Moon water? with NASA LCROSS, watch for Moon colonization in future

Water on the Moon! Until today, the NASA and the American Space Program had suffered under a decades long trend of accidents and budget cuts, but as of today, interest in NASA and the budget for projects will see a brighter light of day.

That's my prediction.

Fans of the Space Program have been hoping for this kind of discovery, and while it was expected and annouced today by the NASA LCROSS team, the implications of finding water on the Moon are vast. First, why did it get there? Second, and the real first question, is there life on the Moon but perhaps in a form we missed encountering.

It's time for a manned, or "personned" return to the Moon, with the objective of colonization? Yes. In fact, NASA wants to put a person on the Moon by 2020, but here's my bet that the whole schedule's moved up a bit.

Stay tuned.

Good Behavior Starts At Home

Good Behavior Starts At Home
By Jon Wagner Sr. Writer at Large Football Reporters Online

Recently, the New York Giants have been bad.

No, they haven’t been well-behaved at all over the past four weeks.

They’ve been undisciplined and careless, mistake-prone and unfocused.

They’ve been so bad, that in the span of just one month, they’ve gone from a 5-0 member of the NFL elite to a mediocre, middle-of-the-pack, 5-4.

And, now they’re being punished for their actions.

A very tough schedule lies ahead for them, and they’ll have to work extra hard and do nearly everything the right way, just to get back to being what most had previously expected of them.

But, they’re on their bye week, so they have plenty of time to think about what they’ve done, and how to do much better going forward.

When you’re away from home, sometimes you forget certain lessons, and it’s easy to go astray.

That’s why, if you’re a Giants fan, you’ll have to excuse the two bad road losses, by 21 points to the Saints, and by 23 points to the Eagles.

After all, the Giants weren’t going to win those games anyway. So, why fret about them? It’s the NFL, it happens, especially in tough places to play, like New Orleans and Philadelphia.

Even with those two defeats, New York still has a winning 3-2 road record, which included at one point, three straight road wins and a victory over now first-place Dallas.

However, at home, we should all know better. At home, it’s easier to remember and follow valuable lessons of how we’re supposed to act.

Yes, at home, we should all definitely be on our best behavior.

And, so should the Giants.

But, during their current four-game losing streak, they certainly haven’t.

It’s the home losses aided by some very sloppy play, and misguided moves by the Giants’ coaching staff, which have really hurt the Giants more than anything so far this season.

The Giants let two very winnable games, each very much there for the taking in the fourth quarter, against teams visiting all the way from the west, slip away all because they acted poorly at home.

Against Arizona, the Giants outgained the Cardinals at home by 39 yards. Okay, not much, but they did win the battle both through the air (albeit by just four yards) and a little more significantly on the ground (by 35 yards). And, they controlled the time of possession, again not by a lot (by a mere 32 seconds), but it was still in their favor. When a football team does those things at home, it should win.

But, not when they’re not careful. Not sticking with the running game when they should have at times, and at others, poor execution early in several different series which repeatedly set up third-and-longs. Add seven penalties, two fumbles (one lost), and three interceptions, including a final one fairly deep in Arizona territory, trailing by just a touchdown with 68 seconds left, and it all cost the Giants a home win they should have had.

In their latest loss, the Giants outgained San Diego 304-226 yards (116-34 rushing), while holding the ball for over fifteen minutes more (37:47 to 22:13) than the Chargers. And, the Giants were even a little more disciplined at least when it came to hanging on to the ball, winning the turnover battle, 2-1. Again, when you accomplish all of those things in a game, particularly on your home field, you should come away with a victory.

Again though, a lack of focus and attention to detail led to another heartbreaking home loss. Nine penalties totaling 104 yards, 84 more yards than the 20 yards the Chargers (who committed only three penalties) were penalized more than wiped out the 82-yard rushing advantage the Giants held. And, no penalty was worse than the 10-yard holding call on right guard Chris Snee immediately after the Giants took over after an interception at the San Diego 4-yard line with a three-point lead and just 3:14 left in the game. Include the coaching staff in the blame for the bonehead miscues as well, for not going for the win and playing things much too conservatively, settling for a field goal after Snee drew the flag, only to lose on a Charger touchdown in the final half-minute.

If the Giants would have taken care of business in those two home games, their whole season would look drastically different today.

In lieu of their current four-game slide, the Giants would have simply split their past four games.

Rather than an uninspiring 2-2 home record in 2009, the Giants would be a perfect 4-0 at the Meadowlands.

Instead of third place in the NFC East, the Giants would be in first place.

And, in place of a 5-4 record and great playoff uncertainty, the Giants would be 7-2 and thinking about making a push for a home playoff game.

Perhaps it was to be expected given the Giants’ recent history. This is nevertheless, virtually the same team that went only 3-5 at home while winning eleven straight games away from Giants Stadium during their Super Bowl winning year just two seasons ago, and it’s the same team that earned the top seed and home field throughout last year’s playoffs, only to lose their lone postseason game -- where else -- at home last year.

As bleak as things seem right now for the Giants, knowing that no team which has gone through a four-game losing streak in a season has ever made a Super Bowl, it could be much worse.

The current wild-card picture reveals that Atlanta and Philadelphia, each 5-3 and just one-half game ahead of the Giants, are the only other non-division leaders besides New York with winning records in the NFC. And, the Giants play both of those teams at home, in addition to getting a home date with Dallas, which the Giants trail by 1½ games for the NFC East division lead.

Righting themselves at home can still solve a lot of problems for the Giants’ season even if they falter badly once or twice more on the road.

As tough as the overall remaining schedule is for New York in its final seven regular season games of 2009, even if the Giants have a road game or two as bad they had in New Orleans and Philadelphia, they can still achieve the goals they set out with when they were 5-0.

If the Giants can finally play a lot more crisp and sound football at home, as they should, with a bad Washington team left on the road, Big Blue could still realistically achieve a 10-6, or perhaps an 11-5 record, if they could also steal just one of the tougher games left on the road. There’s also the possibility that a normally tough road game at Minnesota may mean nothing to the Vikings in the final week of the season, which would make that road game a lot more winnable than it looks today. Those types of scenarios could very much have the Giants acting as the dangerous playoff team in January which most expected to see a lot more before New York’s current four-game losing streak.

To do that though, the Giants have to refrain from the types of costly mistakes which they should never make on a consistent basis, especially at Giants Stadium.

Thus, for the rest of their season, the Giants must remember that good behavior always starts at home.

Lou Dobbs makes mistake in resigning from CNN

Lou Dobbs, who's Couch Potato Conservative rants have been the occasional target of many a liberal blogger like myself, said yesterday that his Wednesday segment would be his last one. It was an abruptly delivered message without fanfare or joy, and all serious and unfortunate.

Lou Dobbs

Lou Dobbs made a massive mistake in leaving CNN.

From what I'm reading, Lou Dobbs departure was related to an event hosted by FAIR, or Federation for American Immigration Reform, on September 15th and 16th. FAIR, according to the Dallas Morning News' Lynn Woolley and confirmed here, has been branded a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Apparently Dobbs was to and did appear on the "radio row" of at this event, which caught the attention of Media Matters boss Eric Burns, who blasted Dobbs in a letter to CNN President John Klein you can see here.

Burns wrote:

“Mr. Dobbs represents an ongoing threat to CNN’s credibility as a serious news organization, in no small part because of his polemical coverage of immigration issues and his continued use of his CNN show to lend prominence to groups such as FAIR. The attention and legitimacy he gave to the “birther” movement — and CNN’s condoning of his actions — did real damage to that credibility. His participation in the upcoming FAIR rally would do further, serious damage. We urge you to finally acknowledge that Mr. Dobbs’ actions in this and other contexts are inconsistent with the reputation that CNN strives to maintain.”

Lou not only appeared at the FAIR event but continued to hammer away at the birther issue, which I have said seems to be the issue to heart by right-wing extremists and racists:



It's no secret that a number of powerful organizations were out to get Dobbs, and via websites like Drop Dobbs.com and Basta Dobbs.com crafted a well-orchestrated campaign to have him removed from CNN's prime time line up, even creating videos like the one below, that provide a visual list of Dobbs "history of hate":



Still, while Lou Dobbs was certainly annoying, he was starting to balance this rather nutty commentary with attention to some powerful issues like the declining middle class and the loss of jobs in America. Indeed, his most recent shows showed an adjustment of sorts in his message. So just as I was starting to think differently about him, Dobbs went and pulled the plug on himself.

What I can only conclude is that CNN's John Klein asked Dobbs to become more objective and Dobbs thought that was the last straw. Also, given that Dobbs show had taken a ratings dive, CNN saw Dobbs as expendable and they were right. No one's crying tears over his departure, including me.

I think,as much as I disliked Dobbs message, I wanted to believe there was a better person back there behind the screen and was willing to give him a chance if he just understood and appreciated and stopped how he was hurting the feelings of people of color.

But maybe he's not the person I thought he was.

Lou Dobbs will never see a platform like the one he had on CNN again unless he becomes more contemporary and stops acting like the angry old homeowner yelling "Get off my lawn!"

But I can't see Dobbs doing that. He blew it. He's gone.

Amazon Defense Coalition is foreign nonprofit corporation

Time again to expose real problems with the so-called Amazon Defense Coalition - which fails to sue Ecuador, or any other oil company save for one that's no longer there (Chevron) and regarding environmental damage in the Amazon River Delta - where it is an organization that's really just a front for a group of savvy trial lawyers to make a financial killing.

According to the work of blogger Bob McCarty and blogger Carter Wood, of Bob McCarty Writes and The Shop Floor respectively, the Amazon Defense Coalition is actually named "Frente de Defensa de la Amazonia" in Spanish, and was formed by lawyer Steve Donziger to file for personal injuries Donziger claims Ecuadorians suffered by Chevron / Texaco oil production activities that stopped in 1992.

Donziger formed the group in Ecuador, thus making it a foreign nonprofit. Moreover Ben Barnes, a powerful lobbyist who represents a number of American firms, including the law firm Kohn, Swift, and Graf, failed to mention he also provided services to ADC in his 2008 lobbying registration file, which you can see here.

But Barnes has another lobbying registration document (here) filed September 9, 2009, that listss "Frente" as his client, but at a New York City address of 245 W. 104th Street.

That listing just happens to match the address (again 245 W. 104th Street) used for a Federal Elections Commission Itemized Receipts form (here) completed by "Udall for Us All Committee", a group which McCarty says raised money for Democrat Tom Udall's U.S. Senate run in New Mexico.

The problem is that Barnes claimed not to represent a foreign company when Frente itself is just that.

Now, there's nothing wrong with having a foreign client, but listing that client with an American address raises a red flag. If Barnes is involved with any State Department issue that impacts Frente, he would have to recuse himself from that activity.

Stay tuned.

President Obama at Arlington National Cemetery

President Obama at Arlington National Cemetery

Yesterday, President Barack Obama made an abrupt change in his schedule and went over to Arlington National Cemetery to visit out fallen heros of wars past and present. Al Rogers over at The Daily Kos writes a moving blog post worth reading.

Sarah Palin on Oprah: Oprah gives video preview

The much-talked about, trashed, panned, hailed, and anticipated appearance of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin on Oprah is closer to its airdate, but the interview was actually done Wednesday, November 11th.

Oprah herself made this YouTube video explaining how Sarah Palin's visit went:



In it, Oprah says that "lot's of people didn't want her on; lots of people did. Lots of her supporters didn't think that she should come here, but she did. And we talked about everything. We talked about inside the campaign, about what it felt like when she first was asked to be vice president. We talked about Bristol. The pregnancy. We talked about Trig, her baby. We talked about (and here Oprah looks up at the camera) Levi Johnston. We talked about her marriage. We talked about everything."

The event airs Monday, November 16th 2009. In other words, this Monday, and perfectly timed with the release of her book "Going Rogue".

I still believe leaving politics was a terrible mistake for Governor Palin, but if she did so to be able to earn the multi-millions she's making from the book, I can understand. But President? No way, baby.

Taylor Swift warmed up for CMA to Timbaland's "Morning After Dark"

Taylor Swift and Timbaland

Just before Taylor Swift's record-setting night at the Country Music Awards, where she won four awards including CMA Entertainer of the Year, Taylor Swift tweeted this:

Getting all pumped up for the CMA's, blasting timbaland 'morning after dark' in the dressing room. PARTY!!
10:28 AM Nov 11th from Echofon

So Taylor Swift was gonna be the first one up and the last one out. (If you know the song.)

This may read as meaningless as first, until you consider that as far back as August of this year, Timbaland said he wanted to collaborate with the very same Taylor Swift.

Timbaland has made a name of collaborating with talented artists, but lately he's aimed squarely at the young female demographic, having just completed a collaboration with Miley Cyrus called We Belong to the Music scheduled for release as part of his album Shock Value 2 December 8th.

No word, as of this writing, on when a Taylor Swift / Timbaland team-up will happen but if Swift's listening to his new release and tweeting about it, that's a sign she's certainly open to the idea!

Oh, and if you're wondering what the lyrics are to Morning After Dark:

Hello Mr. Mosley
I’m glad you’re my maker
My Loyalty lies in your hands, you’re my breath taker
Your body, your kiss is in unknown demand
So take command, go Timbo

I be the same when it all goes up
I be the same when it all goes down
Not the first one, open it up
I be the last one closin it out
Don’t know if I’ll give you a shot yet
Lil Mama I’m peepin your style
Do I think you’re dope enough, yup
One way of findin it out
The way you came at me, boo
Don’t care, not afraid I’m like Wild
Really want it from head to toe
Question if she gon let it out
Anyway the hour glass go
I don’t worry anyhow
Why don’t we see where it go
Let’s figure it out

[Chorus]
When the cats come out the bats come out to playy Yeahh
In the morning after
The dawn is here, be gone be on your wayy Yeahh
In the morning after
When the cats come out the bats come out to playy Yeahh
In the morning after
The dawn is here, be gone be on your wayy Yeahh
In the morning after Dark

Owww, Oooohhh Owww

Come on SoShy

[SoShy]
I got a little secret for ya
I never sleep when comes the night
But everytime I smack my fingers
I switch back into the light
My moon belong to your sun
Your fire is burning my mind
Is it love or is it lust
Something that I just can’t describe (ah)
Am I the one and only (ah)
Cause you’re the only one (ah)
It felt so long and lonely (ah)
Waiting for you to come
It’s lookin bright and early
I’m willing to close my eyes
This is the unusual story
Timbo and SoShy

Timbaland Morning After Dark lyrics found on http://www.directlyrics.com/timbaland-morning-after-dark-lyrics.html
[Chorus]
When the cats come out the bats come out to playy Yeahh
In the morning after
The dawn is here, be gone be on your wayy Yeahh
In the morning after
When the cats come out the bats come out to playy Yeahh
In the morning after
The dawn is here, be gone be on your wayy Yeahh
In the morning after Dark

Heyy, Heyy, (ay) Heyy, Timbo!

You talk about takin it slow
I’m talkin about takin it Wild
Don’t wanna be too up front no
Baby you know it’s my style
I’m talkin about lightin it up
You talkin about dimmin it down
Don’t think about lettin it go
But I’ve never seen no king that bows
Yes I’m the one and only
You know I see right through ya
I get it your magnetic
So you draw me right to ya
Maybe I give you a shot yup
Maybe you deserve the crown
Won’t give you a treasure map yet
Cause you’ll figure it out

[Chorus]
When the cats come out the bats come out to playy Yeahh
In the morning after
The dawn is here, be gone be on your wayy Yeahh
In the morning after
When the cats come out the bats come out to playy Yeahh
In the morning after
The dawn is here, be gone be on your wayy Yeahh
In the morning after Dark

Dark dark dark dark dark
In the morning after dark
Dark dark dark dark dark
In the morning after dark
Please don’t leave me girl
In the morning after dark
Please don’t leave me girl

(Please don’t leave me girl)

When the cats come out the bats come out to playy
When the cats come out the bats come out to playy
Play play
The dawn is here be on your way
When the cats come out the bats come out to playy
Play play play
The dawn is here be on your way (way way way way…)

Taylor Swift CMA entertainer of the year - she deserves it

Taylor Swift CMA entertainer of the year! Wow.

As I was in a YouTube Community Roundtable meeting, Taylor Swift was accepting an award she really deserves: CMA entertainer of the year, and winning four major awards in all, including Female Vocalist of The Year, Album of The Year (for Fearless), and Video of The Year (for Love Story).

Now given what I've written about her and the now famous Swastika photo incident, you may think I don't like Taylor Swift...

>

No. Taylor Swift's awesome.

As I've written before, Taylor Swift's voice is like a taste of Heaven. You Belong With Me is in my playlist right beside the classic Signed. Sealed. Delivered. by the President's Medal Award winning Stevie Wonder. I listen to both songs (and others) again and again. But when it comes to doing the Texas Two-Step, which I learned as an undergraduate at Texas-Arlington (my Master's Degree is from Berkeley), I'd have to pick You Belong With Me.

And I totally disagree with Wynona, who said:

"You want my honest comment? It’s too much too soon. Time is God’s way of keeping everything from happening at once. It’s just too much of a good thing too soon."

I really don't think anyone has a set time that falls in line with a "norm". That Taylor Swift's 19 years old (soon to be 20) is meaningless to me. I'm proud of her. Some people marry early, others late, some never at all. Some entertainers peak early in life and stay there and remain a part of our lives for a lifetime. I think that person's Taylor Swift as much as it is Tiger Woods in Golf or LeBron James in the NBA. I really do.

That's the reason I was so hard on her for what some think was a small error in "that photo". Taylor's a public figure, and now a huge one. I want her to stay on top, much as I get the impression someone like Wynona will be waiting for her fall.

No.

Taylor Swift's had a magical, God-sent year. It started with the release of her album Fearless, which went Gold or Platinum in 16 countries, and continued with her MTV Video Music Awards "Best Female Video" win, and a massive PR boost courtesy of Kanye West, then it was the Swastika issue, which kept her name out there just as she waa preparing for hosting Saturday Night Live, which she hit out the park.

She did.

So now, after a phenomenal 2009, Taylor Swift's officially a mega-star. Here's to my prayer, my wish, that the stays that way without incident and understands her jobas a role model for young women.

Elizabeth Lambert is the modern female athlete

Elizabeth Lambert, who achieved Internet and now television fame by basically hitting, hair-pulling, and beating the tar out of BYU's women's soccer team, is the picture of the modern female athlete.

What?

Yes. And no, this is not an endorsement of her actions in any way, but given the attention she's gained from her dirty play, I think its important to now place Lambert in the appropriate social context. Elizabeth Lambert is the sum total of both positive and negative social change.

The making of Elizabeth Lambert started with the passage of Title IX, which opened the door for women to play sports and achieve a level of education equal to that of men. It was long overdue. Title IX's impact on American society can't be underscored: by giving women a sports outlet, it caused the reformation of what it means to be female.

Now, it's perfectly acceptable for a woman to be "tough" and have and show muscle. Even our first lady, Michelle Obama, is admired for her well-sculpted arms. But beyond looks, women in sports can copy not only the play of female athletes, but males players too.

Ask a WNBA player like Cappie Poindexter of the Phoenix Mercury and she'll tell you that NBA great Michael Jordan is her role model and the person she'd most like to play in a game of one-on-one basketball. In soccer, there was the dirty play of Marco Materazzi before we ever heard of Elizabeth Lambert.

The mainstreaming of women playing sports has also grew with the normalization of feminist culture. The idea of a woman as a "bitch", once thought undesirable, is now a magazine (which should be saved!), considered a complement, and used to identify a woman who's tough and would just as soon throw a punch as a man.

To me, there's nothing at all wrong with these developments and they've produced some of the most extraordinary and exciting female leaders of our time, today, from Hillary Clinton in politics to Serena Williams in tennis. No, one may not like what she said to that linesperson a few months ago, but no one can deny her expression of anger, fury, and raw power:



It's a display we're not used to seeing from a woman. But in 2009 it's far more commonplace. Is it bad? No. Is what Serena Williams, or to a much greater degree Elizabeth Lambert, a good example for female athletes to follow? Of course not. But that kind of decisive, forceful, determined person is what a leader makes and that's really the gift we all enjoy from the rise of women's sports.

Elizabeth Lambert is the modern female athlete.

Seven & Out – Week #9

Seven & Out – Week #9
By Michael – Louis Ingram-Director of Scouting/ Associate Editor-Football Reporters Online
FRO/BASN
 
PHILADELPHIA (FRO/BASN): The weeks keep tickin’ and some teams take a lickin’; but as we pass the half-way mark with Week 9, the spin is as predictable as the bones hittin’ the back of the crap table.
 
Alright – new shooter comin’ out…
 
 
The INDIANAPOLIS COLTS defeated the Houston Texans 20-17 and have won a franchise-record 17 consecutive regular-season games dating back to 2008.  The Colts are now tied with the 1933-34 Chicago Bears for the third-longest such streak in NFL history.
 
 
(And still no mention of the great job Head Coach Jim Caldwell is doing with a battered secondary; news flash: Black people can coach, too – but don’t call them ‘geniuses’ – that’s too close to acknowledging them as being human; you can use the euphemism you like when you think Black folks wanna be like you – “gifted”).
 
 
New England wide receiver RANDY MOSS had six catches for 147 yards with one touchdown in the Patriots’ 27-17 win over Miami.  Moss, who now has 140 career touchdown receptions, tied Buffalo’s TERRELL OWENS for second-most all-time.  JERRY RICE holds the NFL record with 197 career touchdown receptions.
 
 
(Congratulations to Randy Moss! The man everyone wanted to label as a malcontent has strolled his way into a tie with another cat who drums to a different beat in Terrell Owens. From a drummer’s standpoint, it’s like listening to Art Blakey, then Diamond Williams; and it’s no surprise both men excel in their profession because they do the work – fuck that ‘gifted’ bullshit – and both got there with years to spare on the great Mr. Rice.
 
Now given this magic number, the ticket should already be punched to Canton’s Hall of Fame for both players – but when I hear a bitch – ass like Skip Bayless say Terrell Owens doesn’t belong in the Hall, it sickens me because we know the politics and dehumanization on Black athletes done in the name of “entertainment” by the Mouse and this mealy – mouthed muthafucka. That ain’t entertainment – and it ain’t funny, you scumbag!)
 
 
Tampa Bay cornerback RONDE BARBER registered his 13th career return touchdown on a blocked punt in the Buccaneers’ 38-28 win over the Green Bay Packers.  Barber is now tied for the third-most return touchdowns all-time.  He trails only DEION SANDERS (19) and Pro Football Hall of Famer ROD WOODSON (17) for the most return touchdowns in NFL history.
 
 
(Barber has had a stellar career, and ironic as it was that the Bucs finally won their first game wearing the old “Creamsicle” jerseys, the recognition of their 1979 team and placement of Lee Roy Selmon’s #63 in their Ring of Honor made it evident that we should also see Barber’s #20 in that ring someday – along with Derrick Brooks’ #55, Richard “Batman” Wood’s #57, Ricky Bell’s #42 and Doug Williams’ #12).
 
 
Jacksonville wide receiver TORRY HOLT had four receptions in the Jaguars’ 24-21 win against the Kansas City Chiefs.  Holt, who has 902 career receptions in 166 games, ranks second in NFL history for the fewest number of games to reach 900 catches.  Holt trails only MARVIN HARRISON, who accomplished the feat in 149 games.
 
 
(Think about it – the Saint Louis Rams said this guy couldn’t play anymore…)
 
 
Indianapolis defensive end DWIGHT FREENEY registered 1.5 sacks in the Colts’ win over Houston.  Freeney has recorded a sack in each of the Colts’ first eight games of the season and tied teammate ROBERT MATHIS (eight games, 2005) for the longest such streak since the sack became an official statistic in 1982.
 
 
(With his speed and tenacity to get the quarterback, Freeney is a modern – day version of John Randle, sans excessive eyeblack…)   
 
 
In addition, Freeney has recorded a sack in nine consecutive games overall, tying him with Pro Football Hall of Famer BRUCE SMITH and KEVIN GREENE for the third-longest streak since 1982.
 
 
(The Pro Bowl is calling, Mr. Freeney – are you in?)
 
 
Green Bay running back AHMAN GREEN gained 45 rushing yards on six attempts in the Packers’ 38-28 loss at Tampa Bay.  Green, who now has 8,208 rushing yards with the Packers, surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer JIM TAYLOR (8,207) for the most rushing yards in franchise history.
 
 
(The NFL’s version of the Dark {and I do mean Dark} Knight has cranked out over 8,000 yards of turf justice against defenses; give well deserved props to the Packer organization for giving Green the chance to come back and break the record!)
 
 
New England quarterback TOM BRADY passed for 332 yards in the Patriots’ victory against Miami.  Brady recorded his 27th 300-yard passing game of his career, surpassing DREW BLEDSOE (26) for the most 300-yard games in franchise history.
 
(Given the 18 – 1 ChampionCheat season, it would be a good bet Brady won more of those games than Bledsoe did, so give Brady his due. Now if he would only stop cryin’ like a little beeyotch when someone breathes on him, we could really appreciate his talent!)
 
 
 
As always, gang – once the point’s established, throw a seven – you crap out!
 

 
mike@footballreportersonline.com
 
 

Chargers Shock Conservative Giants In Final Minute

Chargers Shock Conservative Giants In Final Minute
By Jon Wagner Sr. Writer at Large Football Reporters online

On a day when he moved into third place on the all-time New York Giants’ list for completions, Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning was ironically beaten by the quarterback who was involved in the trade that brought Manning to New York in the first place.

More than five years after being traded for Manning, San Diego quarterback Phillip Rivers, who was a Giant for all of about 45 minutes on Draft Day in 2004, directed a final minute, game-winning, 80-yard touchdown drive to beat the Giants, 21-20, at the Meadowlands on Sunday, in the first meeting between Manning and Rivers since their trade.

In their first trip back to the Meadowlands to play the Giants since December 23, 1995 (a 27-17 San Diego victory), the Chargers brought the nice San Diego weather with them on an uncharacteristically warm November day in New Jersey, and their recent stretch of hot play as well.

For at least one day, San Diego could definitely feel like they got the better of the deal, even though most football followers, even among those who either cover or root for the Giants, have ranked Rivers as slightly better than Manning to this point in their careers.

Entering Sunday’s showdown, Rivers’ had a better quarterback rating (93.4 to 77.1), completion percentage (61.9 percent to 56.1 percent), yards-per-game average (215.8 ypg to 203.4 ypg), and touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio (89:40 to 111:82).

However, most who feel that Rivers has been the more accomplished of the two passers, also agree that the Giants have had the biggest leg -- or with a quarterback comparison, the biggest arm –- up on the trade since Manning leads in the one statistical category which matters most: one Super Bowl victory (including a Super Bowl MVP) to no Super Bowls reached yet for Rivers.

On Sunday, the results were remarkably similar between the two quarterbacks who will always be associated with each other throughout the rest of their careers and whatever future legacies they leave behind.

Throwing for 215 yards on 33 attempts, Manning completed 25 passes, increasing his career total to 1,441, moving him past one former Giant (Charlie Conerly, 1,418 completions) and just six completions behind another -- Kerry Collins, who ranks second on the Giants' career completion list.

Rivers meanwhile, was about the same, going 24 for 36, for 209 yards.

Where they differed was that Manning did not turn the ball over, while Rivers threw two interceptions, but while Manning tossed a pair of touchdowns, Rivers threw touchdown passes on all three of San Diego’s scores.

In terms of just one game on Sunday, Rivers ultimately had the last laugh, and more importantly for both teams, the Chargers (5-3) and Giants are now going in opposite directions, with San Diego winning their past three games after a mediocre and inconsistent 2-3 start, while New York lost its fourth consecutive game after looking like an elite NFL team at 5-0. The Giants have already matched the total number of losses they had in 2008.
Perhaps expecting a Manning-Rivers back-and-forth shootout, the 78,774 fans in attendance witnessed a scoreless game after one quarter.

The Giants had a chance to strike early, but came away with no points after driving 68 yards on eleven plays, in 7:23, on the game’s opening possession, after holder Jeff Feagles couldn’t get a snap down on a 38-yard field goal attempt.
That play would come back to haunt the Giants in the one-point loss, and appropriately, Feagles’ fumble on the play was recovered by Chargers’ linebacker Shawne Merriman, who despite being suspended by the NFL for abusing steroids in 2006, is a three-time pro bowl selection after being selected by San Diego in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft using a draft pick that the Chargers acquired when they traded Rivers for Manning.
On the final play of the first quarter, Rivers threw just before pressure from the back side, from Giants’ linebacker Michael Boley (who returned from injury), and from defensive end Osi Umenyiora and linebacker Antonio Pierce, both up the middle, got to him, to complete a key 3rd-and-10 pass to tight end Antonio Gates (game-high 67 yards on 5 receptions) for a 19-yard play to the Giants’ 10-yard line.
That set up a Rivers 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who caused Giants starting left cornerback Corey Webster problems on several occasions during the game. Jackson’s catch gave the Chargers a 7-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter.
But, Manning went a perfect 9-for-9 to march the Giants right back on their longest drive (in terms of time) in over sixteen years, taking New York 79 yards on 16 plays in 10:35, to tie the game, 7-7, on a 6-yard touchdown pass with 4:20 left in the first half, to wide receiver Steve Smith, who led the Giants with eight catches for 57 yards.
The game remained tied until late in the third quarter, when Rivers took advantage of another short punt by Feagles, something which has seriously plagued the Giants while facing good opposing quarterbacks during their current losing streak.
After a 31-yard punt by Feagles, Rivers drove the Chargers 51 yards in on six plays in 3:03, to give his team a 14-7 lead on a 2-yard touchdown toss to tight end Kris Wilson, with 3:51 left in the third quarter. Webster helped set up the score, being called for pass interference in the end zone against Jackson, on a 29-yard heave by Rivers, who was hit as he threw.
Manning again responded though, taking the Giants 70 yards on 10 plays in 4:42, to set up a 38-yard field goal by kicker Lawrence Tynes, to cut the Chargers’ lead to 14-10 with 14:09 left in the game.
Then, after the Giants’ defense forced its only three-and-out of the game, New York got great field position at the San Diego 39-yard line after a 13-yard punt return by Domenik Hixon.
The Giants needed only six plays from there, to take a 17-14 lead with 8:58 remaining in the game, on an 8-yard Manning touchdown pass into the far left corner of the end zone to tight end Kevin Boss.
The defining moment of the game -- and depending on how things plays out over the next several weeks, maybe of the season -- then came for the Giants after both teams traded punts.
Taking over at the San Diego 21-yard line after a Feagles’ 46-yard punt out of bounds, Rivers, on first down, threw over the middle and was intercepted by cornerback Terrell Thomas at the Chargers’ 37-yard line. Thomas returned the ball 33 yards to the San Diego four-yard line, with just 3:14 left in the game.
If the Giants score there, as they should have, they likely win the game and have a much different outlook on their season right now.
Instead, New York went into ultra conservative mode, rather than attacking to try to win the game, partly because of a holding penalty on right guard Chris Snee which immediately pushed the ball back to the 14-yard line.
Manning then completed to wide receiver Hakeem Nicks for no gain. On second down, running back Brandon Jacobs ran up the middle for five yards to the Chargers’ 9-yard line. And, on 3rd-and-goal, the Giants again ran the same play, Jacobs for five yards up the middle, to the San Diego four-yard line.
All that did was set up a Tynes 22-yard field goal to put the Giants ahead 20-14, with 2:07 left in the game, giving a good quarterback like Rivers plenty of time to send New York to yet another defeat.
And that’s exactly what Rivers did, completing six of eight passes, taking the Chargers 80 yards to win the game. The game-winning drive was capped on the second touchdown catch by Jackson, this time on an 18-yard pass from Rivers with just 21 seconds left in the game.
On the play, Webster was again beaten by Jackson, but mostly because he never received help that should have been there. Cornerback Bruce Johnson was locked in on Gates, who running an inside route, and he never made a break to his left in time to give help to Webster who was watching Jackson run the outside fade route toward the far right corner of the end zone.

Rivers is simply too good for that without enough pressure on him, nor the help from Johnson on Jackson, Rivers easily went over the top of Webster leading Jackson for the game-winning score.

Ultimately, the Giants never got enough pressure on Rivers for most of the game, hitting him only five times, and because of that, their whole season is now under pressure.

Fittingly, it was Merriman who sacked Manning to end the game, preventing the Giants from getting off one last play from their own 29-yard line.

After the game, Rivers described his long-awaited initial meeting with Manning and the Giants, who are less than two years removed from a Super Bowl title as “A big emotional win.”

He added, “The link between me and Eli Is always going to be there. So yeah, it’s a little special. Any time you play against a team that won the Super Bowl, it’s fun. [The trade] didn’t weigh into my mind and my thinking, but I bet it was there.”

The same can be said for Manning and the Giants, who heading into their bye week on a four-game losing streak, have much greater concerns on their own minds, with their season slipping away.

Oscars gets record 20 films for "Animated Feature Film"; Pixar's "Up" favored

Remember the blog post I wrote about the The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' announced deadline for submission of entries for the category of "Animated Feature Film"? Well, today The Academy issued a release displaying those films that made the submission deadline, which was November 2:

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
Astro Boy
Battle for Terra
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
Disney's A Christmas Carol
The Dolphin - Story of a Dreamer
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Mary and Max
The Missing Lynx
Monsters vs. Aliens
9
Planet 51
Ponyo
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
A Town Called Panic
Up



That's 20 entries for just five nominations slots, making this a record number in Academy Awards' history according to Teni Melidonian of the AMPAS Communications Department. The last record year was 2002, when 17 films were submitted.

That year the nominees were Ice Age (20th Century Fox), Lilo & Stitch (Walt Disney Pictures), Spirited Away (Toho/Walt Disney Pictures), Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (DreamWorks SKG), and Mireille Soria * Treasure Planet (Walt Disney Pictures), with Spirited Away emerging at the winner.

This year, the favorite to take the award is Up by Disney with Emeryville-based Pixar studios.   Also in the list is my personal favorite  Monsters vs. Aliens by DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures.   

Of the list, seven films still have Academy-related work to do if they're to officially qualify for nomination: Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel,   The Dolphin – Story of a Dreamer,  Fantastic Mr. Fox,  Planet 51,  The Princess and the Frog, The Secret of Kells,  and  A Town Called Panic  have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying run, according to The Academy.  

Regarding the number of nominees, The Academy rules state that a maximum number of five can be selected if the total number of qualifying entries is over 16.  So if the seven films all make the LA screening requirements, expect to see five films nominated from this list.  

Now comes the exciting part: guessing which films will make the list.  If you have a strong idea and want it posted on my blog, send an email to zennie@zennie62.com or just list it in the comments section.  But if you send a relevant email I will respond to it.