PC: Sign up now!

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 06:44 PM PST

A couple of days ago I found a link to a video of a college student who was recreating the popular Arkham Horror board game for the PC. It wasn’t an official release by Fantasy Flight Games, but rather a graduation requirement for school. Her plan seems to be pretty solid. Since this is a school project, EU law covers this as fair use and she intends to present this post-grad to the guys from FFG and see if some partnership can be struck.

In the meantime, Andi needs your help. She’s looking for beta testers till Feb 5 2012. You may be an Arkham Horror fan — or a fan of board games in general and getting a free download definitely won’t hurt. The game looks epic. One of the things I never liked about Arkham Horror was that there were just too many expansions to play and I got into it pretty late. The game’s setup is also pretty tedious as you’ll need about 3 square meters of space to get this game really going. This digital edition solves everything.

It must be noted that this isn’t just a direct port of the game. It’s a “3D interactive” version of Arkham Horror where you actually walk around the board and do stuff.

The game is currently only available on the PC with support for old school LAN. VoIP support for multiplayer to be added in the future. But as of now, let’s give Andi our full support to make this game a reality!

Sports Blog Net

2012-01-28T17:24:00.001-08:00

Sports Blog Net

E-Mail Exchange: Trev and Blake on Raptors, Celtics, and Lakers
Two Home Runs Kings Reunite; Aaron and Oh Meet in Los Angeles
Brad-ketology: January 28th Edition
U.S. Soccer's Red Card
Super Bowl XLVI Preview and Prediction

E-Mail Exchange: Trev and Blake on Raptors, Celtics, and Lakers

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 10:42 AM PST

As is becoming semi-regular of late, Trev Smith and I went back and forth on some NBA items via email, and I've tidied it up to pass off as an actual piece of writing! We touch on the Raptors in the face of the Andrea Bargnani injury, how to build the team from here through the draft, the potential future of the D-League, a potential break-up of The Big Three in Boston, and, of course, Kobe and Trev's Lakers. Blake: So we've committed to another back-and-forth e-mail exchange on all things NBA and laid out a few talking points ahead of time, so hopefully we keep this one in the realm of 7500 words instead of another 15,000-word Masterpiece. I suppose given our status as season ticket holders, we should kick it off with some Raptors talk, as depressing as that may be. (Post-production note: We landed at about 6100. Still too long?) I'll first open it up for you to expand on your Bargnani Focus Theorem (The Boom-Dizzle Effect, as it were) we discussed at the T-Wolves game, which I liked. When he's on the floor, this is clearly his team now, and it's nice to see him appear to take that ownership seriously. He's been a stud and the team clearly missed him, going 0-6 during his last absence (and losing the game he exited as well). They surprised everyone with back-to-back road victories over the Suns and Jazz in his return this week, including that incredible Double-OT win last night, but alas, he has re-injured his calf. He claimed it is "much worse than last time," which makes me want to trade you all of my remaining Raptors tickets for a 1st round pick in fantasy football next year (Oh wait...got it already. Thanks, CJ1K!). Trev: Shots Fired...not even one paragraph in and I am taking heat for fantasy missteps. For the sake of this dialogue I will choose to overlook such attacks, but trust that like Kobe and Mike before me I have a long memory when it comes to slights, both real and imagined... In regards to Mr. Primo Pasta himself, I admit to being at somewhat of a loss. Obviously, as a fan and season-seat holder, his latest injury set-back last night is frustrating, given the impact it will have on the team's ability to score. That said (and I don't like admitting this) it might actually be the means-to-an-end that I would look for in order to take the steps necessary to improve the franchise. With Andrea in the line-up and playing his regular minutes, the Raps are now 6-5. At first glance, that not only seems inaccurate, but it also seems like a positive thing. And it is positive, to the extent that it reinforces everything Coach Casey is preaching; however, it is also dangerous. Even if that winning percentage is discounted slightly to a shade below .500, it might still represent the record of a playoff team across the 66-game schedule. And this team has no business or right to be in the playoffs. Which brings me to my dilemma as a Raps fan: I don't actually want them to win. No, that does not mean I enjoy 8-game losing streaks either, but in an ideal scenario what we'd see is a team that competes hard, fights on defense every night, believes in its coach, and ultimately loses 80 per cent of it's games due to a 'talent' deficit and not a 'will/heart' one. A win here and there (like the other night against the Suns) would provide positive reinforcement, and convince the younger guys to stay with the "Pound the Rock" mantra, but winning too much is very dangerous right now. This squad needs more assets (and some blind luck) to be anything resemebling a real threat in the East, which means it needs to lose to secure Draft position. If this year results in a Top-3 pick, a decision about whether Demar and/or Ed Davis are really worth being two of your cornerstones, and the ability to bring Jonas over to start next season, I consider it a success. They would then also have cap space to throw around (ideally at Eric Gordon, or more realistically at a better-than-average point guard for once) and could enter next year with a real identity. Simply put, a healthy Bargs makes us too much of a threat on some nights to finish 10-thru-8 in the East, which has been the trademark of what is wrong with this franchise. In this league, you need to blow things up completely to compete, or you finish 7th every year, never reload, never find a Franchise guy through the draft, and never play a meaningful game in the spring. The Raps have done this their entire history (as did the Leafs, pre-lockout, but that is another story) and I am sick of it. Commit to being awful, get moral victories, and start over, because patch-work roster repair - also known as The Colangelo Special - is not how to win in this league. And yes, I did see a milk carton the other day with Ed Davis' picture on it. It hurt my heart a little. Blake: I agree completely with you, and it sucks. It's something that, in theory, the draft lottery is meant to protect against and doesn't, but I do have a solution to propose (gimme a second). For the time being, the Raptors are essentially stuck in NBA purgatory with Andrea playing at an All-Star level, and would be looking at yet another draft pick in the range that got them DeMar and Ed...nice players with potential, absolutely, but left wanting as franchise cornerstones. It's no coincidence that their two biggest assets, Andrea and Jonas, were acquired with top-5 picks. Even with Andrea's warts, or Jonas' uncertainty, these two are far beyond DeMar and Ed in terms of being viable building blocks. The picks you get in the late lottery are generally 6th-man types, players to round out teams on the path to competing (think Tyler Hansbrough and Paul George in Indiana, Jeff Teague in Atlanta, etc). So what's a team to do if they're trying to install a completely new system, philsophy, and culture, but risk players tuning out the message if there isn't the postitive reinforcement of victory? Dwane Casey is doing a fine job holding players accountable with the dangling carrot of playing time (see: Ed Davis and Amir Johnson of late), but the team also needs those same players playing to develop. This is especially true in a condensed season with less time for practice. I commend the job Casey is doing, but unfortunately have to agree with you that a multi-week injury to Andrea certainly helps the long-term plan here in TO. So what's the league to do? They may not care, as teams like Toronto float aimlessly in the mid-to-late lottery, unable to acquire high-end talent outside the draft due to (perceived?) market conditions, tend to be of the mid-market variety. But they should, and here's a solution to help the problem just a bit - a structured minor league system. I'm not talking an AHL equivalent or a Triple-A affiliate, but the D-League has succeeded to some degree now, and needs a push to become a legitimate NBA-talent breeding ground. It currently makes far more economic sense to travel to Europe if you don't make an NBA roster, and it's only now that players are genuinely trying to use the D-League as a legitimate jump-off point to guaranteed NBA deals. As it stands currently, the D-League can be your path to a 10-day contract or an end-of-bench role, but what if ALL NBA teams owned and operated a D-League affiliate? I know this is the goal, and can't really be achieved without changes to the draft, player rights ownership, and D-League compensation, but it's a goal that is a win for all parties involved: the Association has another viable basketball property to reach smaller markets, the teams get to develop talent in a system and culture they create and manage, and players have a more clear career path to the NBA without being destitute. Yes, this requires extra rounds in the draft (is anyone arguing?) and more expenditures to deduct from the BRI (uh oh!), but does anyone lose out here? It certainly gives teams a chance to gain a competitive advantage somewhere other than through free-agency or tanking, by competing on development and long-term player scouting/analysis. Thoughts? (Way off topic now, my bad.) Trev: I like the spirit of your proposal here sir, but would raise an eyebrow at the logistics and structuring of such an arrangement. The primary problem would seem to be that in order for each team to own their own D-League affiliate, you would have to effectively double the size of the league. This would be a rather aggressive move all at once, and I prefer the route that Hornets GM Stern has taken - slowly adding new markets and aligning individual franchises, while pairing some teams together with one affiliate. I think you and the league have the same vision for what the D-League will be in 10 years, but it will not happen overnight, and probably not even without the next CBA (or two) realistically. The major reasons for that are the economics involved. Follow me down that rabbit hole if you will... As television and broadband make the NBA's product more accessible in more locations, with ever-improving presentation and production values, the incentive to attend games live drops off dramatically. Now, if that is true for NBA franchises, which at least in theory have the best product in the world in their chosen category (that is, Live Basketball), how are you going to successfully sell and structure franchises in small-to-beyond-small teritary markets across the US? While operating costs may not need to be extremely high for these operations, they still exist, and if NBA owners feel they are already being pinched by the pro game, they will be extremely frugal about taking on an operating budget for a minor league team simply in order to get one or two bench players a year to develop. The NBA owners have long wanted to be like their counterparts in the NFL, and the NFL does not have a minor league system. Instead, it relies entirely on the hypocrisy that is NCAA Football as its farm system, where the NFL owners do not need to spend a cent developing players and players' brands into ready-made-stars (i.e. the Colts owe Stanford some kind of gift basket for developing Andrew Luck's star power and gift wrapping the millions in merchandising and ticket sales they are about the inherit without any sunk costs). If the NBA owners want the same model - and all signs say they do, whether it be the age restrictions that are set up to develop the brands of one-and-done freshman stars or the hype March Madness generates for the Draft - then they will be slow to set up a competing development system. That of course makes no mention of the need to redesign NBA arenas to elimate 30% of the seating and improve sightlines for the remaining audience, as well as create added value for in-stadium fans via improved WiFi in the arena, in-seat personal consoles that allow fans to check stats and replays on-demand and at their own control, and other improvements that are needed to make sure fans do not skip the live experience in favor of their massive HD screens at home and League Pass Broadband on their iPads...etc etc etc...I have the feeling this is an entirely different discussion from the one we want to have today though, and should be saved for another time, so ALL THAT SAID, I think you are on the right track, and think the model will resemble what you are saying, but not for another decade or two. Now, back to the action on the court... Blake: Fair enough, and I'm sure you're right about the reality of the situation. Maybe I've just read too much Jonah Keri of late and want to grasp at straws for how the Raptors, unable to attract marquee free agents, could possibly win a bit now and a lot later, via some market inefficiency or imagined competitive advantage. The answer, of course, is that they can not, so we'll spend the next three months cheering but letting out a sigh of relief after any narrow defeat. Last Raptors question - assume a top-5 pick in the draft this year, assume Jonas is coming over, and assume Andrea is still around (not traded or amnestied)...the team lacks a future PG but the draft is bereft of top-tier guard talent, the team has PF depth for days but the draft has a few potential studs, and there's a clear need on the wing...do you draft the best talent available (arguably Anthony Davis), draft for need (a Harrison Barnes, perhaps), or trade down to secure an asset and a glaring need, a PG, and roll the dice with a mid-tier pedigree (possibly even Canadian Mych Kabongo)? Personally, while I'm generally in favor of taking the best talent available, I think Barnes is the white light for us here. He plays the wing, he has motor, IQ, scoring ability, a feel for the clutch, and some other Bilas-isms. I think his stock is hurt a bit by slow starts in back-to-back seasons, and a deep Tar Heels team that requires him to be a soldier more than a general. I'd love your thoughts on this, just five short months in advance of the draft. Trev: My ideal scenario would see the team do the following: 1. Before the draft, you aggressively try to trade a package built around the key pieces of Demar and Ed, and include anyone else on the roster you need to besides Jonas, this year's pick, and probaly Andrea. What you are looking for is a legimate starting point guard - obviously you will not get someone on the level of Deron, but if you can find a true point guard for a package of your talent, you do it. That is your new Starting 1, with Jose in the last year of his deal playing the role of backup and still giving you 20 minutes a night. 2. Use the pick on the a wing - Barnes, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist...even Rivers, thought I would absolutely hate having to cheer for him - or a bigger athlete (in Draft terms: "Long and with a motor") who you can convert to a 3 (Perry Jones). 3. Throw the entire Bell/Rogers bank at Eric Gordon as a restricted free-agent. If you miss and can't get him, offer above-market price to OJ Mayo as a consolation prize. 4. Bring Jonas over and insert him in the rotation as your 6th man initially, with Andrea and Amir as your starters. Amir will undoubtedly get into early foul trouble most nights, so even as a 6th man Jonas should get a crack at 28-32 minutes a game as a rookie in that kind of three-big rotation. 5. Look to round out the roster with another big who fits into Casey's mold (Louis Amundson maybe?) and is happy to hit the glass and take only playing 12 minutes a night, and if possible a three-point specialist to replace Barbosa. That strategy leaves you with rotation of: (New Legitimate Starting PG)/ Stud Free Agent SG / Lottery Pick SF / Andrea / Amir, with Jonas / Jose / Kleiza / Backup FA Shooter Admittedly, that lineup is really difficult to evaluate with the holes in there right now, so for sake of argument, as a placeholder say it looks like this: Ty Lawson / OJ Mayo / Harrison Barnes / Andrea / Amir ; Jonas / Jose / Kleiza / Jodie Meeks That team, on paper anyway, is now extremely well positioned, not just to make the Playoffs next year, but to have long-term success given how young much of that roster is. Tell me I'm on to something here... Blake: You're certainly onto something, but there are a few flaws I can see, so allow me to play Devil's Advocate just a bit. 1) I don't see many PGs like this on the market, unless they're in a Bayless-type situation where they've worn out their welcome somewhere. Lawson and Collison may be the only options of this type, and both come from teams that probably wouldn't be enticed by packages involving depth (more the opposite). I'd cautiously list Devin Harris as a reclamation project possibility (believe he's a UFA) on a short deal, or possibly just try to find a complement to Jose while the search continues in earnest (I've always been a huge Ramon Sessions [UFA] fan). I obviously agree with the need, but am not sure said targets would be available. 2) Absolutely agree. I want Barnes, but MKG is no slouch as a consollation prize. 3) Assuming either would sign an RFA deal with Toronto with the intention of playing here (rather than just driving their price up), I like it. Mayo would follow the cash and a starting role, and I'm a huge fan even if it means overpaying with a 10% Canada Tax. I'd say another option is to wait to see where Gordon goes, as he's rumored to like his hometown Pacers, which could make a George Hill/Danny Granger/Paul George expendable there. There's also the option to keep DeMar and cross our fingers he's better than he's looked so far here. 4) Check. 5) Check, and no shortage of options out there. Amundson, Robin Lopez (buried in Phoenix somehow), Turiaf (UFA I believe), etc, etc...defensive minded combo big-man to round things out. Even my scenario may be a little rose-colored, but I don't think it's out of the question to have substantial improvement at three positions next year - one of the wing spots through the draft, a PG through trade or free agency (Felton is a UFA, too, yuck), and center via Jonas. Of course, this requires a top-5 pick and un-Colangelo like manuevers, but we can hope. And hey, who knows what the Atlantic will look like next year, because the Celtics will look 75% different by then, or earlier, or so we're hearing... Trev: Master of the segue, this guy. Yes, let's address the end of the Second Big Three era in Boston. At present, the Cs are 7-9, which actually has them still 2nd in the Titanic - er, Atlantic Division, but a lowly 7th overall in the East, which is a far cry from what most of us expected of them, even with the impact the schedule would have on their aging legs. More concerning than just their Win-Loss record though is how they have gone about it: they're at 25th in points per game, 29th in rebounding, and nightly they seem to have more players on the injury report than in uniform. In the first four seasons since the KG trade, Boston has ranked first, second, fifth and second, respectively, in defensive efficiency - right now they still rank highly here, but that is thanks largely to the data being so ridiculously skewed by their last game against Orlando. In the NBA, there is the "Title-window slowly closing" version of getting old, and then there is the "Dorian Gray's portrait" version of aging, and it seems (much to the delight of the Laker lover in me) that Boston is closer to the latter of those two. Whoever now wears #5 for the Celtics is not KG - at best he is a KG impersonator, who's lack of skills, speed, or hops draw even more unflattering attention to his cartoon-like chirping and woofing. Ray takes such good care of himself that I would be very surprised if his injuries presisted, but then again he is 36, and to expect him to bounce back as he might have five years ago is a false hope. Pierce has been improving of late, but through 13 games he is still having the worst statsical year of his Hall-of-Fame career. If the idea for this year is to win a title, obviously you say there is no way you can do it with this roster and you look to retool. But if you step back and assess the value of the assets the Celtics actually have, you quickly find that to break up this team mid-season instead of just letting them slowly diminish and waste away before us as a 8th seed would be a foolish and short-sighted decision. For instance, look at the market for Garnett. That's right, there is none. AT ALL. Even if Ainge wanted to move him (and even knowing how impatient Danny can be I doubt he'd be so unloyal given what KG did to reinvent the entire franchise) there are no takers for his $21 million salary. That means you are stuck with him until season's end. If you wanted to move Allen, that might be possible if the right contender became interested, but if the reaction to trading a role player like Perk last spring is any indication, trading one of the Big Three without shipping them all out together would almost definitely result in a mutiny and a several homicides at the hands of Garnett. Given the lack of buyers out there, it would seem much more likely that Ainge will wait until season's end, quietly let KG and Ray walk (PLEASE let Ray end up in Chicago) and at that point assess whether or not he can get value for Pierce while using the cap space created from Garnett's departure to try and bring in pieces to put around Rondo (and no, I don't think that means Dwight). I have trust that Ainge is smart enough to retool and avoid the dark ages the franchise saw after the end of the Bird era, but without buyers interested in any of your core components, it is impossible to rebuild your roster on the fly. Better to gain the cap space this summer and move forward with Rondo, and maybe Pierce, and allow this season to play out as a Last Call for this era; if nothing else, watching the team struggle to make the playoffs at all will wash away any false notions of future or current title hopes for this roster that its fans might still harbour. Blake: Agree with most of what you said, and really C's fans have no right to complain since they won a title. Even if this team fell off a cliff after this year, you take a title surrounded by mediocrity over years of also-ran status every time. As it is, the C's probably won one less title than should have been expected, and the Big Three maybe just came together a year too late to really capitilize. But a title's a title, and flags fly forever. I think more than outrage or mutiny, the biggest concern for an in-season re-tooling for the Celtics is that, as you said, there's no market for Garnett. On top of which, if Ainge were to shop KG, Ray, and Pierce, they'd ostensibly be looking for young controllable assets with upside in return, a class of player that contending teams don't generally have in spades. That is, the teams interested in the services of the Big Three are not the teams with the assets to appease the Celtics; in that sense, they're better off hitting the reset button with a nearly clean cap in the offseason and rebuilding around Rondo/Pierce (or dealing Rondo too and creating a completely new identity). One other note is that even in their current incarnation, the Celtics are a troublesome team in a playoff series. Yes, they're old and thin, but veteran defensive-minded teams are tough outs in the playoffs, and they certainly wouldn't be a first round push-over. They're not a title contender, but it's possible the cap space, showing loyalty, and two rounds of playoff revenue are enough incentive to keep the core together through June. ~~And Ray Allen may have some say here as Danny Ainge's future successor.~~ We're already getting a bit long in the tooth, so let me give you the option here for our last talking point: you're free to vent about your Lakers, Kobe's shot selection, Pau's complaining, and Jay Caspian Kang's disappointing Kobe piece, or we can scratch our heads at how Mike D'Antoni has somehow put together a team that plays a brand of basketball right around the level of Sacramento and Washington (trainwreck viewing value aside) in terms of excitement. Trev: ...is there even a question which of these I want to dedicate my attention to? In the spirit of fairness - knowing I will probably go on about 8-9 paragraphs too long as soon as I start talking Lakers - I will let you address the issues in Hollywoodland first. Blake: Perhaps I thought maybe you had vented to someone else in some forum and would opt for the Empire State theme. My mistake, I should have known better. Alright well allow me mostly to play Chris Paul to your Blake Griffin and send a few lobs out there... 1) Kobe Bryant's current usage rate is a career high 35.9% (meaning 36% of Laker possessions end in a Bryant shot or turnover). Is this the cause of the Lakers relative offensive inefficiency (14th in the NBA), or a symptom of the rest of the team just being devoid of offense? Gasol is, of course, a valuable offensive talent, and Bynum has looked in career-best form, but outside of the Big One and Medium Two, there have been negligible contributions from the Barneses and World Peaces, let alone the Goudelocks and Ebankses. 2) Pau is crying about the location of his touches, requesting more offense run through him in the low post rather than at the pinch point or the elbow. Is this a fair request, or is it on Pau to initiate more offense for himself? He's always been relatively passive in demanding his, but his usage rate is down to a career low 18.7%. 3) For all the criticisms of Mike Brown in Cleveland, he got sterling defensive results out of a pretty rag-tag crew. He has the Lakers at 7th in defensive efficiency, but they were 6th in each of the past two years. Is this stagnation a clue that Brown was overrated as a defensive coach, a further sign of the Lakers' eroding athleticism, or merely too small a sample to determine (keeping in mind that 19 games is 29% of the Lakers' 2011-12 schedule)? Trev: My hestitation in addressing any Knick related questions is based on two factors - factor the first, that I deeply want this team to succeed and want to root for them in the playoffs, therefore my ability to accept their mediocrity and address it rationally is weighed down by my own self-denial about their struggles (i.e. I would say something like "Yes, they are 4 or 5 games under .500 overall dating back to last season since the Melo trade, but that is still a very small sample size of games in the overall picture of things!"); factor the second, which is probably shaded by the point I just addressed, is that I really do believe that Baron is going to make a huge difference for them on offense when he comes back and that he is heading towards one of the great reclamation seasons on record. So let's come back to them in March when they are still flawed and failing and address it then, yes? As for your Laker points: 1) I am the world biggest Kobe apologist, so I am obviously not going to pick Option 1, but I will admit that it has some merit, but I think it's overstated. My truthful opinion is that the loss of the Triangle is to blame for that, seconded by the overall lack of offensive talent for most of the roster, which is even further driven by the lack of offensive schemes from the coaching staff (think back to 1-4 High with LeBron and the Cavs...), and then finally you arrive at the idea that Bean is shooting too much and screwing up their offensive flow. My real problem with saying it is all on Kobe and his high usage rate is based on a few things: that his assist total is still above his career average; that his PER is still the highest it has ever been in his career, such that even if he is forcing things he is mostly doing so successfully (PER historically has loved players like LeBron, CP3, and Manu who 'move the ball around' and are unselfish, and not Kobe, who is a ball-stopper); and finally, because of the reality that almost no one else on the roster is used to or able to create their own shot outside of Pau. The Triangle covered that last fact up for the better part of a decade - it's motion and movement created shots for Fish and a whole host of others who do not have the ability to create their own shot. Now, without it, you are seeing that they have two bigs who need to be fed the ball in the mid-to-low block to be effective at all, meaning they are almost never responsible for creating their own shot. They then have a Point who has never been able to create his own offense, and that was even when he was young and effective (there is a reason he went to Sloan in Utah when he left LA years back - he is a great defender but he is only a system guy on offense). And then they have a bunch of guys who have no idea what to do outside of trusting the Triangle, so they just stand around and there is very little movement, leaving Kobe to do the heavy lifting, which he is more than happy to obilge with since he is a born scorer and probably wishes he could shoot even more than he does and get away with it. In a sick way it's not unlike the Raps situation: you have Bargs, who commands a double team, and then maybe one or two other guys that can create for themselves, so when that star is out, you often times have three of your five guys on the floor who the defense doesn't even need to check. In case you aren't sure, that is a very bad/sad/dangerous thing. 2) You want the ball? You address Kobe and Coach Brown directly, not through the media. Pau admitted at the end of the interview where he was whining about his touches that he has never brought this up to Kobe or the coaching staff. I am not a genius, but something tells me you are probably better served asking those people directly than passive aggressively going to the media first. That said, does he have a point? Maybe. But Pau hasn't been "Pau" for some time now - it is not a new thing, but instead dates back to about the All-Star break last year. I am sure the trade-that-never-was this December did not help that relationship, and he has been a professional up to the point you can't compare him to Lamar and say he is an emotional child, but I would say that if Pau wants to eat he needs to go get his own food - meaning, STOP shooting threes (he has taken more already this year than all of last season), STOP letting yourself get pushed out to 19 feet on your initial post-ups, and STOP being willing to disappear for entire quarters (as he did against Lob City in the third after a brilliant first half). Pau is a very special talent, and there are two banners in STAPLES that are there because of him...but he is also a bit of a coward, and wishes that his brilliance and intellect and complexity was appreciated more by everyone. I would much rather be friends with Pau Gasol than Kobe Bryant based on their personalities and interests, but I would rather follow Kobe into battle - Pau I would follow to the opera, or a museum maybe. 3) I think Brown's defensive schemes are going to prove themselves in the spring, and that he was a good hire for what was available and what ailed the Lakers in general last season (heart and defense), but he is still deeply flawed in many ways. The good news is that it makes him no different than every coach not named Popovich, so it doesn't hurt the Lakers as much as you might think. I believe that getting this group to play defense the same way as they did last season is a success in itself given that they are another year older and only have Bynum as an elite athlete on that side of the ball, and even then his awkwardness still scares me. The test is not going to be the regular season, but in the spring when the game slows down even further - will they improve then. We will see... Finally, last night it struck me that there is a great passage from Julius Casear that describes Kobe's worldview right now in this, his "Man on Fire" season. He is cold, calculated, and wants his throne back - first the title of "Best Player Alive" (as opposed to the title "Seventh Best According to ESPN") then of Champion, but I do think it goes in that order sadly. Anyways, I wanted to share it because it will make me sound literate and well-read, and is as close to an admission that he is working too hard as you will ever get from me: CAESAR Let me have men about me that are fat; Sleek-headed men and such as sleep o' nights: Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much: such men are dangerous. ANTONY Fear him not, Caesar; he's not dangerous; He is a noble Roman and well given. CAESAR Would he were fatter! But I fear him not: Yet if my name were liable to fear, I do not know the man I should avoid So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much; He is a great observer and he looks Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays, As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music; Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort As if he mock'd himself and scorn'd his spirit That could be moved to smile at any thing. Such men as he be never at heart's ease Whiles they behold a greater than themselves, And therefore are they very dangerous. Blake: Wow, Caesar, eh? I'm absolutely stunned that the State of the Mamba quote came from Shakespeare instead of Hova or Bruce Wayne, but I guess we've all got to grow. Uhh, except Kobe, although I suppose you could suggest his reversion to his pre-Pau ways is still growth, given the efficiency gains you mentioned, his experience, etc. And again, I asked those questions earlier mostly as a volley for you (Kevin Love, what up), and my actual feelings fall somewhere between your points and the Kobe vitriol on point 1. I agree completely with the Pau analysis, and I kind of suggested you'd head that way when I referenced his usage numbers, and we all know his self-imposed limitations as an aggressor. As for Mike Brown, I think I'm mostly just still shocked Brian Shaw wasn't given a shot, although he must be in Kobe's bad books somehow to get skipped over. As an aside, I just finished Shaq Uncut, which was awful. I'm not sure the point of biographies if they're not going to be written from a sincere and honest point of view, and it's why I think biographies tend to read better when players further from retirement write them, as they can gain some post-career perspective. Regardless of Shaq's shortcomings as a "writer" and as someone coming to terms with the realities of his past, he did detail at length how valuable B-Shaw was to the team's chemistry in the Kobe/Shaq days. Taking Shaq's word certainly didn't make my opinion of Shaw any higher, but it did reinforce that he seemed a legitimate candidate from people with inside knowledge, and not just to the armchair-GMs and analysts. Anyway, moving on from the Lakeshow, I guess we should start to wrap this up so let me fire you three quick-answer questions, I'll respond in parentheses, and we'll call it a day. Fair? 1) Let's just wade into it a bit - Amare and Melo: offensively incompatible, or just figuring it out still? (I say incompatible - between Melo's inability to compromise his Iso touches and Amare's deteriorating athleticism, they're upside is their current form +10-15%.) 2) Blake for Dwight: Chris Broussard wet-dream only, or legitimate option for both sides? (Sure, the Magic would love it, but I can't see how the Clippers could justify moving the man who single-handedly brought them back to relevance. His name should forever be a non-starter in trade talks.) 3) Ricky Rubio is shooting 37.3% from the floor even with a hot start, and as expected this is his biggest weakness: kiss of death on the road to superstardom, or merely leaving himself an area to improve upon his 17.36 PER for future seasons? (Obviously an eventual stud, and my hope is that an offseason with NBA shooting coaches can help him re-create his stroke, which his awkward. Still, a 17.36 PER when you're shooting sub-40 is ridiculous.) Trev: 1) Figuring it out and waiting for a creator (I am looking at you Baron, otherwise Steve is heading over this summer) that can get them both looks in position to be effective. 2) Broussard blowing smoke - I doubt they would move Blake given what he has meant to their rebranding; I see their commitment to Jordan this summer - who happens to be Blake's best friend in the league - as a sign that their love for Dunkbot 5000 knows no bounds. 3) He will improve. He will never be the natural shooter Nash is, but he is every bit the playmaker it seems, and is a better rebounder. I expect him to turn into something very special in about two years. And as a postscript, I would remind you that my mother saw to it that I was reading Shakespeare at almost the same age as I was Batman, so a quote from the Bard shouldn't throw you too much. When I start dropping quotes from Voltaire, then you should be concerned. But I figured since you did ask that it was worth ending on my absolutely favorite "quote" from Bruce Wayne (can a fictional character actually be sourced for a quote?) that happens to perfectly sum up Kobe's mindset this year: Wayne: They told me there was nothing out there, nothing to fear. But the night my parents were murdered I caught a glimpse of something. I've looked for it ever since. I went around the world, searched in all the shadows. And there is something out there in the darkness, something terrifying, something that will not stop until it gets revenge... Me.

Two Home Runs Kings Reunite; Aaron and Oh Meet in Los Angeles

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 07:28 AM PST

A few weeks ago around the Hall of Fame voting announcements, I took a Cyberspace visit to the Ted Williams Museum and its Hitters Hall of Fame. Using what Williams described as his "secret formula" (actually the stat OPS), he identified his twenty greatest hitters of all time. BPP readers can and have debated over Barry Larkin and Bert Blyleven's credentials. Looking at Williams' stellar group, there are many fine hitters, and we've written of the museum before. Included in Williams' original 1995 inductees is Hank Aaron, possibly one of the most underrated of the Cooperstown Hall. The Williams' Hall has other inductees which it updates annually. In 1999, the museum added Japanese-Taiwanese Yomiuri Giants' slugger supreme Sadaharu Oh. In 1974, Aaron and Oh went head-to-head in an unprecedented international home run hitting contest of epic proportions. CBS offered Aaron $50,000 and Oh, 6 million yen ($20,000) plus a silver trophy to the winner. That year, the New York Mets were in Japan for a post-season good will tour. The Aaron-Oh showdown would be part of a November 2 of pre-game ceremony between the Mets and the Japanese All Stars. Aaron, then with the Atlanta Braves, didn't take the event seriously. In an interview, Aaron stated that the Japanese ball parks were so much smaller than the ones he played in stateside that any comparison between his home run prowess and Oh's was "totally unfounded." Aaron didn't bother to bring any of his bats to Japan but instead borrowed Ed Kranepool's longer, lighter Adirondack. The contestants chose their own pitchers. Aaron gave the nod to Mets' coach Joe Pignatano while Oh stuck with right handed Giants' batting practice pitcher Kiniyasu Mine. The format had been agreed upon in advance. Each player would be allowed 20 fair balls with their at bats taken in alternating sequences of five. At the end of the first round, Oh led 3-2. At the beginning of round 2, Oh blasted three more homers to take a 6-2 lead. Later, Aaron laughingly said that he never thought he would hear the day when Mets' wives would be chanting, "Let's go, Henry." By the bottom of the second round, Aaron tied the score 6-6 with four titanic blasts. Aaron moved ahead in the third round, 9-7. Locals feared that Oh was out of gas. But Aaron, who hadn't held a bat in six weeks, was running on empty, too. In the final round with the score tied at 9, Aaron had five more swings; he flied out, grounded to short and then lifted the winning shot over the left field fence. Final score: Aaron 10-Oh 9. Ironically, only a few hours later, the Braves traded Aaron to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Aaron and Oh challenge began a lifelong friendship. Earlier this month the two, who had a total of 1,632 career homers, were in Los Angeles for the 20th Anniversary Children's Baseball Fair Luncheon. Aaron, 77, and Oh, 71 co-founded the organization in 1990. When Frank Robinson, ninth on the all time homer list, arrived a few minutes late, the three men represented 2,209 homers. [Aaron, Oh Are at Head of Power Luncheon, by Mike Di Giovanna, Los Angeles Times, January 22, 2012] As always, Aaron was gracious. He politely but vaguely answered Barry Bonds questions. Robinson, however, bluntly said:

In my mind, Hank is the home run king, no question.

Aaron and Oh were generous in their praise of each other. Oh, said Aaron, "could have held his own in the major leagues." About Aaron, Oh said:

A lot of people were concerned about winning the derby. I was just grateful for his presence in Japan, for Hank to be in uniform, to show the Japanese fans and kids how great a person and player he is.

Brad-ketology: January 28th Edition

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 07:01 AM PST

The teams below are displayed below on an S-curve, so they are ranked from left to right within each seeding line. The italicized teams are ones predicted to win their conference tourney and gain an automatic bid to the dance. For the conferences who currently have NCAA tourney teams, it is assumed that one of those teams will win their conference tourney. If not, then a stolen bid would result, and the number of at-large bids would drop. Also, just to clarify, my bracket projection is intended to project the NCAA Tournament field if it was chosen today. Unlike some bracketologists, I am not trying to predict how each team will finish the season and then seed the teams based on that. There is one slight exception to this rule, however, and that is that I have always chosen to award the projected automatic bid for each conference to my projected best team in that conference, and not the team who is currently leading the conference standings. Given how unbalanced conference schedules are, it just seems like common sense to project that the best team in a conference will win the league championship, not the squad currently in first place. Brad-ketology columns will be published at least twice a week (typically on Mondays and Fridays) and more often than that when it gets closer to tourney time. This bracket projection has been updated through all games played on Friday January 27th. NCAA Tourney Field: 1-seeds: Kentucky, Syracuse, Ohio State, North Carolina 2-seeds: Kansas, Baylor, Missouri, Duke 3-seeds: Georgetown, Michigan State, UNLV, Marquette 4-seeds: Creighton, Florida, UConn, Indiana 5-seeds: Kansas State, Michigan, San Diego State, Wisconsin 6-seeds: Gonzaga, Illinois, Virginia, Seton Hall 7-seeds: Vanderbilt, Saint Mary's, Murray State, Mississippi State 8-seeds: Louisville, West Virginia, Wichita State, Florida State 9-seeds: Temple, Harvard, Alabama, California 10-seeds: Purdue, Dayton, Memphis, Southern Miss 11-seeds: Cincinnati, Xavier, New Mexico, Minnesota 12-seeds: Brigham Young, Saint Louis, NC State, Arkansas, Stanford, Northwestern 13-seeds: Middle Tennessee, Oral Roberts, Long Beach State, Davidson 14-seeds: Iona, Nevada, Akron, Cleveland State 15-seeds: VCU, Belmont, Weber State, Bucknell 16-seeds: Norfolk State, UNC-Asheville, LIU-Brooklyn, UT-Arlington, Stony Brook, Mississippi Valley State NIT Tourney Field: 1-seeds: Notre Dame, Iowa State, Texas, Oregon 2-seeds: Arizona, Oklahoma, Central Florida, Colorado State 3-seeds: Colorado, Marshall, UMass, Ohio 4-seeds: Ole Miss, Washington, La Salle, New Mexico State 5-seeds: St. Joe's, Miami-FL, Northern Iowa, Denver 6-seeds: Virginia Tech, LSU, South Florida, Missouri State 7-seeds: Wyoming, Maryland, Loyola-MD, Iowa 8-seeds: Pittsburgh, Drexel, Nebraska, George Mason Ranking of Other Postseason Contenders: St. Bonaventure, South Dakota State, Duquesne, Wagner, Richmond, Valpo, UW-Milwaukee

U.S. Soccer's Red Card

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 08:59 PM PST

U.S. soccer is… not good. Never really has been. Every four years we all get behind our World Cup team and take advantage of the opportunity to drink heavily at unusual times of the day. Then, for the next three years and 11 months, we go back to ignoring MLS (other than reporting which past-their-prime players have come over from Europe), collegiate and high school soccer. As a former high school football player, I have a long list of hilarious — although probably not completely true — reasons why soccer never caught on in the U.S. While it pains me and will test my boundaries as an almost- respectable journalist, I'm going to bench those explanations and bring everyone up to speed on the real reason. U.S. soccer should be good. According to a report I'm making up for this article, 90% of kids play organized soccer at some point between ages 4 and 8. It's a great introduction to team sports, it allows kids to get exercise while having fun, and, for the parents who didn't get roped into coaching, it's a nice little babysitter. Note: The other 10% either took gymnastics or "read books" and who really cares about those kids, anyway? Soccer will always have the advantage of being the first sport that future athletes play. Kids need to be a little older for the eye-hand coordination that basketball and baseball require, and then it's usually a few more years until their mothers let them strap on pads for football. Soccer is also the easiest game to facilitate. Do you know what equipment is required for a soccer game? A round ball and two shoes, rocks, bricks or sticks to mark a goal. You don't even need a grass field to play. Ask the Middle East and most of Eastern Europe. Do you know what they do have? Good soccer teams. So, soccer's demise in America is not from a lack of exposure; rather, it simply doesn't hold American kids' attention. It lacks staying power, and so it loses these young athletes to different sports as they get older. They get their fill of soccer, their testicles drop (literally and figuratively — that's for you, Coach Milsaps) and they decide to venture into basketball, baseball or football (American football). What happens during those developmental years? They start watching TV. When Lebron James was growing up, he wanted to play basketball like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. He knew about the NBA's superstars by watching them on TV. When Tom Brady was growing up, he wanted to play football like Steve Young and John Elway. He knew about the NFL's top quarterbacks by watching them on TV. When Albert Pujols was growing up, well, you see where this is going. When young soccer players are growing up, they want to be like someone they see on TV. The closest thing that America has offered is an old Beckham, so the kids are only learning to talk with an accent and get pictures taken with a woman who was famous 10 years ago. So, U.S. soccer is terrible because young, impressionable athletes can't see their would-be idols on television, so they lose interest. Fair-enough conclusion? I think so. Then it comes down to the chicken or the egg. Is U.S. soccer bad because it's not on television, or is U.S. soccer not on television because it's bad? Turns out, it's irrelevant. No matter what, U.S. soccer will not be on television; so, no matter what, U.S. soccer won't get any better. Why? Come along with me. Most people are too young to remember the original radio programs that entertained households (I only know about them from Mad Men and A Christmas Story), and those old enough to remember probably aren't reading blogs, but they were the starting point for television shows. Companies would create entertaining story-lines for their product's target market, which ensured that consumers would tune in every night. The entertainment value was secondary; the companies' primary motivation was getting consumers to listen to advertisements for their products. This model gave way to television networks creating programming and selling commercial time to businesses that wanted to pitch their products. Networks don't particularly care about creating solid content for their viewers. Networks want to make sure that they appeal to as many demographics as possible so that they can tell advertisers how many millions of people watch their shows and, hey, wouldn't it be great if all of them got to hear about the Sham Wow!? This requires commercial breaks. There's a reason why sitcoms have three nicely timed cliffhangers for commercials, why game shows and reality shows always cut to commercials right after they tease you and right before they show you what you want to see, and why sporting events with under an hour of game time take two hours to play. A professional basketball game is 48 minutes long, broken down into four quarters with each team having a total of eight timeouts at its disposal. If neither team has used one of its timeouts by certain milestones, the referee takes an official timeout to stop play. A professional football game is 60 minutes, also broken down into four quarters with each team having a total of six timeouts to use. In addition, there's a stoppage in play every time there's a change of possession. A professional baseball game, "America's sport," games have no set duration. There are 27 outs. After every three outs, there's a stoppage in play. All of these quarters, timeouts and stoppages of play are the reason that advertisers pay top dollar for commercial space. That money goes to the networks. The networks work out the revenue-sharing with the individual leagues. Kids continue seeing their sports idols on television and they continue growing up to be just like them. Soccer? A professional soccer game is 90 minutes, with one halftime. For those 45-minute halves, the clock doesn't stop. Ever. For anything. If there's an injury, a penalty, an out-of-bounds, a drunk Irishman streaking —that clock keeps ticking. While that is one of the few aspects of the game I respect, it does not adhere itself to television's rules. Why is the same game epically popular in Europe and everywhere else in the world? Completely different league and sponsor structure than what America and MLS have set up. They want to have an independent league and commission like the NFL, NBA and MLB, with the lion's share of revenue coming from the commercials that advertisers will pay to play during the game. As covered before, this won't work. How does Europe do it? Take Barclays Premier League, for example. THE FIRST WORD IS BARCLAYS! That's a bank. A sponsor. A company that paid a large sum of money to have their name associated with the league (think of how companies buy naming rights to professional stadiums in the States). Ever seen a Barclay's league jersey? It looks like a Dodge from NASCAR. Outside of America, soccer jerseys don't have a big team logo with a clever mascot name that's somehow related to the city or state where the team plays. They have a major sponsor's name on the front. They have smaller sponsors' emblems everywhere else. They don't have commercial breaks. They have advertisements and banners all along the field. Even the networks information tab with the time and score is "brought to you by" a corporation It's a completely different revenue structure than what American sports use. The European leagues don't rely on television money from commercial breaks to sustain themselves. They rely on sponsors to make it financially possible to be on television. With televised games, Europe's young athletes get to see their soccer idols from their homes, talk about them with their friends at school and grow up to be just like them. Sports, like anything else, are cyclical. For kids to grow up to be like their heroes, they have to be able to see those heroes in action. U.S. soccer will never be able to prevent young athletes from leaving for basketball, baseball and football until it finds a way to get on television.

Super Bowl XLVI Preview and Prediction

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 05:11 PM PST

We are just two Sundays away from the Super Bowl. Pretty unbelievable when you think about the long lockout that occurred during pretty much the whole summer. After all that, now we're here at the Super Bowl. It's a rematch from the 2008 Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. The circumstances are different this time around, as are the rosters. One thing that will definitely be a deciding factor is the Giants' ability to slow the Patriots tight ends down. Stopping them seems to be impossible. New England's two stud tight ends, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, combined for a whopping 2,237 receiving yards on 169 catches. They pose such a predicament for opposing defenses because if you double one guy, the other will burn you for 150+ yards and multiple touchdown catches. Not to mention Wes Welker who can grab 10+ receptions in his sleep. It did seem that the Patriots' offense wasn't as fluid against the Ravens as it was against Denver the week before. Tom Brady threw for 124 yards less against the Ravens' D than the Broncos'. He didn't reach the endzone on Sunday either, which is very surprising considering he averaged three touchdown passes a game in his last four outings. He will need to have a more productive game against the Giants for them to be successful. The Pats' D, despite giving up nearly 400 total yards, impressed me last week against Baltimore. Whenever the Ravens needed to score, it seemed New England would come up with a big stop. If they are able to pull out a performance like Sunday, that will put a lot of pressure off Tom Brady and the Pats' offense. They will need to slow New York's running game, because when the Giants' offense is balanced, they're very tough to beat. That will be a definite key for the Giants to be successful on offense. The Giants defense held San Francisco to under 200 passing yards, a statistic they'll hope to repeat against Tom Brady. Although not likely, the Giants will need to at least limit Brady's numbers the best they can. Victor Cruz was phenomenal as usual for New York. He racked up 142 yards on 10 catches. He will want to have a repeat performance in the Super Bowl. The Patriots can't let this guy have a monster game, or the Giants will eat them up. I don't see the Patriots coming back from double-digit deficit if the situation comes to that. They will need to jump out early, much like they did against the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round. As far as talent goes, the Patriots have an edge. They just have so many weapons on offense, its very hard to stop them. If you shift your focus to, say, Wes Welker, then Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez will take over the game. It is very difficult to stop this offense when they get into a rhythm. Stevan Ridley is also a spark for them in the running game, and can give them some energy when the ball is in his hands. The Pats will want to get him involved, as well as BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The Giants will come out focused and fighting, but New England will have their minds set on winning the Super Bowl. They won't be thinking about revenge from the last time they met in the Super Bowl. Their focus will be on this game. I believe New England has too much firepower for New York to overcome. Prediction: Patriots 30 Giants 23

PIMail: Local news for January 28

2012-01-28T16:01:00.001-08:00

PImail - news in your inbox

JOSHUA TRUJILLO

Ice storm hits Seattle

FROM THE BIG BLOG

	PHOTOS: Baby sea otter at Seattle Aquarium
	Seattle history: Guess the decade
	Can Google guess your age and gender?
	NASA reveals 11 new alien solar systems
	Most-literate cities: Seattle isn't number one anymore

Spokane Street Viaduct reopens

Drunk man shot in leg on Capitol Hill, then fights medics

3 shot after South Lake Union bar fight

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Police: SeaTac man tried to lure girl, gets arrested

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Forever Geek

2012-01-28T05:13:00.000-08:00

Forever Geek

Weekly Poll: Favorite Scifi Universe?

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 01:00 PM PST

Take Our Poll

Last week we picked your brain about your favorite fantasy world. This week, science fiction gets its day. What’s your favorite scifi universe, and why?

This isn’t a poll about your favorite science fiction movie, video game, or novel. It’s about the setting, the living, breathing world where the story takes place. Which one do you find the most intriguing, the most exciting? Which one would you most like to visit?

Vote in the poll above, and then if you like, head down to the Comments below and tell us why you voted the way you did. Or, if you don’t see your favorite universe listed in the poll, select “Other” and then write-in your vote in the Comments.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the poll:

Alienverse: It’s yet to be confirmed that Ridley Scott’s upcoming Prometheus is a prequel to Alien, but it sure looks that way.
The Forerunners’ Universe: The galaxy as built and influenced by the ancient Forerunner society in Halo.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away: The setting of Star Wars.
The Matrix: Both the scorched “real world” and the “interactive neural simulation” of The Matrix films.
Pandora: The alien moon where Avatar takes place.
Star Trek‘s Universe: Where starships and their crews boldly go and see what’s out there.
The 13 Colonies of Cobol: The universe of the human and the Cylons as seen in Battlestar Galactica (either series).
The Whoniverse: all of time and space as visitable in the TARDIS at the whims of Doctor Who.

[Image credit.]

A ‘Kinect Star Wars’ Trailer That Doesn’t Suck

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 06:00 AM PST

The buzz for LucasArts’ Kinect Star Wars is decidedly negative. But the Force is strong with this new live-action promotional trailer.

Since it was first announced, Kinect Star Wars video game has filled fans with anxiety. The idea of using Microsoft’s motion-sensing technology to control a hacking-and-slashing Jedi is an alluring one, but the game is saddled with dreaded on-rails gameplay and controls that are reportedly full of bugs. All in all, it looks like a lackluster cash-in title, but consumers will make the ultimate judgment when it’s finally released in April.

But even if it’s a stinker, when you’ve got as much money as Lucasfilm does, you can afford to create awesome promotional materials like this one for any product you choose. The video — which contains no in-game footage whatsoever — imagines what would happen if an everyday, dorky kind of guy was put into Obi-Wan Kenobi’s shoes for his final duel against Darth Vader aboard the Death Star. Things don’t quite go the way Vader’s expecting, and the results are pretty funny.

I should point out that it’s all good fun until the very last “payoff” shot, which will either make you laugh hysterically, or want to gauge your eyes out. When you see the buildup that precedes it, it won’t be remotely surprising. But it’s worse than you’ll be imagining. You’ve been warned.

Changes to Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service

2012-01-27T23:22:00.001-08:00

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Dear Google user, We're getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that's a lot shorter and easier to read. Our new policy covers multiple products and features, reflecting our desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google. We believe this stuff matters, so please take a few minutes to read our updated Privacy Policy and Terms of Service at http://www.google.com/policies. These changes will take effect on March 1, 2012.
One policy, one Google experience

Easy to work across Google Our new policy reflects a single product experience that does what you need, when you want it to. Whether you're reading an email that reminds you to schedule a family get-together or finding a favorite video that you want to share, we want to ensure you can move across Gmail, Calendar, Search, YouTube, or whatever your life calls for with ease.	Tailored for you If you're signed into Google, we can do things like suggest search queries – or tailor your search results – based on the interests you've expressed in Google+, Gmail, and YouTube. We'll better understand which version of Pink or Jaguar you're searching for and get you those results faster.	Easy to share and collaborate When you post or create a document online, you often want others to see and contribute. By remembering the contact information of the people you want to share with, we make it easy for you to share in any Google product or service with minimal clicks and errors.

Protecting your privacy hasn't changed Our goal is to provide you with as much transparency and choice as possible, through products like Google Dashboard and Ads Preferences Manager, alongside other tools. Our privacy principles remain unchanged. And we'll never sell your personal information or share it without your permission (other than rare circumstances like valid legal requests).	Got questions? We've got answers. Visit our FAQ at http://www.google.com/policies/faq to read more about the changes. (We figured our users might have a question or twenty-two.)

Notice of Change March 1, 2012 is when the new Privacy Policy and Terms will come into effect. If you choose to keep using Google once the change occurs, you will be doing so under the new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Please do not reply to this email. Mail sent to this address cannot be answered. Also, never enter your Google Account password after following a link in an email or chat to an untrusted site. Instead, go directly to the site, such as mail.google.com or www.google.com/accounts. Google will never email you to ask for your password or other sensitive information.

PIMail: Seattle Seahawks news for January 27

2012-01-27T19:02:00.001-08:00

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Could the Seahawks end up with Peyton Manning? (Part deux)

Now that the Indianapolis Colts, which apparently are nothing without star... more »

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PIMail: Aerospace news for January 27

2012-01-27T18:15:00.001-08:00

PImail - news in your inbox

Alaska Air Group reports record adjusted annual profit

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LATEST POSTS ON AEROSPACE READER BLOGS

	My Review: Air Canada E-190 Flight from Toronto to Seattle
	Oops! Airline Lands with Front Door Unlatched — Photo
	A Fire in the Cockpit

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PIMail: Business & technology news for January 27

2012-01-27T17:44:00.001-08:00

PImail - news in your inbox

Facebook, Washington state sues alleged "Like-jack" spammer

Facebook and Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna filed dual... more »

Gmail logo designed night before launch

The famous Gmail logo was designed the night before the email product... more »

Alaska Air Group reports record adjusted annual profit

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If this is January, these must be new iPhone rumors

In his new book, Inside Apple: How America's Most Admired — and Secretive... more »

LATEST BUSINESS HEADLINES FROM AP

	DirecTV, Sunbeam resolve dispute over fees
	RBS chief's taxper-funded bonus angers Britons
	Hostess asks judge to slash union obligations
	Russell Simmons to cut fees on his prepaid card
	Motorola suffers 4Q loss as Google sale looms
	No energy industry backing for the word 'fracking'
	US sets first catch limits in Caribbean fish
	How the major stock indexes fared on Thursday
	Amgen 4Q profit down 9 pct, but sales up 3 pct
	Money fund assets fall to $2.679 trillion
	Obama looks to Mich. to revive clean energy debate
	Starbucks 1Q profit up 10 percent
	UK judge: Social network sites differ from press
	Internet, phone businesses help Time Warner Cable
	Positive economic signs extend commodities rally
	Pfizer sued in Puerto Rico over retirement plans
	Judge won't delay decision in tobacco case
	Facebook, Washington state target online spam
	Why is investment income taxed less than wages?
	Treasury's 7-year auction fetches record low yield

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Sports Blog Net

2012-01-27T17:28:00.001-08:00

Sports Blog Net

The Full Court Press Network's Early All-Star Voting
Clippers hold off Grizzlies for bounce-back win
Boston.com: Cambridge/Somerville-Masconomet Girls' Hockey Story Live
Is Yoenis Cespedes next in line?
Any player/Any era: Gene Tenace

The Full Court Press Network's Early All-Star Voting

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 08:36 AM PST

Recently, the members of the Full Court Press Network have been conducting their own All-Star voting while the league's best have been at it. As of January 27th, here are the voting results (three points for first-team, two for second, and one for third): Western Conference All-Stars STARTERS G- Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers (38 points) G- Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (41 points) F- Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder (42 points) F- LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers (29 points) C- Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers (30 points) BENCH G- Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder (33 points) G- Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns (19 points) G- Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves (16 points) G- Kyle Lowry, Houston Rockets (9 points) F- Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves (28 points) F- Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers (23 points) F- Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks (17 points) F- Danilo Galinari, Denver Nuggets (10 points) C- DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers (19 points) C- Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies (17 points) Also receiving votes: Marcin Gortat, Phoenix Suns, C (11 points); Monta Ellis, Golden State Warriors, SG (8 points); Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies, SF (7 points); Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers, PF (7 points); Al Jefferson, Utah Jazz, C (5 points); Kevin Martin, Houston Rockets, SG (1 point); Lamar Odom, Dallas Mavericks, SF (1 point); Gerald Wallace, Portland Trail Blazers, SF (1 point); Chauncey Billups, Los Angeles Clippers, PG (1 point); Luke Ridnour, Minnesota Timberwolves, PG (1 point); Shannon Brown, Phoenix Suns, SG (1 point). Eastern Conference All-Stars STARTERS G- Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls (42 points) G- Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat (35 points) F- LeBron James, Miami Heat (38 points) F- Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks (30 points) C- Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic (42 points) BENCH G- Deron Williams, New Jersey Nets (25 points) G- Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics (21 points) G- Ray Allen, Boston Celtics (16 points) G- Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers (7 points) F- Amar'e Stoudemire, New York Knicks (19 points) F- Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls (16 points) F- Chris Bosh, Miami Heat (12 points) F- Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics (11 points) C- Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls (17 points) C- Tyson Chandler, New York Knicks (16 points) Also receiving votes: Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks, PF (9 points); Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks, PG (9 points); Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors, PF (8 points); Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers, SF (5 points); Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers, PG (4 points); Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks, SG (4 points); Greg Monroe, Detroit Pistons, C (4 points); Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics, SF (3 points); Kris Humphries, New Jersey Nets, PF (3 points); Rip Hamilton, Chicago Bulls, SG (3 points); JaVale McGee, Washington Wizards, C (2 points); John Wall, Washington Wizards, PG (2 points); Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, C (2 points); Ryan Anderson, Orlando Magic, PF (2 points); Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers, C (1 point); DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors, SG (1 point); Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia 76ers, SF (1 point); Carlos Boozer, Chicago Bulls, PF (1 point); Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors, PG (1 point). Follow @JosephFafinski

Clippers hold off Grizzlies for bounce-back win

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 07:28 AM PST

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Just 16 games into their new partnership, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are already capable of grinding out victories for the Los Angeles Clippers on nights when nothing seems to work properly. They are both certain the Clippers will find their flow pretty soon. Griffin scored 20 points, Paul added 18 points and seven assists in his second game back from injury, and the first-place Clippers hung on in the fourth quarter for a 98-91 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night. Mo Williams scored nine of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, and Griffin added nine rebounds and eight assists as the Clippers maintained a narrow lead throughout the final period despite feeling little cohesion on either end of the court. "That's how we have to execute down the stretch," Griffin said. "It's a good win against a great team. We shouldn't be down on this win at all. They're not all going to be pretty." The Clippers' new nucleus is still learning how to respond to adversity, and Paul thinks this gritty win over a strong playoff contender should help. "Sooner or later we're going to learn, because these little opportunities can slip away from you," Paul said. "We've got to build up as many wins as possible, and it feels good for me to be out there. I've got to keep the energy going. Every game means so much." The Clippers stayed atop the Pacific Division even during Paul's absence, and they bounced back solidly from Wednesday's emotional loss to the Lakers, but a tougher schedule looms for a franchise with just one winning season in 19 years. No team in the Western Conference has played fewer games than the Clippers — including 11 in front of sellout home crowds. Los Angeles did it this time with defense, holding the Grizzlies under 36% shooting and scoring 24 points off Memphis' 17 turnovers. "We kept them at a low field-goal percentage, but they made us earn everything," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. "I was pleased with the way we got stops at the end when we needed to. Different guys stepped up." Rudy Gay scored 24 points for the Grizzlies, who have lost two in a row following a seven-game winning streak. Marc Gasol added 18 points and 11 rebounds on Memphis' third stop on a four-game West Coast trip. Gasol's two free throws trimmed the Clippers' lead to 91-89, but Butler hit a driving layup, and Paul made two free throws after a steal with 45 seconds left. Although Griffin didn't score in the fourth quarter, the Clippers scored seven consecutive points in the final minute to seal their third straight win over Memphis. "None of it was their defense," Gay said. "It was us. I mean, they do have some long athletic big men that alter a couple of shots. But for the most part, we were getting good shots and just weren't knocking them down." The Grizzlies had a day off after their loss in Portland on Tuesday in their fourth game in five days. Gay managed just 11 points against the Trail Blazers, but surpassed that well before halftime against the Clippers. Paul made a four-point play during an early 11-0 run by the Clippers, who jumped out to a 27-11 lead late in the first quarter. Gay made a 50-foot shot at the first-quarter buzzer as the Grizzlies made a 14-0 run of their own, keeping it close into the fourth quarter. "We couldn't get any stops down the stretch," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "We were within three, and every time they came back down, they got it back to five. We never got a stop where we could get a chance to take the lead."

Boston.com: Cambridge/Somerville-Masconomet Girls' Hockey Story Live

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 06:00 AM PST

For my fourth Boston.com freelance story I went to the freezing Simoni Skating Arena to watch the Cambridge/Somerville Falcons play the Masconomet Chieftains (a five-school co-op) in Wednesday afternoon girls' hockey game. Check it out!

Is Yoenis Cespedes next in line?

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:34 PM PST

The next big thing has arrived. 26 year old Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes has officially become a free agent, and the Miami Marlins are positioned to make a run for him. On Tuesday, Cespedes established residency in the Dominican Republic and the Marlins are considered to be the front runners for his services by multiple sports outlets. Even representatives for the Marlins have made it well know that they are going to try extremely hard for arguably the best prospect/talent to come out of Cuba in history. Cespedes, who recently played winter ball in the Dominican Republic, had a rather disappointing showing for the Aguilas where he hit just 5-for-35 with no walks, 10 strikeouts and a homer. What would you really expect though? Cespedes hasn't played professional baseball for over a year so to see him show mediocrity at the plate is no surprise. Cespedes poor showing shouldn't affect his asking price much. He should be getting anywhere in the neighborhood of $32M, with four-to-six years. One of the main questions regarding Yoenis Cespedes is where he would play. Some teams view him as a CF and some teams as a corner OF. In all likelihood the Marlins view Cespedes as a CF. Putting Cespedes in a corner OF spot definitely isn't in the picture especially with Mike Stanton in RF, and Logan Morrison playing LF. Emilio Bonifacio is the Marlins current CF and did a remarkable job. Bonifacio lead the team in average and steals in his breakout season with the fish. Some people may think trading Bonifacio would be the teams only choice if the club signs Cespedes but not so fast. Before last season Bonifacio was a super utility guy. A job he is familiar with. While I do think he has earned a starting job with the team, he might have no choice but the bench with a five tool talent like Cespedes. Before we get ahead of ourselves, you must realize that Cespedes will not be MLB ready at the start of spring training. He is going to need time to adjust to professional pitching that could take as little as a few weeks, or as much as a few months. Either way Bonifacio will be a key part to the Marlins in 2012, either starting for a majority of the season, or a top notch bench piece providing crucial playing time when he is asked. While we wait for Cespedes to sign with a team. One thing is for sure, he will be a genuine talent. -Alex

Any player/Any era: Gene Tenace

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 05:12 PM PST

Editor's note: Please welcome another "Any player/Any era" from Albert Lang. ________________ What He Did: You mean aside from being born Fury Gene Tenace? Well, he finished his 15-year career with a .241/.388/.429 line with 201 HRs, playing primarily catcher and first base. He appeared in 846 games at catcher (.245/.396/.437) and 582 at first (.242/.382/.428). His .388 career OBP is tied for the 33rd best by a right handed batter (min. 5,000 PA) in MLB history. He walked 984 times, the 41st most by a righty. He had six seasons of 100+ walks, the 20th most seasons of 100+ walks in baseball history. (The above from the SABR Baseball List & Record Book, 2007). All of that and Tenace didn't become a regular until he was 26 in 1973 (shades of Jorge Posada?). From 1969-1972 Tenace served primarily as Dave Duncan's back-up (a no-hit, lead-the-staff kind of guy). However, with Duncan batting .163/.200/.302 in August of '72, Tenace was given the starting job down the stretch and throughout the play-offs. While Tenace batted miserably in the ALCS, his one hit drove in the winning run in the deciding game. Then he hit .348/.400/.913 in the World Series, including homers in his first two World Series at bats (the first player to do so). He earned the MVP (and first of four World Series rings). Duncan was embroiled in a contract dispute during the following off-season and subsequently traded. And that's how you take over a starting catching job: brute force! Tenace did split time at catcher and first over the next few years, which would serve as his peak. From 1973-1980 (including four seasons in San Diego's cavernous ballpark), Tenace averaged 147 games with a .241/.391/.434 line and 21 HRs per year. During that time, Tenace accumulated 39.9 WAR (Fangraphs), tied with Bobby Bonds for the 16th most among hitters during that stretch. When it was all said and done, Tenace's career looks somewhat similar to Adam Dunn. Dunn has 365 HRs (certainly more than Tenace) but a .243/.374/.503 line (surprisingly a worse OBP than Tenace). If you translate Dunn's line to the 1975 Oakland Athletics, he would have 347 HRs and a .234/.362/.484 line. Tenace…just about Adam Dunn as a catcher. In addition, Tenace's 47.4 career WAR (Fangraphs) is 17th all time for a catcher (and that includes the likes of Brian Downing, Buck Ewing and others (who might not qualify at catcher) ahead of him). Certainly, his contemporaries, Ted Simmons and Johnny Bench, had better careers, but that shouldn't take away from Tenace, much the same that Alan Trammell shouldn't have been hurt by playing during the same era as Cal Ripken and Barry Larkin. Era he might have thrived in: If ever there were a player from an older era that would have thrived in the "modern" game, it's Tenace. For that reason, I'm putting him in the early part of the 2000s. If you place his numbers on the 2001 Oakland Athletics, his career line would be .270/.424/.475. His 1975 season, translated, would be a masterpiece: .269/.412/.486 with 31 HRs. Indeed, during his prime, he would have posted OBPs over .400 ever year but his translated 1974 season (his OBP on the 2001 A's would have been a measly .398). Why: The Oakland Athletics were perennial contenders from 2000-2006. However, they didn't have a serviceable catcher until Ramon Hernandez blossomed in 2004. Tenace would have made Hernandez expendable (and trade-able) in a meaningful way. Replacing Hernandez in 2001 (when Hernandez batted just .254/.316/.408) with Tenace would have improved an already lethal line-up. Could you imagine a team sending out: Johnny Damon/Gene Tenace/Jason Giambi/Eric Chavez/Miguel Tejada/Jermaine Dye/Jeremy Giambi/Terrence Long/Frank Menechino? That line-up would have no holes and include two players with .400+ OBPs. Really, if you think about it, Tenace could have been the face of Moneyball. Follow me on twitter (@h2h_corner): https://twitter.com/h2h_corner

PIMail: Local news for January 27

2012-01-27T12:00:00.001-08:00

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JOSHUA TRUJILLO

Ice storm hits Seattle

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Forever Geek

2012-01-27T05:18:00.001-08:00

Forever Geek

DIY Retro Star Wars Dress
10 Musically Inclined Anime
First Peek at eFX’s Avengers Collectibles
LEGO Minecraft is Happening

DIY Retro Star Wars Dress

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 04:00 AM PST

What was the last thing that you made using your hands? And I don’t mean coding. While you do use your hands to type, that doesn’t exactly count in this case!

This gal from Los Angeles, California impressed me with her sewing skills, if only because the only time I tried making a dress in high school Home Ec, it was an utter disaster! Seriously, this high school teacher married to a scientist rocks!

She got hold of some Star Wars sheets, of which there is no shortage of, I assume. She then proceeded to get her hands and imagination busy and created this wonderful DIY retro Star Wars dress. Male or female will certainly stop to take a second look at this.

DIY Star Wars Dress

By the way, the sheets that she used for this dress are not your ordinary sheets. They were a gift from a friend: original 1977 Star Wars sheets! Okay, I can hear some of you shouting – what a way to treat vintage sheets! Then again, if you look at the result, I suppose that it is a forgivable act.

This is the back of the DIY retro Star Wars dress, and you can see that some thought was put into how the design of the sheets would come out with the dress. I think it’s perfect how she was able to put C3PO into each of the straps.

DIY Star Wars Dress Back

I have a feeling that you want to see that skirt spread in all its glory. Well, here it is. Feast your eyes on the print.

DIY Star Wars Dress 2

Guess how much this cost to make? About $6 in materials!

Doesn’t this make you want to try your hand at making your own DIY retro Star Wars dress – or any other similar idea? As I have no skill at all when it comes to sewing, I suggest you visit Cation Designs for the details instead.

10 Musically Inclined Anime

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 03:00 AM PST

Anime is mainly known for its animation, in fact, that's where the term comes from, but there is another aspect of anime that many people overlook: the music. Unlike western animation, which tends to use music composed by small-time artists, anime aims for the best and sometimes manage to bring in some of the biggest names in the Japanese music industry. Of course, this results in anime with soundtracks that any J-pop or J-rock fan would appreciate. Many of these songs not only make it to the Oricon charts (Japan's equivalent of America's Billboard charts), but some manage to make it to the top 10. Below are 10 anime series with music that is sure to please your ears.

Macross Frontier

The Macross franchise has long been known for bringing popular music to the anime industry, beginning with its first series, Super Dimensional Fortress Macross back in 1982. Macross Frontier is the latest installment in the franchise and features the voices of Maaya Sakamoto, Megumi Nakajima, and May'n in its theme songs and insert songs. Below is a list of Macross Frontier's accomplishments on the Oricon weekly singles chart.

"Triangular" by Maaya Sakamoto peaked at #3.

"Diamond Crevasse" by May'n peaked at #3.

"Lion" by May'n and Megumi Nakajima, and "Northern Cross" by May'n were released together and peaked at #3.

Macross Fontier's first soundtrack album also peaked at #3 on Oricon's weekly albums chart.

Angel Beats!

Key is well-known in the anime world for the anime adaptations of Kanon and AIR, both of which were visually and acoustically appealing. It's no surprise that Angel Beats would have the same qualities with Key joining in the production. What's interesting about the music in Angel Beats is that the popular in-series band "Girls Dead Monster" released singles in the real world using the voices of Marina and LiSA. Angel Beats also had theme songs sung by Lia and Aoi Tada. Here is how their music performed on Oricon's singles chart:

"My Soul, Your Beat! / Brave Song" by Lia and Aoi Tada peaked at #3.

"Crow Song" by Girls Dead Monster peaked at #7.

"Thousand Enemies" by Girls Dead Monster peaked at #4.

"Little Braver" by Girls Dead Monster peaked at #2.

"Last Song" by Girls Dead Monster peaked at #2.

"Ichiban no Takaramono (Yui final ver.)" by Girls Dead Monster peaked at #3.

"Keep The Beats!" by Girls Dead Moster peaked at #6 on Oricon's weekly albums chart.

The Angel Beats original soundtrack peaked at #9 on Oricon's weekly albums chart.

Girls Dead Monster has proven that even if you are a bunch of anime characters in the afterlife, you can still make it big in the 3D world.

K-ON!

The insanely popular light music and cake anime K-ON proved that you could combine cuteness with random silliness, and then add some music by singers no one had heard of and come out with a huge hit. The main cast of K-ON (consisting of Aki Toyosaki, Yoko Hikasa, Satomi Sato, Minako Kotobuki, and Ayana Taketatsu) actually does sing their own music, and their success on Oricon's weekly singles chart is highlighted below.

"Cagayake! GIRLS" peaked at #4.

"Don't Say 'Lazy'" peaked at #2.

"GO! GO! MANIAC" peaked at #1 (the first strictly anime song to do so).

"Listen!!" peaked at #2.

"Utauyo!!MIRACLE" peaked at #3.

"No, Thank You!" peaked at #2.

It's amazing to think that a band that premiered in an anime was actually more popular than most other Japanese bands for a time.

Guilty Crown

Guilty Crown might not be the most unique or exciting anime out there, but they deserve some credit for promoting one of the hottest music groups in the anime industry right now: Supercell. Having played a role in Miku Hatsune's success and the creation of Black Rock Shooter, the members of Supercell were hired to create the character designs for Guilty Crown and write the theme songs as well as the insert songs for the fictional band, Egoist. The first opening song "My Dearest" peaked at #10 on Oricon's weekly singles chart, while the ending song "Departures" peaked at #8.

Durarara!!

An interesting anime that takes to the streets of Ikebukuro, Durarara takes several characters that couldn't seem any further apart and drags all of them into a conflict over control of the district. Durarara might have a weak showing when compared to the other titles on this list, but if it can get hordes of fangirls raving about its theme songs, then it certainly deserves a look. Below is how well its music performed on Oricon's weekly singles chart.

“Uragiri no Yūyake” by Theatre Brook peaked at #12.

“Trust Me” by Yuya Matsushita peaked at #10.

“Complication” by ROOKiEZ is PUNK’D peaked at #11.

“Butterfly” by On/Off peaked at #15.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Mention Madoka to anyone who has seen the anime and they will most likely think of Kyubey or Mami's unfortunate accident, but it also has pretty good music. Puella Magi Madoka Magica combined the talents of ClariS, Yuki Kajiura, and Kalafina to create a perfect balance of cute girlish-ness that you expect from a magical girl show and of the dark mood from the realization of what it means to sign a contract with Kyubey. Their music ranked on the chart as follows:

“Connect” by ClariS peaked at #5.

“Magia” by Kalafina peaked at #7

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Haruhi will probably be most remembered for her craziness, if not for the Endless Eight arc in the second season, but there was another part of the series that made a big impact among fans: the school festival concert. Some fans have even claimed that Angel Beats copied the concert scene in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, but that's hard to say. All of the anime's singles were led by Aya Hirano, who was the voice of Haruhi. Considering that Aya's only single before being cast on Haruhi only reached #79 on the Oricon chart, it's amazing that her singles as Haruhi reached the positions below.

"Bouken Desho Desho?" peaked at #10.

"Hare Hare Yukai" peaked at #5.

"Suzumiya Haruhi no Tsumeawase" peaked at #5 and remained on the chart for 133 weeks.

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha

One of the things that Nanoha is known for is its action-packed battle scenes combined with superb animation quality and cute girls. Another thing that Nanoha and its sequels is known for is having Nana Mizuki perform all of its opening music and Yukari Tamura perform all of its ending music. Both singers are hugely successful in the music industry and voiced that two main characters: Nanoha Takamachi (Yukari Tamura) and Fate Testarossa (Nana Mizuki).

“innocent starter” by Nana Mizuki peaked at #9.

“Little Wish ~lyrical step~” by Yukari Tamura #32.

“ETERNAL BLAZE” by Nana Mizuki peaked at #2.

“Spiritual Garden” by Yukari Tamura peaked at #10.

“SECRET AMBITION” by Nana Mizuki peaked at #2.

“MASSIVE WONDERS” by Nana Mizuki peaked at #4.

“Hoshizora no Spica” by Yukari Tamura peaked at #7.

“Beautiful Amulet” by Yukari Tamura peaked at #11.

Gundam Seed

When you think of the Gundam franchise, you normally don't associate it with music, but it has some surprisingly popular songs in its lineup. Gundam Seed took this a step further by taking a nod from Macross and introducing a character that sung: Lacus Clyne, voiced by Rie Tanaka. It's no exaggeration when I say that Gundam Seed has dozens of singles that have made it to the Oricon charts. Below are just some of the higher-ranking ones.

"INVOKE" by T.M.Revolution peaked at #2.

"Realize" by Nami Tamaki peaked at #3.

"Ignited" by T.M.Revolution peaked at #1.

"Pride" by HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR peaked at #2.

"Bokutachi no Yukue" by Hitomi Takahashi peaked at #1.

"Wings of Words" by CHEMISTRY peaked at #2.

"Reason" by Nami Tamaki peaked at #2.

"Vestige" by T.M.Revolution peaked at #1.

Inuyasha

For a while, Inuyasha seemed like one of those anime that would never end as Inuyasha and Kagome could never really get ahead of Naraku. The series eventually spanned 10 years between its first and last episode (although non-continuous). That's not a bad thing though, especially when you consider that the series used some of the best artists in music to perform its opening and ending songs. The list below shows the rankings of the TV series' top theme songs.

“Change the World” by V6 peaked at #3.

“One Day, One Dream” by Tackey & Tsubasa peaked at #1.

“My Will” by Dream peaked at #6.

“Fukai Mori” by Do As Infinity peaked at #5.

“Dearest” by Ayumi Hamasaki peaked at #1.

“Shinjitsu no Uta” by Do As Infinity peaked at #5.

“With You” by AAA peaked at #2 as part of the single "Hide-Away".

Others

These are not the only musically inclined anime out there, but I thought they were worth mentioning. If you have more anime titles that you think have great music, feel free to share in the comments or discuss it on our forums.

First Peek at eFX’s Avengers Collectibles

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 12:50 PM PST

eFX' Avengers prop replicas sneak peek

You know The Avengers movie must be getting closer when licensee companies are making announcements. In my inbox today was a press release from eFX announcing their line of Avengers movie replicas, and showing off a first peek at what they have in store.

eFX Inc. has acquired the worldwide rights to create Marvel collectibles, and they’re not stopping at The Avengers movie. They’re launching a full line of products based on Marvel characters from both the films and the comic books. Prices are expected to range between $49 and $1,500, or possibly even more depending on the size and artistry of the collectible. All products will be available to buy at eFX’s website, and at select retail locations and conventions.

Included in their first batch of products are replicas of Captain America’s shield, Thor’s Mjolnir hammer, and a full-scale Iron Man Mark V mask. Based on the preview image they sent, it would appear that Cap’s helmet cowl will also be among the available products, as well as Thor’s silver headpiece. The first replicas will be on display at WonderCon in Anaheim, California from March 16-18.

Past replicas manufactured and sold by eFX include items from Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Disney, and more. Not bad for a company that’s only four years old.

LEGO Minecraft is Happening

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 12:23 PM PST

LEGO Minecraft

A while back, we told you that Minecraft had submitted an application to LEGO Cuusoo for official LEGO Minecraft branded sets. The application got more than 10,000 votes from Cuusoo members, so LEGO reviewed the proposal and formally announced that it’s been approved!

In a post on the Cuusoo blog, LEGO made the announcement by stating that The LEGO Group is “developing a concept that celebrates the best aspects of building with the LEGO system and in Minecraft,” as we speak. LEGO didn’t go into any details on what kind of set or sets might be made available, or when they’ll be released, which is understandable. Product development is something that LEGO never rushes, which is one reason that their products are always so high in quality.

It seems likely that whatever they come up with will maintain the familiar Minecraft aesthetic, so we’ll probably be seeing some pixelated-style LEGO sets. Wouldn’t care to venture a guess about the timeframe. Minecraft‘s popularity doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, so it could easily be next year sometime before we see them.

To the best of my knowledge (somebody correct me if I’m wrong), this appears to be the first set approved for production from LEGO Cuusoo.

PIMail: Seattle Seahawks news for January 26

2012-01-26T19:05:00.001-08:00

PImail - news in your inbox

Column: A wise guy looks at the Super Bowl

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Ask Lem Banker about the New York Giants and he tells the... more »

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PIMail: Aerospace news for January 26

2012-01-26T18:14:00.001-08:00

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Alaska Air Group reports record adjusted annual profit

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Sports Blog Net

2012-01-26T17:05:00.001-08:00

Sports Blog Net

Tim Thomas Exercises Free-Speech Right, Declines White House Ceremony
Eli Manning chats to his team about preparing for the super bowl
A batting lineup of pitchers

Tim Thomas Exercises Free-Speech Right, Declines White House Ceremony

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 06:00 AM PST

[caption id="attachment_1884" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The President honored the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Bruins Monday at the White House. Citing political differences, Tim Thomas did not attend. (JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)"][/caption] President Barack Obama congratulated the Boston Bruins Monday for their 2011 Stanley Cup championship. Citing differences of opinion, Boston Globe hockey writer Fluto Shinzawa reported, Tim Thomas chose not to attend. Good for Thomas.

Thomas Stays True to America and Self

Appearing at the White House, being photographed with the President and handing him an embossed Bruins jersey would make Thomas look aligned with the President. A fake alliance or not, Thomas wanted to avoid such an appearance because he sees his political relationship to the President differently. That shows both political conviction and a savvy understanding of the modern media landscape. What would have been the alternatives? Had Thomas gone to the White House and then voiced his opposition to the President, he'd have been portrayed as hypocritical. "How can you shake hands with the President Monday and bash him Tuesday?" the media would ask. No answer Thomas could give would make him look good, so why bother giving the press the question at all? The issue still comes up by declining the invite, but at least the press can only crucify him for his opinions, not his actions. A third alternative would have been to go, accept the President's congratulations, then go home. Thomas would probably view that option as a wasted opportunity. Athletes are often berated for bringing politics into sports – for expressing any personal opinions, really – but this is a natural intersection of sports and politics. Thomas saw a chance to exercise his constitutional right to free speech, and he took it. President Obama and every other politician champions this right in spirit, if not always in action (pepper spraying peaceful protesters, for example). Additionally, even indirectly using the power of the White House to silence protest is coercion. The truest sign of a free kingdom is a person displaying that freedom even in the presence of the king. Obama is a U.S. citizen (despite whatever Donald Trump incoherently spouts), as is Thomas (one of only two on the Bruins). A president does not enjoy more freedom of speech than a hockey goalie, and Thomas shouldn't feel intimidated just because a powerful man wants him to. Some would argue politics shouldn't factor into an honor for a sports accomplishment. Perhaps, but the trip to the White House is also a professional honor. By not going, Thomas essentially said his values matter more to him than his job. That's a courageous act of self-validation.

Bruins Handling it Properly

General manager Peter Chiarelli has already said Thomas won't be suspended for not attending. He added that "whatever his position is, it isn't reflective of the Boston Bruins nor my own." That's the correct thing to say, and the correct thing to do. Thomas has the constitutional right to speak his mind, but as an employee of the Boston Bruins, Thomas contractually must behave in a way keeping with the team's public image. Thomas might have violated that image by skipping the trip to Washington, D.C., but instead of punishing Thomas – and possibly alienating more conservative Bruins fans – Chiarelli simply said Thomas doesn't speak for the team. That keeps both sides happy and allows both to save face. If only more teams could resolve issues like as maturely as the Bruins did.

Hockey's Odd Place in America

Had this been a basketball or football team, where nearly everyone is American, perhaps this would be a bigger slap in the face. But can anyone really argue hockey is a quintessential American sport? Historically, most of the really great players in the league have come from elsewhere, usually Canada, Scandinavia or Russia. As a simple example, Thomas was only the second American player ever to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. Hockey is by far the least American of the Big 4. Hockey players boast their countries of origin in a way basketball and baseball players don't. Seven Canadian teams play in the NHL, including one that just moved out of a U.S. city where no one cared. Each player's 24 hours with the Stanley Cup takes the trophy all over the world. "O Canada" is sung almost as often in the TD Garden as "The Star Spangled Banner." If a hockey player doesn't feel like going to the White House, the symbolism of the gesture pales in comparison to the reality of hockey's place in the U.S. Now, if Tom Brady skipped the White House... --- Author's note: I originally wrote this Monday afternoon, before Thomas publicly explained himself. I still support the decision, but in light of his comments, I think Thomas botched his opportunity.

Eli Manning chats to his team about preparing for the super bowl

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 09:04 PM PST

Yesterday, Giants QB Eli Manning chated with his team on how to prepare for the super bowl rematch versus the Patriots. Everybody was hearing him out clearly on how to handle the big game and don't be stressed out about it that much. He also did intrust his teammates who have never been to a super bowl on to handle the pressure and the week leading up to the game. A lot of the teammates said it was an excellent message they have heard yet from Eli Manning and they do feel good heading into the super bowl. Yet, everybody in the national media is saying Tom Brady and the Patriots will get their revenge on the Giants in a week 1.5 from now. Although, I think the Giants to best suited team to beat the Patriots and I believe the Giants can beat them again in the super bowl.

A batting lineup of pitchers

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 07:54 PM PST

1.) George Uhle: Uhle might have played an everyday position had he not pitched so well, inventing the slider, once walking a batter to strike out Babe Ruth, and winning 200 games lifetime. One of a handful of pitchers with more than 10 offensive WAR for his career, Uhle hit .289 in his career with a .339 on-base percentage and 21 triples. His speed and contact hitting earns him the lead-off spot. 2.) Red Ruffing: Hall of Fame pitcher Ruffing hit at least .300 eight of his 22 seasons and topped out at .364 in 1930. Projecting his numbers that year to a 500 at-bat season, Ruffing would have had 182 hits with 18 homers, 100 RBI and a .984 OPS. Better, Ruffing went 15-8 on the hill in 1930 after consecutive 20-loss seasons. 3.) Wes Ferrell: I've said this before here, though it bears repeating. When people knock Rick Ferrell's 1987 Hall of Fame induction, they sometimes note he wasn't the best player in his own family. Rick doesn't even have the best OPS+ despite playing catcher while Wes served primarily as a rotation-anchoring pitcher, winning 20 games six times. Wes bests Rick for OPS+ (100 to 95), home runs (38 to 28) and slugging percentage (.446 to .378) among other offensive categories. Fittingly, he fronts a 1979 SABR book, Great Hitting Pitchers. 4.) Earl Wilson: Wilson's 35 home runs aren't tops for pitchers, but his one homer every 21.14 at-bats might be. It trumps Ferrell, who went yard once every 30.9 at-bats (and hit a record 37 homers as a pitcher and one more as a pinch hitter.) Wilson played just 11 seasons, being stuck much of the 1950s in the minors with the Boston Red Sox, who waited until 1959 to integrate. He also mostly played in the 1960s, one of the worst offensive periods in baseball history. Imagine Wilson's hitting stats for a longer career in a better offensive era. 5.) Don Drysdale: Like a few of the men here, Drysdale's career hitting stats are non-imposing: .186 lifetime batting average with an OPS+ of 45 and a 162-game average of 110 strikeouts. He rates a mention for his one sensational offensive year, 1965, when he was the Dodgers' only .300 hitter and had seven homers, 19 RBI, and an OPS+ of 140. He also went 23-12 on the mound, helping Los Angeles to a World Series crown. 6.) Carlos Zambrano: For his epic 2011 meltdown in Chicago, Big Z hit .318 with a career-high 130 OPS+ in 44 at-bats. He hit better still in 2008, .337 with four home runs, 14 RBI, and a 122 OPS+ in 83 at-bats. It'll be interesting to see how he fares in Miami, given that Zambrano had a lower batting average but better slugging numbers in Wrigley than elsewhere. 7.) C.C. Sabathia: Sabathia might be the hitting king of American League pitchers, batting .269 in interleague play lifetime. His .250 career batting average overall pales in comparison to many other pitchers, even active ones, though like Wilson, I wonder what Sabathia could do with more at-bats. 8.) Bob Gibson: Gibson, like Drysdale, is considered one of the best-hitting pitchers of the 1960s and had better peak offensive value than longevity, batting .303 in 1970 and .206 lifetime. Gibson and Drysdale share another thing in common: Each owned the other man at the plate, with Gibson going 2-20 and Drysdale 1-23, though surprisingly, neither hit the other with a pitch despite their reputations as brushback artists. 9.) Walter Johnson: The Big Train had incredible durability, placing third in baseball history with 5,914 innings pitched, though when his skills went, they went fast. Johnson had his last great year at 37 in 1925 when he went 20-7 for the AL champion Washington Senators and hit .433 with two homers, 20 RBI, and a 162 OPS+ in 97 at-bats. He even smacked a triple, his 41st and final. As a man of surprises, he makes a perfect ninth hitter.

PIMail: Business & technology news for January 26

2012-01-26T16:43:00.001-08:00

PImail - news in your inbox

Facebook, Washington state sues alleged "Like-jack" spammer

Facebook and Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna filed dual... more »

Gmail logo designed night before launch

The famous Gmail logo was designed the night before the email product... more »

Alaska Air Group reports record adjusted annual profit

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If this is January, these must be new iPhone rumors

In his new book, Inside Apple: How America's Most Admired — and Secretive... more »

LATEST BUSINESS HEADLINES FROM AP

	DirecTV, Sunbeam resolve dispute over fees
	RBS chief's taxper-funded bonus angers Britons
	Hostess asks judge to slash union obligations
	Russell Simmons to cut fees on his prepaid card
	Motorola suffers 4Q loss as Google sale looms
	No energy industry backing for the word 'fracking'
	US sets first catch limits in Caribbean fish
	How the major stock indexes fared on Thursday
	Amgen 4Q profit down 9 pct, but sales up 3 pct
	Money fund assets fall to $2.679 trillion
	Obama looks to Mich. to revive clean energy debate
	Starbucks 1Q profit up 10 percent
	UK judge: Social network sites differ from press
	Internet, phone businesses help Time Warner Cable
	Positive economic signs extend commodities rally
	Pfizer sued in Puerto Rico over retirement plans
	Judge won't delay decision in tobacco case
	Facebook, Washington state target online spam
	Why is investment income taxed less than wages?
	Treasury's 7-year auction fetches record low yield

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PIMail: Local news for January 26

2012-01-26T12:07:00.001-08:00

PImail - news in your inbox

JOSHUA TRUJILLO

Ice storm hits Seattle

FROM THE BIG BLOG

	Music lovers cringe: Courtney Stodden is recording a new single
	Brainy Seattle voted a 'rude city?'
	Will you miss the view from the Alaskan Way Viaduct?
	Seattle Jello Wrestling Extravaganza: Mark your calendars
	Get a free burger from Dick's Drive-In Tuesday

Gingrich surges in the Sunshine State

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Michele Bachmann: Off but still running

She fumbled key episodes in American history and proclaimed herself "an... more »

Obama to visit Seattle in February

Insurer fined for selling bad policies to UW students

Amanda Knox 'loves' Italy, might return soon

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'No Drama Obama' puts his presidency on the line

"No Drama Obama" ratchets up the intensity, in a State of the Union... more »

Lighting up: Marijuana users and reformers in public life

An initiative to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana sales in Washington... more »

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Forever Geek

2012-01-26T05:19:00.001-08:00

Forever Geek

Every Doctor Who Episode in 10 Minutes
DC + Aardman = Quirky Superheroes
Your Xbox Avatar Wants Threadless Tees
Amazing Prophecy

Every Doctor Who Episode in 10 Minutes

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 04:00 AM PST

How many episodes of Doctor Who have you actually seen? By episodes, I am referring not only to the sixth series, but to every Doctor Who episode dating from the first time the TV show aired. I was introduced to this addictive show only last year, and even now, I have not seen all the episode in the latest series. Then again, I have this thing about not having time to sit down and watch TV series completely.

Anyhow, there is so much to the TV series that I think a lot of people have not seen every Doctor Who episode that has been made. There are, of course, the die hard fans who can tell you all about the 11 doctors and everything they have done. I think it’s safe to say that you’re not alone if you have not seen the first series. Or even the second, or the third. That is why we have all sorts of guides, such as this Doctor Who Timeline.

Thanks to the efforts of BabelColour, you now only need 10 minutes of your time to be able to say that you have seen every Doctor Who episode. Yup, 10 minutes! That’s about as long as it will take you to eat a slice or two of pizza, or maybe as long as it will take you to finish your first cup of coffee for the day.

The video first came out in 2008, but as we all know, more has happened to the doctor since then. Here’s BabelColor’s updated video of every Doctor Who episode. It might be a little longer than your usual online videos, but hey, at least the end you will be able to say that you have indeed seen every single episode!

DC + Aardman = Quirky Superheroes

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 01:19 PM PST

You’ve probably never wondered to yourself, “What would it be like if Aardman did DC Comics superheroes?” (Aardman, in case you don’t know, is the claymation studio behind Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, Arthur Christmas, and lots more.) Today you’re going to find out exactly what it’s like.

Cartoon Network is prepping a block of programming known as “DC Nation,” which is exactly what it sounds like — a group of new shows, shorts, and more, starring DC superheroes. Just one way Cartoon Network is promoting DC Nation is with this clever one-minute short from Aardman that features several DC characters behaving like children (and featuring real childrens’ voices). It’s kooky, it’s campy, and you have to watch it.

If this whets your appetite for DC Nation, here’s what you can expect:

Green Lantern – a slick-looking CGI cartoon featuring the saga of the Green Lantern Corps
Young Justice – action-packed traditional hand-drawn animation starring Superboy, Robin, Kid Flash, and more
Tons of DC-influenced short films and short-form series, including a chibi-style Teen Titans, LEGO Batman, and loads more. The commercial embedded below offers a quick preview of the two flagship shows and the various short spots, and I think I even spotted some of the promo spots for Monolith’s Gotham City Impostors in there. The Aardman bit above fits in with these many other shorts, and word has it more of these DC/Aardman mashups are on their way to DC Nation.
Beware the Batman (coming in 2013) – a CGI cartoon that presents a new take on the Dark Knight that’s darker and more serious than The Brave and the Bold
Blue Beetle – a live action show based on the Jaime Reyes version of the character is in production, but it’s unknown if it’s a full-length series (perhaps planned for ’13?) or a series of shorts
DC News – MTV-like news breaks with quick-cut features on happenings in DC Comics, movies, TV shows, video games, and more.

DC Nation is expected to kick into gear sometime this Spring.

Your Xbox Avatar Wants Threadless Tees

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 12:16 PM PST

I don’t normally get excited over avatar clothing you have to pay for — be it Mii apparel, PlayStation Home gear, or Xbox wearables — but this might be worth making an exception for. Threadless, maker of some of the coolest t-shirts and hoodies on the planet, has brought a collection of their classic shirts to the Avatar Marketplace.

Xbox Live Avatar Marketplace is selling Threadless’ selection of twenty-four items for 80 MS Points ($1) per t-shirt, and 160 MS Points ($2) for hoodies. Right now there are just two hoodies available, but I’m sure more will be added if Threadless’ virtual clothes sell well.

Among the classic Threadless tees that fans will recognize are “Cookie Loves Milk,” “Funkalicious,” and “Living in Harmony.” Head over to the Avatar Marketplace to window shop all twenty-four designs, and buy some for yourself.

Amazing Prophecy

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 06:04 AM PST

A new age for the Prophet begins

Regular readers of this column will be well aware of my conflicted opinions of Rob Liefeld early work for Image and the original cast of Extreme Studios characters. Great characters in the right hands, really good ideas that drove the plots, but some of the most terrible execution in their early days.

Youngblood were indeed a good team with a diverse selection of members, motivations and histories, tied nicely to the Spawn continuity before the great split. Let’s not mention how they were also an obvious merging of the Teen Titans and the Avengers. However, Alan Moore’s treatment of Supreme and the excellent three issue Judgement Day demonstrated just how enjoyable the Extreme house could be.

No one could deny the force of Liefeld’s enthusiasm, and so it was truly a pleasure to pick up Prophet #21 last week. Initially, John Prophet was viewed as a second-rate Cable (and back in the days when Cable wasn’t that cool either). Yet the character has so much more potential than that, and thanks to the new offering at the hands of Brandon Graham and Simon Roy, the great heights to which John can ascend can be seen on the horizon.

If I were to compare the new Prophet to anything, my first instinct is to think of the worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Awaking in a world as foreign as the plains of Barsoom seen in the recent re-launch of Burroughs' once lesser-known property John Carter, Prophet is treated to a far future Earth where everything has changed dramatically.

Apart from the desolation, the first clue has to be wildlife with four jaws rather than two, something that hasn’t been new since the late Eighties, but always remains cool for some reason. Life have evolved, there’s little sight of people as we know them, yet Prophet takes it all in his stride, with very basic actions concentrating on survival he reveals hints of a great politics behind his current situation and this new world.

I foresee great things for this title, if the standard is maintained. The other feeling I get from this title is the same feeling provided by the Dark Tower, only without all of the many volumes that I have missed (maybe with a bit of Kamandi thrown in). If you have never read Prophet before, it really does not matter; none of the previous knowledge seems relevant for this issue.

I also congratulate Mr Liefeld on the new series numbering, which prevents any confusion. Although having a guide for Youngblood when it arrives, detailing which issue of which series is considered which number would be greatly appreciated.

PIMail: Seattle Seahawks news for January 25

2012-01-25T19:14:00.001-08:00

PImail - news in your inbox

Marshawn Lynch rounds out five Seahawks headed to Pro Bowl

The Seahawks' star running back, Marshawn Lynch, is headed to the Pro Bowl.... more »

Longtime NFL QB Jon Kitna wants to coach football in Tacoma

Former Seahawks quarterback Jon Kitna, after 15 years in the NFL, is back... more »

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PIMail: Aerospace news for January 25

2012-01-25T18:11:00.001-08:00

PImail - news in your inbox

Boeing expects to deliver 70 to 85 787s and 747-8s in 2012

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Alaska Airlines ditching prayer cards

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Summary Box: Boeing earnings

WHAT'S BIGGER: Planes. Revenue from Boeing's commercial aircraft is expected... more »

Boeing 4Q profit up as plane deliveries take off

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Quicker deliveries of Boeing's commercial airplanes... more »

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Norwegian places big orders with Boeing, Airbus

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LATEST POSTS ON AEROSPACE READER BLOGS

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Sports Blog Net

2012-01-25T17:26:00.001-08:00

Sports Blog Net

OFFICIAL 2012 NFL DRAFT ORDER: PICKS 21-30
Marlins sign outfielder Kearns, Cuban defector Cespedes establishes residency, now a free-agent
Goodell Gets Extension
Best trades in Red Sox history since 1990
49ers Look Ahead Disappointed, But With Promise
Raptors Republic Article - Raptors @ Jazz January 25 Pre-Game
DigBoston: AFC Championship Story Live
Kyle Williams
Jorge Posada has announced that he has retired from baseball

OFFICIAL 2012 NFL DRAFT ORDER: PICKS 21-30

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 04:23 PM PST

Written By: Mark Scott The Super Bowl is set with the New England Patriots taking on the New York Giants, while the rest of league now focuses on the NFL Draft and how to improve their teams for next season. As the last two teams alive, the Patriots and Giants will determine picks 31 and 32 of the 2012 NFL Draft with the Super Bowl winner obviously selecting with the last pick of the round. As for the other ten teams that made the playoffs this year, their draft position was determined as they were knocked out of each round, along with their final record and strength of schedule. Draft picks 21-24 are made up of the four teams (CIN, ATL, DET, PIT) that lost in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, while selections 25-28 consist of the four teams (DEN, HOU,NO, GB) that lost in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The two teams (BAL, SF) that lost in the AFC and NFC Championship games will slot in at picks 29 and 30. Atlanta's pick #22 is owned by the Cleveland Browns courtesy of the Julio Jones trade at last year's Draft. New Orleans' pick #27 is owned by the New England Patriots due to the Mark Ingram trade that also happened at the 2011 NFL Draft. The Top 20 spots in the Draft consist of the twenty teams that failed to make the playoffs this season. The order of the Top 20 can be seen here: http://nfldraftcenter.sportsblognet.com/2012/01/02/the-almost-official-2012-nfl-draft-order/ Team/Record/Strength of Schedule 21. CIN (9-7) .492 22. ATL (10-6) CLE .480 23. DET (10-6) .535 24. PIT (12-4) .492 25. DEN (8-8) .520 26. HOU (10-6) .453 27. NO (13-3) NE .441 28. GB (15-1) .457 29. BAL (12-4) .477 30. SF (13-3) .449

Marlins sign outfielder Kearns, Cuban defector Cespedes establishes residency, now a free-agent

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 03:48 PM PST

The Fish have added another veteran: this time, an outfielder. The Miami Marlins announced on Wednesday that they have reached an agreement with OF Austin Kearns to a minor-league contract with an invite to Spring Training. Kearns, a 31-year-old with ten years experience in the majors, has jumped around team to team his entire career; with stints playing for the Reds, Nationals, Yankees, and Indians. He spent 2011 with the Cleveland Indians, where he would play 57 games, sporting a .200 BA in 150 at-bats, 30 hits, 18 runs, 2 home runs, and 7 RBI's. In his career, he's put up a .254 BA with 117 home runs, 478 RBI's (in 1019 games). He has only played in 177 games in the last three years (3yrs = 486 games), and has showed a somewhat significant decline not just in the past three years, but in his whole career; despite being a well-known rookie in 2002, where he finished third in the N.L. Rookie of the Year voting while he was with Cincinnati. He was designated for assignment by the Cleveland Indians on August 12, 2011. As noted before, Kearns will try to earn a pinch-hitting/bench spot with his invite to Spring Training in Jupiter, FL. — CUBAN DEFECTOR YOENIS CESPEDES ESTABLISHES RESIDENCY IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, DECLARED FREE-AGENT More free agents, anyone? 26-year-old Cuban 'superstar' outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has established residency in the Dominican Republic, and was declared a free-agent on Wednesday by Major League Baseball. The Marlins are expected to make a big push for Cespedes as he welcomes in offers from clubs; including from the top teams pursuing him, the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers just completed a nine-year, $214M deal with free-agent first-baseman Prince Fielder, which likely thins their chances of getting Cespedes. Cespedes is rumored to be seeking something around $32M, with four-to-six years on the board (likely to be somewhere around $6M/season). David Samson said this on his weekly radio segment on The Dan LeBatard Show on 790 The Ticket (via Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel):

"[Pursuing Cespedes, the Marlins will be] Aggressive right to the point of stupidity, but not quite there. We think he's a perfect fit for us, but it has to be sane. [We've] expressing interest, going to visit, making it very clear to his representatives and to him and his family that we think he should not be anywhere other than Miami. As a Cuban and someone in the DR, it makes perfect sense. We have a perfect position for him to play. It would be great."

Cespedes played in the Dominican Republic for winter ball this January, going 5-for-35 (.143 BA) with a home run, no walks and 10 K's. Who knows how long it will take for Cespedes to sign (it only took him almost two months more than expected to establish residency), but the money has been on Miami around the rumor mill. -Derek

Goodell Gets Extension

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 01:49 PM PST

Like it or not, Roger Goodell will be the commissioner of the NFL through 2018. After taking of for Paul Tagliabue in 2006, Goodell has been instrumental in the success of the NFL. Over the last decade, the NFL has grown astronomically and is above all others when it comes to fan base, and ratings. However, we are going to start off with some of the ways Goodell might ruin in the game in the next 6 years. Since taking office, Goodell has suspended over 7 players and handed out more fines than I think we've ever seen in the sport. While people are more intrigued with the with the sport and the fan base is growing rapidly in all demographics. While there is a lot of attention being given to the game, the media has clearly paid more attention to the fines and suspensions. We have no one but Goodell to thank for this with the rule changes he has laid down over the last 5 years. There is a fine line of protecting the players, and controlling the game that he may have crossed. The most disappointing rule change is clearly the fact that he moved up the kickoff. Not only does it take one of the most exciting plays out of the game, but he also may have cost some players a job and a shot to live out their dream. Goodell also crossed the line with some of the rules that favor the offense. While it is exciting to see points on the board, it's not as exciting to see them do it with 15yrd penalty after 15yrd penalty. While the main issue is that there isn't parody from referee crew to referee crew, it is Goodell's job to make sure that they are all on the same page. That being sad, nothing can be taken away from Goodell for what he did during the lock out. Not only did he respectively reduce his salary to $1, but he saved a sport we all love. In the last year, he negotiated a 4 1/2 month locate, extended and negotiated long-term tv contracts that will bring in more revenue for the next 10 years, and saw the NFL have one of its most successful seasons ever. So while we may criticize "The Man" for trying to change the game too much, we can all be glad Goodell is here to stay.

Best trades in Red Sox history since 1990

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 10:34 AM PST

In November 1997, SP Tony Armas Jr. and SP Carl Pavano were traded to the Expos for SP Pedro Martinez. Pedro went on to win 2 consecutive Cy Young awards in 1999 and 2000. He also was the best SP in baseball during those years. During the 1997 season SP Derek Lowe and C Jason Varitek were sent to the Red Sox for RP Heathcliff Slocumb who went to Seattle in one of the most lopsided trades of all time. Varitek has spent 15 years with the club and became only the 3rd captain since 1923. He holds the record for catching 4 no-hitters with the club. Derek Lowe still pitches in the majors today and was very good while he was with the team. During thanksgiving day 2005 the Boston Red Sox received from the Florida Marlins SP Josh Beckett and 3rd Baseman Mike Lowell and RP Guillermo Mota for minor league superstar SS Hanley Ramirez, SP Annibel Sanchez, SP Jesus Delgado and SP Harvey Garcia.Beckett has become the face of the rotation and staff ace while Lowell went on to be the world series MVP in 2007. Although Hanley and Annibel are still playing I believe we got the better of this deal.

49ers Look Ahead Disappointed, But With Promise

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 10:17 AM PST

Well, it's been a great ride for the 2011-2012 San Francisco 49ers. While the loss in overtime will leave a bad taste for months, and in all likelihood, years to come, there is a lot to look forward to. Jim Harbaugh changed the culture in the 49ers organization. He brought a gritty, winning attitude that has set a new standard for football in the bay area. This season, expectations were met and irrefutably surpassed as titles were won and careers were revived. The development of quarterback Alex Smith was nothing short of a minor miracle, transforming the resilient former #1 overall pick from a sure bust to a hometown hero. No 49er fan will ever forget the poise and character Smith demonstrated in a last second touchdown drive to beat the super-power Saints in Candlestick Park. Smith showed his intelligence throughout the season, tying Tom Brady for the fewest amounts of interceptions thrown in a season (5). The defense became elite under the first year regime, allowing a meager three rushing touchdowns and one 100-yard rusher in the entire season, setting defensive rushing records along the way. They were opportunistic, cashing in on a league-high +28 turnover differential, when they finished at -1 just a year ago. And the pass rush, anchored by Justin Smith and rookie all-star Aldon Smith, forced quarterbacks into constant pressure, recording numerous sacks, fumbles, and causing interceptions. The special teams was phenomenal all year, never allowing an opposing team to score a touchdown. The lethal kicking of Andy Lee set records for average net yardage on kicks, pinning teams deep in their own terriroty time after time. David Akers was money, setting the NFL record for most field goals scored in a season, aswell as becoming the 49ers all-time highest scorer in a single season, surpassing Jerry Rice. The "Tony Montana Squad" were head hunters all year on kickoffs, never allowing a return of more than 35 yards. And the return game led by rejuvenated Ted Ginn Jr. was explosive, giving the 49ers offense a short field all season. The management and coaching of this team was amazing all year. The obvious is said when Jim Harbaugh will easily win Coach of the Year awards. But the behind the scenes management was diligent and paid off on several gambles. Harbaugh was the hottest coaching candidate in the past decade. Many teams including the Miami Dolphins and Harbaugh's alumni college, Michigan were ecstaticly interested. But young and doubted owner Jed York was persistent and was able to close the deal on Harbaugh when others couldn't. I was at the 49ers draft and trust me, to say fans were confused when Aldon Smith was selected in the first round were confused, is a monumental understatement. But new 49ers GM Trent Baalke saw something in Smith no one else saw. Harbaugh and the ownership trusted him, and they got the new 49ers single season sack record holder. Vic Fangio took a decent defense and made them an elite one. Sending a league-high four pro bowlers to Hawaii. Greg Roman coordinatded an offense that led to a 14-3 record with Alex Smith at the helm. Contributing in building one of the best ball-possesing teams in 49ers history. Brad Seely made the special teams up out of a bunch of rookies and players no one else wanted. What he got was the best coverage squands on punts and kickoffs in the league. As well as sending record-breakers Andy Lee and David Akers to the pro bowl. Long snapper Brian Jennings has also been selected. The 49ers management were quiet and patient in free agency, while other teams were scrambling to sign hot names like Nnamdi Asomuha. The Niners signed free agents that were perceived to be players that would never reach their full potential, and no one wanted to keep. The additions included pro bowler carlos rogers, who was let go by the Washington Redskins for having a knack of dropping interceptions. Rogers led the 49ers in interceptions this season with six. The Buffalo Bills gave up Safety Donte Whitner to the Niners, who went on to become one of the most physically dominating defensive backs in the NFL. Safety Dashon Goldson, was not re-signed by th 49ers and he went to look elsewhere for a team. After trying out for several teams like the Cowboys and Patriots, Goldson was eventually resigned to San Francisco. The safety no one wanted became a pro bowler and an all-pro, while the Cowboys missed the playoffs and the Patriots defense ranks second to last in pass defense. And last but not least of signficant signings, Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers management convinced Alex Smith to stay in San Francisco, after having absolutely every reason to go anywhere else. Harbaugh had full confidence in Smith when no one else did, giving him the playbook when he was still a free agent. What they got was a quarterback who refused to turn the ball over and led the 49ers to the NFC Championship game. All of this was done without an offeason, without months for the offense and defense to truly gel and take shape, without time. Now York, Baalke and Harbaugh head into 2012 as reigning NFC West Champs, with national respect, and with time to truly develop this team, hungry and ready to take San Francisco all the way.

Raptors Republic Article - Raptors @ Jazz January 25 Pre-Game

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 10:12 AM PST

Doing pre-game for a change, to see if we can maybe avoid the Raptors terrible 1-14 record in games I do post-game coverage for. Still, I'm thinking the frontcourt dominance of the Jazz is too much for the Raptors to handle, even with Bargnani back. Check it out!

DigBoston: AFC Championship Story Live

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 06:00 AM PST

[caption id="attachment_1881" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The Patriots-Ravens AFC Championship came down to a field goal. How'd it go? Check out the new "52 Games" at DigBoston.com!"][/caption] What better place to watch the Patriots play the Ravens for a trip to the Super Bowl than at McGreevy's on Boylston Street? Check it out!

Kyle Williams

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 02:02 AM PST

It was very sad to hear about San Francisco back up punt returner Kyle Williams death threats, we live in a society where we all take sports to serious, for someone to come out an threat anyone about something like this is very sad, we need to stop a minute an think about things before we say them, just prior to this some guy in a Atlanta bar shot someone for cheering aginist his New Orleans Saints which was playing aginist the 49ers week before that, I was bought up that sports are suppose to be fun, I love watching basketball an playing basketball an playing basketball with my son, I teach him about having good sportsmanship an treating people the way he wants to be treated,its so sad that you have to pick up the paper or turn on the T.V. or hear about it on the internet that stuff like this happen, my Dad always you to say that God don't like ugly, in true sense he dosen't, lets get back to way thing use to be an treat people the way we all want to be treated an lets make sports fun to watch an play.

Jorge Posada has announced that he has retired from baseball

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 08:18 PM PST

What a career it was for former Yankees great Jorge Posada as he announced that he is officially retiring from baseball. Is Jorge Posada hall of fame bound? I doubt it. Yes he has 5 world series titles, 5 silver sluggers and has made the all-star game 5 times. He doesn't have the number that reflect hall of fame status, even though he has 275 career HR's and 1,065 RBI's all-time. Those aren't hall of fame numbers and the only thing I can see for him is that he gets his jersey number 20 retired in the future. Jorge Posada will be missed by Yankee fans and he is one of the greatest players to ever wear the pinstripes.

PIMail: Business & technology news for January 25

2012-01-25T16:55:00.001-08:00

PImail - news in your inbox

Boeing expects to deliver 70 to 85 787s and 747-8s in 2012

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Alaska Airlines ditching prayer cards

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Tablets invade big business as employees bring their iPads to work

After Apple released its astonishing quarterly financial numbers on Tuesday,... more »

Norwegian places big orders with Boeing, Airbus

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LATEST BUSINESS HEADLINES FROM AP

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	Geithner: Obama won't ask me to stay in next term
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	Figures on government spending and debt
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	A look at Netflix since much-hated price hike
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	Israeli websites disrupted by hackers
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	Suspect in Ohio Craigslist case pleads not guilty

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PIMail: Local news for January 25

2012-01-25T12:09:00.001-08:00

PImail - news in your inbox

JOSHUA TRUJILLO

Ice storm hits Seattle

FROM THE BIG BLOG

	Seattle Jello Wrestling Extravaganza: Mark your calendars
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New King Co. Superior Court judge appointed

Snowstorm cost Seattle $1.35 million

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Police looking for Husky Hat Bandit

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Prosecutors: Men raided fund for impoverished grandparents

Two men accused of stealing $90,800 from city of Seattle funds meant to... more »

Stalker sentenced after terrorizing woman for decades

A 31-year-old sex offender who has stalked a middle school acquaintance... more »

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Two suspects in cab robberies arrested

Two men suspected in a pair of Seattle taxi cab robberies have been... more »

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Video:Friends dig out man buried in Stampede Pass avalanche

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Forever Geek

2012-01-25T05:18:00.001-08:00

Forever Geek

Indiana Jones Engagement Ring Just Might Get You a Yes
Your Eyeballs Will Love You for This BioShock Infinite Art
Epic Stormtrooper Cake

Indiana Jones Engagement Ring Just Might Get You a Yes

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 04:00 AM PST

If your girl friend is an Indiana Jones fan, that is. Otherwise, you might want to rethink going for this ring.

Indiana Jones Engagement Ring

We’re no strangers to geeky jewelry. As a matter of fact, we love them! Remember the Atomic and Microscope Pendants? How about the list of Valentine’s Day Jewelry Gifts for Geeks?

This piece of jewelry is not an ordinary gift, though. A guy going by the name Homerliwag on Reddit gave the ring to his girl friend when he popped the question. I suppose that not all girls will appreciate being presented with this Indiana Jones engagement ring, but if you think about it, the thought and work that was put into the ring might very well be enough to impress a lady! Of course, if that lady can’t resist Indiana Jones, then the story ends right here.

Homerliwag did put a lot of effort into his engagement ring. One look at the schematic can tell you that!

Indiana Jones Engagement Ring Schematic

In addition to having the engagement ring custom-made, he also paid a lot of attention to the presentation. He made a custom ring box – none of that generic black or white velvet/leather box – out of a 1920s steel soap bar box. Inside, he put some sculpting clay to achieve the effect of having ruins inside. Archeology, yes?

Indiana Jones Engagement Ring in Box

It is to be expected that since he had already gone this far, he would also go to great lengths to make the actual giving of the ring unique. And so he did. He made other boxes, and asked his girl friend to choose wisely. Of course, he had measures in place to make sure she chose the correct box, and voila, he had one happy girl friend. Or ecstatic, maybe.

Plus points for creativity! Now what theme would you choose if you were to give a similar gift? Think, and choose wisely. V-Day is coming up.

Via The Mary Sue

Your Eyeballs Will Love You for This BioShock Infinite Art

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 12:10 PM PST

Fan-made BioShock Infinite magazine cover by Alex Garner

Holy retro fan art, Batman! This is astounding.

Comic book artist Alex Garner created this faux cover to The Saturday Evening Post, that beautifully captures the steampunk/Americana feel of the upcoming game.

Game Informer first pointed out Garner’s work on this piece, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to share it. On his DeviantArt page, where the image was originally posted, Garner explains that he created this just for fun, as a tribute to the style of Post cover artist from yesteryear, J.C. Leyendecker. Everything from the art style used to the game’s two main characters — Booker and Elizabeth — standing front and center, takes its cues from Leyendecker’s style, while mixing in Garner’s own sensibilities.

Another interesting point is where he notes that he drew Elizabeth’s pose as looking up so that it would “resonate her paranoia of Songbird’s pursuit” of her. (Check out this game play video if you’re lost on all these plot points.) He also states that he worked on this little passion project for an hour a day between his paid commission work, for an unknown number of days.

Epic Stormtrooper Cake

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 08:23 AM PST

Stormtrooper Cake

This is a cake. Let me say that again. It’s a cake! A life-sized, totally realistic, and yes edible Stormtrooper cake. And it looks better than a lot of the Stormtrooper costumes I’ve seen.

I’m a big fan of Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, thanks to their dearly-departed (and surprisingly geek-friendly) TV show on the Food Network, Ace of Cakes. (Its final season aired last year, and I am indeed still bitter.) Their incredible, realistic or stylized cakes are always amazing. But they’ve got some serious competition in the form of Amanda Oakleaf Cakes, of Winthrop, Massachusetts.

Oakleaf baked and built this remarkable cake for a scifi convention earlier this month. It weighed more than 300 pounds, stood 6′ 4″ tall, and had enough cake to feed 600 people. It took ten people almost two weeks to plan, build the wire-and-metal frame, and finally fill the frame with cake (which was done just two days before it was to be eaten). The frame was filled entirely with cake, except for the lower legs, which were filled with Rice Krispie Treats.

Can you imagine?! Just… wow.

I’ve seen enough cooking shows to know that fondant — the sugar dough used to cover cakes these days with smoother, cleaner lines than frosting — does not like sticking to vertical surfaces. It’s much heavier than frosting, and doesn’t have any inherent stickiness. Oakleaf says on their blog (where you can see lots more photos of their process) that they “had to invent completely new cake making methods so it could be put together modularly onsite and hold its fondant over long vertical stretches.” I absolutely believe it. There’s simply no way traditional cake-making methods would work for a dessert of this size.

Though it’s certainly their biggest and most elaborate cake, it’s hardly Oakleaf’s first geek-friendly creation. Take a look at their website to see more awesomely geeky treats.

Kudos to Oakleaf Cakes for raising the bar for geeky desserts! Charm City, you’ve been called out.

Stormtrooper Cake: building the helmet

Stormtrooper Cake: filling the frame with cake (life-size photo reference is at left)

PIMail: Seattle Seahawks news for January 24

2012-01-24T19:12:00.001-08:00

PImail - news in your inbox

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PIMail: Aerospace news for January 24

2012-01-24T18:14:00.001-08:00

PImail - news in your inbox

Fitch affirms Boeing's debt ratings

NEW YORK (AP) — Fitch Ratings on Monday affirmed the debt ratings of... more »

LATEST POSTS ON AEROSPACE READER BLOGS

	Airline Livery of the Week: Air Inuit
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