Yamsi Ranch Blog

January 27, 2012

ferris bueller

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 9:23 am

Clever bit of advertiser legerdemain to enlist Matthew Broderick as a spokesman for a mystery product that will be unveiled during the Super Bowl XLVI telecast on Feb. 5.

The 10-second tease, released yesterday, shows Broderick opening the curtains of a very well-appointed suite to ask: “How can I handle work on a day like today?” The line, of course, is a slight revision of one of the most famous lines in movie history: “How can I possibly be expected to handle school on a day like this?”

But, no, no, noooo: Broderick is not reprising Ferris Bueller. He’s teasing a product that will get fuller ad exposure during the game. What product? Obviously, everyone has a guess. Mine: Obviously a high-end car. The website, Jalopnik, in fact, is reporting this morning that it’s a Honda.

The 10-second ad and, below that, some perspective (as if any is needed) on cars and how they are so essential to this classic:
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a 1986 American teen coming of age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes.

The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick), who decides to skip school and spend the day in downtown Chicago. Accompanied by his girlfriend Sloane Peterson (Mia Sara) and his best friend Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck), he creatively avoids his school’s Dean of Students Edward Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), his resentful sister Jeanie (Jennifer Grey), and his parents. During the film, Bueller frequently breaks the fourth wall by speaking directly to the camera to explain to the audience his techniques and thoughts.

Hughes wrote the screenplay in less than a week and shot the film—on a budget of $5.8 million—over several months in late 1985. Featuring many famous Chicago landmarks including the then Sears Tower and the Art Institute of Chicago, the film was Hughes’ love letter to the city: “I really wanted to capture as much of Chicago as I could. Not just in the architecture and landscape, but the spirit.”[2]

Released by Paramount Pictures on June 11, 1986, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off became one of the top grossing films of the year and was enthusiastically received by critics and audiences alike.
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Ferris and his friends arrive downtown and leave the Ferrari with two garage attendants, who drive off in it a short time later to take a joyride. Ferris, Sloane and Cameron enjoy many sights of the city, including a game at Wrigley Field, visits to the Sears Tower, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as well as taking part in the Von Steuben Day Parade, where Ferris lip-syncs to “Danke Schoen” and The Beatles’ version of “Twist and Shout” while riding on a parade float. Ferris even uses his ploys to pretend he is Abe Froman, the Sausage King of Chicago, to dine at an upscale restaurant, Chez Quis, while narrowly avoiding his father, who is on his way to lunch with business associates.

Meanwhile, Mr. Rooney goes off-campus to try to find Ferris, first at a local hangout, then at Ferris’s home. He tries to gain entry, but gets stuck in the mud and loses his shoe while being chased by the family’s dog. He eventually gains access, but Jeanie comes home, trying to find Ferris, and discovers Mr. Rooney in the kitchen, mistaking him for a burglar. She high-kicks him in the face, and runs upstairs to call the police. This forces Mr. Rooney to flee the scene, dropping his wallet in the process. When the police show up, they take Jeanie in for prank calling, and while at the police station, she talks to a drug addict (Charlie Sheen), who tells her that she needs to stop worrying so much about Ferris and more about herself. Jeanie becomes increasingly annoyed with the addict, but is found kissing him when her mother arrives to pick her up, upset at having to do so.

At the end of the day, Ferris and his friends retrieve the Ferrari, but discover on the way home that hundreds of miles have been added to the odometer. This sends Cameron into a panic; Ferris says to the audience, “This is where Cameron goes berserk” just before Cameron emits a scream of terror, fearing his father’s reaction. Cameron goes temporarily catatonic, and tries to drown himself in the neighbor’s pool, before Ferris saves him. After calming him down, Ferris comes up with a plan to run the car’s engine in reverse inside Cameron’s father’s hillside garage, hoping to undo the mileage on the odometer. When they realize this is not working, Cameron unleashes his pent-up anger against his father, kicking and damaging the front of the Ferrari. He realizes it is high time to stand up to his father and vows to accept the consequences of the damage he has done. He calms down and leans against the car, which is still running, in reverse gear, but it falls off the jack, races in reverse and crashes through the glass wall of the garage, landing in a ravine behind the house. Despite Ferris’ offer to take the blame, Cameron still plans to “take it” and admit his actions to his father.

Ferris walks Sloane home, before realizing he must get home within five minutes. He then races through the backyards of his neighborhood to get back home before his parents. Along the way, he has several close encounters with his family members driving home, but his parents do not notice him. When he arrives home, he is unable to find the house key under the doormat and instead finds Mr. Rooney with the key, saying “Looking for this?” Mr. Rooney then explains to Ferris how he has waited for this day and tells him to expect another year of high school. However, Jeanie finds the two, thanks Mr. Rooney for driving Ferris back from the hospital and shows him the wallet that he left behind when he broke in earlier, throwing it in the mud. Mr. Rooney gets attacked by the family’s dog, leaving Ferris with enough time to get back into bed just before his parents check on him.

As the credits are rolling, Mr. Rooney, in his disheveled state, is invited by a bus driver to hitch a ride back to school on a school bus as it drives students home. Later, at the end of the credits, Ferris emerges from the bathroom, speaking directly to the audience, “You’re still here? It’s over. Go home. Go!” before he turns around and goes into the bathroom again.
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republican debate

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 9:21 am

Republican presidential rivals Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich resume campaigning Friday after a contested, final debate where they tried to win over million-plus Latino voters in Florida.

Romney was the aggressor in the second debate in four days Thursday night, pressing Gingrich to apologize for an ad labeling him as anti-immigrant and calling the idea “repulsive.”

Both men arranged for appearances Friday in Miami with the Hispanic Leadership Network on the day after the debate. The state has roughly 1.5 million Hispanic voters, who figure to play prominently in next Tuesday’s Florida primary.

Immigration sparked the first clash Thursday night, moments after the debate opened, when Gingrich responded to a question by saying Romney was the most anti-immigrant of all four contenders on stage. “That’s simply inexcusable,” the former Massachusetts governor responded.

Gingrich fired back that Romney misled voters by running an ad accusing the former House speaker of once referring to Spanish as “the language of the ghetto.” Gingrich claimed he was referring to a multitude of languages, not just Spanish.

Romney initially said, “I doubt it’s mine,” but moderator Wolf Blitzer pointed out that Romney, at the ad’s conclusion, says he approved the message.

Best Pix of the Week

Gingrich rushed out an ad using debate footage that raised questions about Romney’s credibility, including his ownership of the language-driven commercial. “If we can’t trust Romney in a debate, how can we trust him in the White House,” a narrator says in the Gingrich ad.

The debate was the 19th since the race for the Republican nomination began last year, and came five days before the Florida primary. Opinion polls make the race a close one, showing a slight advantage for Romney, with two other contenders, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Texas Rep. Ron Paul far behind.

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“We’ve known for some time now that Mitt Romney will say anything to get elected — but tonight was truly a breathtaking display of dishonesty. After trying to cater to Hispanic voters this week, Romney kept up the doublespeak tonight — trying to downplay his extreme positions on immigration and acting as if he had never said that undocumented workers and their families should be rounded up and kicked out of America.

“Romney continues to try to have it both ways on every issue under the sun. Tonight, he lied about not voting for a Democrat if there was a Republican on the ballot — there was when he voted for Paul Tsongas in a Democratic primary in 1992 in the same election where President George H.W. Bush faced Pat Buchanan. He lied about never saying his Massachusetts health care plan was a model for the nation — the truth is that he’s often said it was. And tonight he even tried to distort the President’s strong record of commitment to Israel, claiming that President Obama has not addressed rocket attacks on Israel before the United Nations when in fact he explicitly did so — and when the President has actually visited Sderot and affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself.

“Tonight, Romney called his enormous personal wealth ‘an asset to help America.’ But there’s just one complication: he’s not investing in America. He has had millions in investments and accounts in infamous offshore tax havens — including the Cayman Islands and a Swiss bank account that his advisor closed down for fear it would be politically embarrassing. Those tax havens cost American taxpayers about $100 billion a year. And the hundreds of millions of dollars he raked in at Bain were made in part by laying off American workers and outsourcing their jobs to other countries.

“Mitt Romney must not realize we live in the age of Google, YouTube and DVR — because he literally shifts from one position to the next without any sense of restraint. It’s time for Romney to try something new and finally give the American people the straight answers they deserve — that’s certainly not what he offered on the debate stage tonight.”
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Celebrities Who Once Were Undocumented

With polls suggesting his South Carolina surge is stalling, Gingrich unleashed a particularly strong attack earlier in the day, much as he lashed out in Iowa when he rose in the polls, only to be knocked back by an onslaught of ads he was unable to counter effectively.

But he struggled to find an effective attack in the debate and was more often on the defensive.

Romney pounced when the topic turned to Gingrich’s proposal for a permanent American colony on the moon — an issue of particular interest to engineers and others who live on Florida’s famed Space Coast.

A career businessman before he became a politician, Romney said: “If I had a business executive come to me and say I want to spend a few hundred billion dollars to put a colony on the moon, I’d say, ‘You’re fired.’”

Gingrich tried to raise questions about Romney’s wealth and his investments. “I don’t know of any American president who’s had a Swiss bank account,” Gingrich said.

Romney replied that his investments were in a blind trust over which he had no control. “There’s nothing wrong with that,” declared Romney, who has estimated his wealth at as much as $250 million.

Earlier Thursday, it was disclosed that Romney and his wife, Ann Romney, failed to list an unknown amount of investment income from a variety of sources including a Swiss bank account on financial disclosure forms filed last year. His campaign said it was working to correct the omissions.

Gingrich also failed to report income from his 2010 tax return on his financial disclosure. The former Georgia congressman will amend his disclosure to show $252,500 in salary from one of his businesses, spokesman R.C. Hammond said.

Based on reporting by the Associated Press.

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The second Republican debate was held at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. It was broadcast live for 120 minutes on CNN, WMUR-TV, and CNN.com. Candidates making their first debate — Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney — joined Herman Cain, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum.[6]

Criteria for inclusion in the debate did not allow several other candidates, or potential candidates, to participate in the debate, including Buddy Roemer, Gary Johnson, and Fred Karger, who did not meet the polling criterion of at least 1% in 5 national polls.[6] Several other then-potential candidates, including Jon Huntsman, Rudy Giuliani, and Sarah Palin declined to participate in the debate.[6]

The debate was moderated by CNN anchor John King of John King, USA and featured several other CNN contributors.[7]

Following the debate, attention was drawn to Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who announced she had filed with the FEC to run for President during the debate.[8]

* Transcript from Chicago Sun-Times and CNN
* Complete video from CNN and DakotaVoice
* Washington Post Fact Check

[edit] August 11, 2011 – Ames, Iowa

The third Republican debate was held at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, sponsored by the Republican Party of Iowa, Fox News Channel, and The Washington Examiner. It was moderated by Bret Baier with questions from Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace and the Washington Examiner’s Byron York and Susan Ferrechio. Baier and Wallace were praised for their moderation of the debate.[9]

It was broadcast live for two hours on Fox News and FoxNews.com. Candidates participating in the debate included Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman Jr., who was making his first debate appearance. Criteria for inclusion in the debate did not allow several other candidates, or potential candidates, to participate in the debate, including Buddy Roemer, Gary Johnson, Thaddeus McCotter and Fred Karger, who did not meet the polling criterion of at least 1% in 5 national polls.

The debate was noted for the sparring between Bachmann and Pawlenty; Pawlenty criticized Bachmann for what he said was a lack of leadership, while Bachmann fired back that Pawlenty’s support for cap and trade legislation and the individual mandate while governor of Minnesota made his record look like President Obama’s.[10] Gingrich criticized Wallace by saying he was asking “gotcha questions” instead of legitimate questions.[10]

Romney responded to criticisms that “Romneycare” (Massachusetts health care reform) was like “Obamacare” (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) by using a states’ rights argument.[10] Santorum said same-sex marriage is not a state issue because the 10th Amendment “does not give states the right to trample over moral law.”[11] Romney agreed that it is a federal issue, reasoning that people move to different states and that marriage is a status, not an activity that takes place within the walls of a state.[11] Huntsman and Paul reiterated their support for civil unions.[11]

* Fox News Transcript, reprinted in the Los Angeles Times
* Complete video on RonPaul.com
* Washington Post Fact Check

[edit] September 7, 2011 – Simi Valley, California

The fourth Republican debate was held at Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, sponsored by NBC News and Politico (but broadcast by MSNBC). It was moderated by Brian Williams, and was notable for being the first to include Texas Governor Rick Perry, who attracted attention for stating his belief that “Social Security is a Ponzi scheme”; he was applauded by the audience for his record of having executed 234 death row inmates.

* Roll Call Transcript in the New York Times, apparently missing about 500 words[12]
* Pajamas Media Transcript
* Complete video from MSNBC via 2012PresidentialElectionNews.com, Vote4Paul2012, and PostingsPlus
* Washington Post Fact Check

[edit] September 12, 2011 – Tampa, Florida

The fifth Republican debate was held at Florida State Fair Grounds in Tampa, Florida, sponsored by CNN and Tea Party Express. It was moderated by Wolf Blitzer, and was notable for being the first Tea Party debate in history.[13] Rick Perry was booed by the audience for defending his use of an executive order to mandate young girls have the HPV vaccine. The debate also engendered controversy when Blitzer asked Ron Paul a hypothetical question about a young man who could afford health insurance but refused to purchase any and went into a coma. When Blitzer asked Paul “Congressman, are you saying that society should just let him die?”, a few audience members shouted “Yeah!”[14][15]

* CNN Transcript
* Complete video from CNN Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and DakotaVoice
* Washington Post Fact Check
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michael robinson

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 9:18 am

Burton Michael Robinson (born February 6, 1983) is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 4th round (100th overall) by the 49ers in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State.

He played quarterback and wide receiver in college at Penn State, leading the team to a Big Ten Conference title in 2005 and winning the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2005. He also won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten’s MVP.
STATE COLLEGE — Michael Robinson was tired. And nervous. And, obviously, very determined to be at the Bryce Jordan Center on a rainy Thursday afternoon in late January.

Robinson, one of the most popular, most significant players in the last decade of Penn State football, made an admirable choice earlier in the week.

His legendary college football coach, Joe Paterno, had passed away. He was in Hawaii at the Pro Bowl, having earned the invite after a terrific season as a Seattle Seahawks running back.

And his mind was elsewhere. So after Pro Bowl practice Wednesday, the 28-year-old Robinson headed home. To State College. To pay his respects to JoePa. He traveled some 11 hours in the air, and arrived three hours before Paterno’s memorial service at soldout Bryce Jordan was to begin.

He started his return trip to Hawaii later on Thursday. The Pro Bowl is Sunday.

When it was time for Robinson, the former PSU QB-RB-WR, to speak, the man they call “M-Rob” hit the mark, like he did during his year of quarterbacking the Nittany Lions to an 11-1 season and a Big Ten title in 2005.

M-Rob struggled to contain his emotions, saying early on, “This was so much easier when I did it in my head.’’

Many former players spoke Thursday. And there were hundreds in attendance.

All of the speeches — Todd Blackledge, Jimmy Cefalo, Charlie Pittman and current Lion Michael Mauti — were interesting and different.
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But Robinson made sure everyone remembered “the sharks.”

Paterno was fired by the university Board of Trustees on Nov. 9, an inglorious end to a memorable 46-year career.

But let’s not forget JoePa was living on borrowed time prior to the 2005 season, following a five-year run in which the Lions finished a combined 26-34. Dismal numbers, and PSU had won just seven games in 2003 and 2004.

PSU’s administration had seen enough after a 4-7 2004. Some prominent people visited with Paterno after the season, strongly suggesting that he retire.

Paterno backed them off, saying, in so many words, “Give me another year.”

One year.

There was no way Paterno would have survived another sub-.500 season.

Penn State responded with an 11-1 season in which it rallied to beat Northwestern on the road (34-29) in its Big Ten opener, hammered No. 18 Minnesota (44-14), subdued No. 6 Ohio State (17-10) in a Beaver Stadium thriller, wore down No. 14 Wisconsin 35-14 and then capped its season with a 26-23 overtime win over No. 22 Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

Given the results of the previous years, it was a dream season for PSU and Paterno, one that extended his coaching career into the 2011 season. Without that season, the coach never gets to the magic 400-win mark.

The talents on the PSU defense that season were impressive, beginning with linebacker Paul Posluszny and rush end Tamba Hali. But Paterno’s 2004 defense was pretty good, too.

No, I think the difference between 2004 and 2005 was really one player — Robinson.

Essentially a tailback playing quarterback, Robinson threw for 2,300 yards and 17 scores but supplemented those numbers with some amazing groundwork: 806 yards and 11 more TDs.

Even in PSU’s defeat, a 27-25 loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor, Robinson was money, totaling 302 yards of offense and two TDs. His 3-yard run with 1:53 left put the Lions up 25-21. Paterno’s vaunted D couldn’t hold the lead.

“He’s one of those guys that everybody has tremendous respect for,’’ Mauti said of M-Rob.

“He’s one of those legendary figures. … He’s a great player and a great person.’’

I think Michael Robinson saved JoePa from a much earlier exit, and the bond between those two grew over the years.

An emotional Robinson had to pause a couple of times during his speech. He touched on some key points. One of involved his lasting image of Paterno standing next to him after the Orange Bowl win, with Michael holding the O.B. trophy.

“I know he was thinking to all those people, to all those sharks who wanted to get him out, ‘Look at me now,’¤’’ Robinson said.

Robinson believed Paterno knew he was under major pressure to produce a winner in 2005 but never let it show.

It took some time for the player and the coach to connect. Michael was a ballyhooed QB recruit coming out of Richmond, Va., but had to wait until his fifth year to run the PSU offense. He also played QB and WR. He displayed a trait many college players today lack: patience.

Perhaps because he started to trust that Paterno would give him his chance.

“When I met Joe, something was different about him,’’ Robinson said.

“He didn’t lie to me. Not once.’’

Unlike other nameless Division I schools pursuing him, Robinson said Paterno did not offer him money or a free car.

Robinson’s wait was worth it. And so was his decision to head east from Hawaii.

“I wouldn’t be any other place in the world right now,’’ M-Rob said.
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Robinson attended Varina High School, where he was superb as a four-year starting quarterback. He was a two-time Associated Press first team All-State selection and a three-time member of the Richmond Times-Dispatch All-Metro team, Richmond Times-Dispatch Offensive Player of the Year and the district and regional Player of the Year.

Robinson led his team to four consecutive regional titles and two state runner-up finishes. He rushed for 3,046 yards on 371 carries, an impressive 8.2 average, and 37 touchdowns, while passing for 2,409 yards in his career.

As a senior, he accounted for a huge portion of the team’s total offense, passing for 1,056 yards and rushing for 1,281 and scored 15 touchdowns. He was two-year team captain, who totaled 211 career tackles, 18 interceptions and 13 sacks as a safety. He also participated in the sprints for the track and field squad.
In 2002, Robinson shifted around the offensive set from quarterback to running back, slot back and split end to utilize his talents. He showed great running ability and helped spark the diversified Penn State offense. He started at tailback against Michigan and at slot back against Auburn in the Capital One Bowl. Robinson was Penn State’s second leading rusher in 2002 with 263 yards and six touchdowns on 50 carries. He caught nine passes for 44 yards.

In 2003 with the Nittany Lions, Robinson started eight games—three at quarterback and five at tailback. He completed 62-of-138 passes for 892 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions and finished second on the team with 396 yards and three scores on 107 carries.

In 2004, Robinson again started eight games. He was second on the team with 33 receptions for 485 yards (14.7 avg) and three touchdowns. He completed 14-of-39 passes for 170 yards, a touchdown and five interceptions. He was third on the squad with 172 yards on 49 carries.

In 2005, Robinson compiled the best numbers of his college career. He was named Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Year by the league’s coaches and was a consensus second-team All-Big Ten choice. He was named to the Maxwell Award watch list and was a semi-finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, given to the nation’s top passer. He completed 162 of 311 passes (52.1%) for 2,350 yards, seventeen touchdowns and ten interceptions. His 2,350 passing yards at the time ranked fifth on the school season-record list, topped only by Zack Mills (2,417 in 2002), Tony Sacca (2,488 in 1991), Anthony Morelli (2,651 in 2007) and Kerry Collins (2,679 in 1994). He was second on the team with 163 carries for 806 yards (4.9 avg) and eleven touchdowns, becoming the first player in school history to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 500 yards in the same season. 806 yards set a school season-record for quarterbacks and became the first quarterback in Penn State history to run for at least ten touchdowns in a season. His 28 touchdowns (17 passing, 11 rushing) was one shy of the school season-record of 29 (26 rushing, 3 catching) by Lydell Mitchell in 1971. Robinson also became the first Nittany Lion to throw three touchdown passes in three separate games during the same season since Todd Blackledge in 1982.

Robinson captained the 2005 team that was one of Penn State’s most competitive teams in years, winning the Big Ten championship and the Orange Bowl. He finished 5th in Heisman voting.
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Robinson was drafted in the 4th round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers converted him into a running back. 49ers head coach Mike Nolan was immediately impressed with Robinson’s attitude and toughness during training camp. After a solid preseason, Robinson rose up to the number two running back position behind Frank Gore on the depth chart. After Robinson scored his first and second career touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in week 3, Mike Nolan indicated that he intended to use Robinson more often in goal line situations. Despite Nolan’s statement, Robinson’s playing time actually would decrease over the course of the season, and he did not score another touchdown. He finished the year with 38 carries for 116 yards, 9 receptions for 47 yards, and 2 touchdowns.

On February 28, 2008 the 49ers gave Robinson a 3-year contract extension.

Midway through the 2008 season, Robinson took over as the 49er’s starting fullback position after teammate Zak Keasey suffered a season ending tear in his biceps.
[edit] Seattle Seahawks

Robinson was released by San Francisco on September 3, 2010 at the end of the 2010 preseason. He was signed September 6, 2010, by the Seattle Seahawks at the urging of first-year assistant special teams coach and former 49ers player, Jeff Ulbrich, who had been Robinson’s teammate for the previous four seasons.[1]

On December 12, 2011, against the St. Louis Rams Michael returned his first career Special Teams Touchdown on a blocked punt.

On January 19, 2012, Robinson made his first career Pro Bowl as an alternate, replacing the injured John Kuhn.
[edit] Personal

Robinson earned a Bachelor of Arts in advertising/public relations from Penn State University in three years, graduating in December 2004, and earned a second B.A. in journalism in December 2005. He was named Academic All-Big Ten three times. He gained on-camera reporting experience covering Penn State basketball games and on CSTV’s “Penn State Primetime.”

During his rookie season in San Francisco, Robinson started his own sports talk show, “The Rookie Report,” which later evolved into “The Robinson Report”. During the 2011 NFL lockout, Mike decided to bring back the show, this time as “The Real Robinson Report”, taking his show beyond just the locker room. “The Real Robinson Report” features professional athletes and sports fans alike. Notable guests include Donovan McNabb, Darrelle Revis, Amare Stoudemire, Nikolai Khabibulin, and Tim Hightower. The show’s slogan is “By Athletes For The Fans”.

On January 26, 2012, Robinson spoke eloquently at the public memorial service for Joe Paterno.
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In the print TIME magazine out now, I review (subscription required) David Milch and Michael Mann’s new HBO series Luck, which debuts Sunday and which I loved. Eventually. Yes, this is another critic flogging a cable drama by saying “It’s really good, but give it a few episodes.” And I’ll throw in another caveat—this is not a show for everyone, not even every fan of other HBO dramas.

epstein welcome back star dies

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 9:15 am

(METUCHEN, N.J. ) — Robert Hegyes, the actor best known for playing Jewish Puerto Rican student Juan Epstein on the 1970s TV show “Welcome Back Kotter” has died. He was 60.The Flynn & Son Funeral Home in Fords, N.J., said it was informed of Hegyes’ death Thursday by the actor’s family.A spokesman at JFK Medical Center in Edison, N.J., told the Star-Ledger newspaper that Hegyes, of Metuchen, arrived at the hospital Thursday morning in full cardiac arrest and died.Hegyes was appearing on Broadway in 1975 when he auditioned for “Kotter,” a TV series about a teacher who returns to the inner-city New York school of his youth to teach a group of irreverent remedial students nicknamed the “Sweathogs.” They included the character Vinnie Barbarino, played by John Travolta.(LIST: See the 100 best TV shows of all time)The show’s theme song, performed by John Sebastian, became a pop hit.Hegyes also appeared on many other TV series, including “Cagney & Lacey.”He was born in Perth Amboy and grew up in Metuchen, the eldest child of a Hungarian father and Italian mother.He attended Rowan University, formerly Glassboro State College, in southern New Jersey, before heading to New York City after graduation. He returned to Rowan on several occasions to teach master classes in acting, a university spokesman said Thursday.

“He was a good friend to the university,” spokesman Joe Cardona said.Hegyes continued to act after “Kotter” and was a regular on “Cagney & Lacey.” He also guest-starred in shows including “Diagnosis Murder” and “The Drew Carey Show.”

On his website, Hegyes wrote that he was inspired by Chico Marx, whom he had played in a touring production of a show about the Marx Bros. He also recalled how his mother encouraged him to get involved in theater as a teen.
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pat sajak

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 9:13 am

Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak has said in a broadcast interview that he and fellow host Vanna White were drunk when they taped some early episodes of the show, but that he is too old for that now.

The 65-year-old Sajak made the revelation in an appearance earlier this week on cable network ESPN2′s show Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable.

“When I first started and was much younger and could tolerate those things, we had a different show then,” Sajak said in the broadcast interview.

Sajak explained that during the production of those Wheel of Fortune shows, he and co-host Vanna White would take two and a half-hour breaks while prizes were loaded onto the set in Burbank, Calif. So, they would go to a nearby restaurant and have “great margaritas,” he said.

“Vanna and I would go across and have two or three or six [margaritas], and then come and do the last shows and have trouble recognizing the alphabet,” Sajak said on the program.

Sajak further explained that he no longer mixes alcohol and his hosting duties.

“Now, if I were to inhale the cork [from] bottle of wine I would probably keel over, I’m getting a little older for this,” he said.

Sajak and White have hosted Wheel of Fortune since 1983.
Sajak won a contest on WLS radio’s Dick Biondi Show to be a guest teen deejay. While at Columbia College Chicago, his broadcasting instructor Al Parker told him that a local radio station (WEDC) was looking for a newsman. Sajak applied for the job and was hired to work from midnight to 6:00 AM. In 1968, Sajak joined the U.S. Army, and was sent to Vietnam, where he served as a disk jockey on Armed Forces Radio. In the early 1970s, he began DJ’ing at 50,000-watt WSM in Nashville; at the time WSM was playing pop music during the day, and Sajak was the 3:00–5:00pm afternoon personality. The radio station’s television sister, WSM-TV (now WSMV), brought Sajak on screen, first as a voiceover artist doing station identifications and anchoring the five-minute newscasts during NBC’s Today Show, then as a weekend and substitute weatherman, where he became acquainted with anchor Dan Miller. In 1977, KNBC-TV in Los Angeles was looking for a weatherman, and spotted Sajak working in Nashville. Sajak accepted KNBC’s request for him to be a full-time weatherman for the station.

In 1981, Merv Griffin asked Sajak if he would be interested in taking over the duties as host on Wheel of Fortune from Chuck Woolery. However, Fred Silverman, then president and CEO of NBC, rejected his hiring, claiming he was too local, and Griffin responded by imposing a moratorium on new tapings until Sajak was hired.[3] The issue became moot when Silverman was dismissed due to repeated programming failures and replaced by Brandon Tartikoff. Sajak, who had already hosted a few game show pilots, accepted the position. He hosted both the daytime (NBC) and syndicated evening versions of Wheel from 1983 to 1989, and continues to host the latter version as of January 2012.

Sajak had a small role as a Buffalo, New York newscaster in the 1982 comedy film Airplane II: The Sequel. When his late-night talk show on CBS premiered in January 1989, he left the daytime version of Wheel, and was replaced by former San Diego Chargers place-kicker Rolf Benirschke. Sajak appeared on Super Password several times from 1984–1989, as well as Password Plus in 1981, shortly before taking on hosting duties on Wheel. Other game shows on which Sajak guested were Dream House and Just Men!.

Sajak hosted a late-night talk show on CBS from January 9, 1989 – April 13, 1990. Dan Miller, Sajak’s old friend and former anchor at WSM-TV in Nashville, joined Sajak as his sidekick. He later became a frequent guest host for CNN’s Larry King Live, effective when King himself was unable to attend. Sajak also became a regular substitute host for Regis Philbin on the syndicated Live with Regis and Kelly.[4] Sajak also hosted a program, Pat Sajak Weekend, on the Fox News Channel in 2003.[5] More recently, he commenced to host The Pat Sajak Baseball Hour, a syndicated radio sports talk show.

Sajak is an External Director of conservative publishing house Eagle Publishing[6] and is on the Board of Trustees at Hillsdale College in southern Michigan, currently as vice chairman. He has written for Human Events and served on the Board of Directors for the Claremont Institute.

In 1983, Sajak appeared as Kevin Hathaway in the NBC daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives.

In 1993, Sajak appeared as himself on the popular children’s cartoon show Rugrats.[7]

In 1997, Sajak pulled an April Fool’s Day prank on fans when he and Vanna White were contestants on an edition of Wheel hosted by Alex Trebek. Both the winnings of Sajak and White were donated to charity (in this case, the American Heart Association and the Boy Scouts of America). In return, Sajak hosted a regular episode of Jeopardy! in place of Trebek. He would also appear at the beginning of a 2010 April Fool’s episode, along with Jeff Probst and Neil Patrick Harris.

In mid-November 2009, Sajak started as the national spokesperson for BigCityDeals.com which is now Voomerang.com.[8]

Sajak began writing for the National Review Online in 2010. In his first post, he questioned whether public employees should be allowed to vote on issues that would benefit them directly.[9][10]

Sajak is also the author of several puzzle games, the first and best-known of them being “Lucky Letters,” which debuted in 2007. The games are syndicated through Universal Uclick.[11]
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Sajak is divorced from his first wife, Sherrill, and married his second wife, Lesly Brown Sajak, a photographer, with whom he has a son, Patrick Michael James Sajak (born September 22, 1990) and a daughter, Maggie Marie Sajak (born January 5, 1995). The couple splits time between Severna Park, Maryland,[12] and Manhattan Beach, California.[13]

In 2005, Sajak became an investor in the Golden Baseball League, a professional, independent baseball league with teams in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Alberta, British Columbia, and Baja California.[14][15] During a guest appearance in the broadcast booth at a March 2011 Orioles – Red Sox spring training game,[citation needed] Sajak acknowledged that he had called some baseball games in the past.

Sajak is an active supporter of conservative political causes and has written a number of columns for the conservative magazine Human Events.[16] According to NEWSMEAT, Sajak has donated over $17,000 to candidates and election committees all associated with the Republican Party.[17] Sajak is also a regular poster and podcast participant on the conservative blog ricochet.com.[18] Sajak is featured at Mount Vernon, the residence of George Washington, where he stars in a brief film explaining to tourists the attractions of the museum.[19][20]

On an episode of Dan LeBatard is Highly Questionable, Sajak admitted to being drunk on some of the earlier Wheel of Fortune episodes. [21]
[edit] References

1. ^ “Pat Sajak Biography”. TV Guide. http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/pat-sajak/195266. Retrieved 2007-10-15.
2. ^ “Meet Pat Sajak”. patsajakgames.com. P.A.T. Productions and Uclick. http://www.patsajakgames.com/about/aboutpat.html. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
3. ^ Griffin, Merv. Merv: Making the Good Life Last. New York: Pocket Books, 2003, page 101
4. ^ Pat Sajak – IMDb
5. ^ Pat Sajak Weekend (TV Series 2003) – IMDb
6. ^ Regnery Publishing: “Eagle Publishing Corporate Information”
7. ^ “Rugrats Episodes for 1993″. rugratonline.com. Steve Mindykowski. http://www.rugratonline.com/rrep1993.htm#chuckie_is_rich. Retrieved October 28, 2009. “Pat Sajak appeared as himself in this episode as the presenter of the $10 million check, as well as endorser of the magazine contest.”
8. ^ “Up close with Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak”. abclocal.go.com. KGO-TV. November 19, 2009. http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=view_from_the_bay/everything_else&id=7128311. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
9. ^ Sajak, Pat (October 13, 2010). “Public Employees and Elections: A Conflict of Interest?”. National Review Online. http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/249650/public-employees-and-elections-conflict-interest-pat-sajak.
10. ^ Amira, Dan (October 14, 2010). “Pat Sajak Should Stick to Telling People Which Letters Are in Certain Words and Phrases”. New York Magazine. http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/10/pat_sajak_should_stick_to_tell.html.
11. ^ PatSajakGames.com. Retrieved December 25, 2011.
12. ^ Pat Sajak’s House – Virtual Globetrotting
13. ^ Manhattan Beach CA Off-Market Property Listings
14. ^ Golden Baseball League Ownership Group (Biographies)
15. ^ Vanna gives us letters, but Sajak gives us baseball![dead link] (GBL Medford website, August 28, 2008)
16. ^ A list of culumns by Pat Sajak online at Human Events magazine
17. ^ NEWSMEAT ▷ Pat Sajak’s Federal Campaign Contribution Report
18. ^ Pat Sajak – Ricochet.com
19. ^ Trescott, Jacqueline (October 24, 2006). “Fleshing Out a Founding Father”. The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/23/AR2006102301359.html.
20. ^ Trescott, Jacqueline (November 5, 2006). “George Washington: Surveyor, slave owner, soldier / New Mount Vernon exhibits reveal more facets of president”. San Francisco Chronicle. http://articles.sfgate.com/2006-11-05/travel/17320447_1_dental-history-washington-s-military-career-revolutionary-war.
21. ^ “DLHQ Pat Sajak Interview 1/24″. Dan LeBatard is Highly Questionable. January 24, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nct34hSkIPQ&feature=player_embedded#. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
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welcome back kotter

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 9:11 am

Robert Hegyes who played a Jewish Puerto Rican student Juan Epstein on “Welcome Back Kotter” in 1970 died on Thursday morning. Robert Hegyes was taken to the JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey in an ambulance from his home in Metuchen, New Jersey due to chest pains. By the time they arrived at the hospital, Robert Hegyes was in full cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead shortly after getting to the hospital. “Welcome Back Kotter” star, Robert Hegyes, was 60-years old.

Brother, Mark Hegyes from Montant, told The Star-Ledger that Robert had suffered a heart attack a couple of years ago and was not in good health.

Steven Weiss, spokesperson for Hegyes says the ambulance arrived at Robert Hegyes home at 9:02 a.m. Thursday, January 26, 2012 due to a 911 call saying he was experiencing chest pains. He was taken to JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey and when they arrived at 9:40 a.m., he was pronounced dead in the emergency room by doctors.
“Welcome Back Kotter” ran on ABC from September 9, 1975 to June 8, 1979. Featuring “Welcome Back Kotter” cast members like, Gabe Kaplan who played Gabe Kotter; Marcia Strassman who played Julie Kotter, Gabe’s wife in the sitcom. John Sylvester White played the vice-principal of Buchanan High as Mr. Michael Woodman. A very young John Travolta played an Italian-American, Vincent “Vinnie” Barbarino, who was a cocky heartthrob of the Sweathogs. Ron Palillo played Arnold Horshack who was the clown of the Sweathogs. Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs played Freddie “Boom Boom” Percy Washington who was an African-Amercian and was known for played basketball. Then you have Robert Hegyes who played Juan Luis Pedro Felipo de Huevos Epstein who was a very proud Puerto Rican Jew.

Robert Hegyes went to Rowan University, formerly known as Glassboro State College, in southern New Jersey. After graduation he headed to New York City. He starred in a Broadway show called “Don’t Call Back” that played at Helen Hayes Theater. Aside from “Welcome Back Kotter,” Robert Hegyes had roles in a few other TV sitcoms like, “Cagney & Lacey,” “Law & Order,” “For Lovers Only.” He also had guest starred in a few other TV sitcoms, “Saturday Night Live,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “News Radio,” “The Steve Harvey Show,” “Suddenly Susan,” and “Diagnosis Murder.”

His brother Mark Hegyes said, “He always had these great schemes, but last week he said I’m not going to do that anymore.”

Hegyes leaves behind three siblings, two children, Cassie and Mack, and two step-children, Sophia and Alex.

Visitation will be at Flynn & Son Funeral Home at 23 Ford Ave., Fords, on Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The funeral will take place during the evening visiting hours.
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The show starred comedian Gabe Kaplan as the title character Gabe Kotter, a wisecracking teacher who returns to his high school alma mater—the fictional James Buchanan High in Brooklyn, New York—to teach an often unruly group of remedial wiseguys known as the “Sweathogs.” (The nickname reflected the fact that the remedial classes were held on the very top floor of the high school.) The school was based on New Utrecht High School[1] which was used in the opening credits, and also the high school that Kaplan attended. The school’s principal was perpetually absent, while the uptight vice principal Michael Woodman (John Sylvester White) dismissed the Sweathogs as worthless hoodlums and only expected Kotter to attempt to control them until they inevitably dropped out.

However, Kotter had attended the same remedial classes when he himself was a student at Buchanan and was a founding member of the Sweathogs. Recognizing that he was his students’ last chance to learn enough to survive beyond school, he soon befriended them while they learned to recognize and appreciate his commitment and faith in their potential. His devotion to the class was such that his students often visited his Bensonhurst apartment, sometimes to the chagrin of his wife, Julie (Marcia Strassman).
Most of the major characters of Welcome Back, Kotter were based on people from Kaplan’s teen years as a remedial high school student in Brooklyn. As a stand-up comic, one of Kaplan’s most popular routines was “Holes and Mellow Rolls”, in which he talked in depth about his former classmates. The names of three of the four major characters in Holes and Mellow Rolls were changed for the television series: “Vinnie Barbarino” was inspired by Eddie Lecarri; “Freddie ‘Boom Boom’ Washington” was inspired by Freddie “Furdy” Peyton; and “Juan Epstein” was partially inspired by Epstein “The Animal”; only “Arnold Horshack’s” name remained unchanged.
A facetious but well-meaning teacher who returns to Buchanan High, his alma mater, after ten years, to teach a group of remedial students known as the Sweathogs. Being a founding member of the original Sweathogs, Kotter has a special affinity for the potential of these supposedly “unteachable” students. His first day on the job he launches into a Groucho Marx impersonation. Kotter is married to Julie, with whom he eventually has twin girls (Robin and Rachel). When Buchanan High principal John Lazarus retires, Kotter becomes the vice-principal, though maintaining some teaching duties. He teaches Social Studies, and frequently role-plays events to the class. It was mentioned by Julie in the episode “Follow the Leader (part 1)” that Gabe is Jewish.
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Kotter’s catchphrase(s)

* “Did I ever tell you about… (Varying relatives, usually an uncle)?”
(early on, Kotter usually said this only to Julie, but it was later incorporated into conversations with other characters at the beginning and the end of a given episode. As episodes went on, the ‘opening joke’ dropped.)

[edit] Julie Kotter

(Marcia Strassman)
Gabe’s wife and closest friend. Though she has a sense of humor, she often wishes Gabe would take matters more seriously. She is occasionally upset with the amount of time her husband spends with his students, and she is troubled that he allows them to visit their apartment regularly; in the two-part story arc “Follow the Leader” the Sweathogs’ constant intrusions led Julie to separate briefly from Gabe and even seriously consider divorce. Originally from Nebraska with a college degree in anthropology, Julie eventually became a secretary, and later a substitute teacher at Buchanan after Gabe’s promotion to vice-principal. She makes several references to her “world famous tuna casserole”, a common meal at the Kotter dinner table, which Gabe (and the Sweathogs) dislike.

Gabe: “Did I ever tell you about….”)
Julie: ” No, but you will.”

Julie (to Gabe): You love my tuna casserole.
Gabe: No! You love your tuna casserole! Nobody puts prunes in a tuna casserole!
[edit] Mr. (Michael) Woodman

(John Sylvester White)
The curmudgeonly vice-principal (and later principal) of Buchanan High. He makes no secret of his dislike for the Sweathogs, whom he considers the bottom of the social register at his school. He refers to non-Sweathogs as “real” students. When Kotter was a student at Buchanan, Woodman taught Social Studies, the same class Kotter returns to Buchanan to teach. His old age (and sometimes his diminutive height) are common jokes with the Sweathogs. Woodman was totally against Kotter’s unorthodox teaching methods (though as the series progressed, he began to tolerate them marginally), and at one point even put Kotter in front of the school’s review board in an unsuccessful attempt to get him fired. Nonetheless, in the season one episode No More Mr. Nice Guy, Woodman is shown to be a gifted teacher, willing to wear historic costumes and role-play in front of the class during his lessons.

Woodman’s catchphrases

* “You’re Nuts!”
* “Nutsy Cuckoo!”
(Often used to describe Kotter’s class, Kotter’s teaching methods, and sometimes Kotter himself.)
* “They’re not people!”
(Another way he used to describe the Sweathogs.)

[edit] Vincent “Vinnie” Barbarino

(John Travolta)
A cocky Italian-American, and “unofficial official” leader and resident heartthrob of the Sweathogs. Barbarino’s prowess with women was a source of envy (and more often amusement) among his classmates. On occasion he would break out in song of his last name sung to the tune of The Regents’ classic, “Barbara Ann”. He was the first of the Sweathogs to move out on his own when he got a job as a hospital orderly. In the first episode of the series and fourth season, he has a girlfriend, Sally. Vinnie is Catholic (often quoting his mother as a saint), and as shown in “I’m Having Their Baby”, is a Star Trek fan. Little is known about Vinnie’s life at home other than his parents argue a lot (”Follow the Leader (part 2)”), his mother’s name is Margie (”The Great Debate”), and he shares a bed with his brother. The episode “Don’t Come Up And See Me Sometime” implied that Vinnie is the older of the two.

Vinnie’s catchphrases

* “Up your nose with a rubber hose!”
(Barbarino was the first in the series to rank somebody. In later episodes, other body parts and objects whose names rhymed were incorporated into the rank. For example, “Up your gizzard with a rubber lizard!” was used by Washington in a later episode.) The so-called art of ranking was immortalized in song in 1976 performed by Gabe Kaplan. The song, “Up Your Nose”, did not get very far as it highly dated itself by making numerous contemporary references– CB Radios, The Gong Show, singing cat commercials, et al.).

* “Wah-ha-ha-ha-howwww…”
(Whenever he becomes love-stricken)
* “What?” “Where?” “Why?”
(Usually to feign ignorance when accused of something or asked to do something he’s not ready to do)
* “I’m so con-fused!” (Usually over-dramatized)
* “I’m Vinnie Barbarino!” (Also over-dramatized, usually when a girl snubs or spurns him)

[edit] Arnold Horshack

(Ron Palillo)
The class clown of the Sweathogs, completely comfortable with his oddball, if innocent personality. Horshack was known for his unique observations and his wheezing laugh, similar to that of a hyena. It is possible that academically he is the smartest Sweathog. He was the only one of the central Sweathogs to be promoted out of remedial academics class, but he soon returned after feeling out of place. He has an affection for acting and enjoys old movies, particularly 1930s musicals. He eventually married Mary Johnson, a co-worker and fellow Sweathog. Although his surname sounds like a term for a brothel, he claimed it’s a “very old and respected name” meaning “the cattle are dying.” His middle name (and his mother’s maiden name) is “Dingfelder.” [2]

Arnold’s catchphrases

* “Ooh-ooh-ooooh!”
(Used with raised hand when Arnold gets excited because he believes he knows an answer to Mr. Kotter’s question. The shout was an imitation of Joe E. Ross’s phrase from Car 54, Where Are You?.)
* “Hullo. (pause) How-wah-ya? (pause) I’m AHH-nol’d HOR-shaaaaack”
(How Arnold introduces himself)
* “That was ver-ry impressive, Mister Kotter-r-r!”
(How Arnold praises Mr. Kotter’s teaching, sometimes jokes.)
* “G’head, G’head! (Go ahead, go ahead)”

[edit] Freddie “Boom Boom” Percy Washington

(Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs)
The hip African-American known as the athletic Sweathog for his skills on the basketball court, Washington claimed his nickname came from his habit of “pretending to play the bass” and singing “Boom-boom-boom-boom!”. Though often the voice of reason among his classmates, Washington nonetheless was a willing participant in the Sweathogs’ various antics and pranks. Freddie also found success as a radio disc jockey along with another former Sweathog, Wally “The Wow” (played by George Carlin). At one point, Washington challenged Barbarino for leadership of the Sweathogs, and even replaced him for a time until they all reached a consensus that the Sweathogs did not really need a leader.

Washington had an older sister who got divorced twice while living in Vermont (”The Longest Weekend”), and a brother, Leroy, and in “The Great Debate” he is revealed to have another brother named Douglas; their father’s name is revealed to be Lincoln. Kotter would use his own past to bond with Freddie, as in addition to being a former Sweathog, he was a former star for Buchanan’s basketball team as well.

Washington’s catchphrases

* “Hi there.”
(His normal greeting, usually in a basso profondo voice)
* “My assignment? Yes, Mr. Kotter. I have my assignment. Unfortunately, I don’t have it here…han-n-dy-y…”
(Whenever he forgot his homework or failed to accomplish any given task)
* Hey, Mister Kot-taire (how he addresses Mr. Kotter)

[edit] Juan Luis Pedro Felipo de Huevos Epstein

(Robert Hegyes)
A fiercely proud Puerto Rican Jew (his father was Puerto Rican; his mother’s name was Bibbermann), and one of the toughest students at Buchanan High, despite his short stature. He normally walked with a tough-man strut, wore a red handkerchief hanging out of his right back pocket, and was voted “Most Likely to Take a Life” by his peers. In the season one episode, “One of Our Sweathogs Is Missing”, Epstein was shown to be the sixth child in his family, although his mother had ten, while in the episode “I’m Having Their Baby” he mentions that his mother gave birth eight times. The only names of his siblings mentioned in the show are two brothers, Pedro and Sanchez (”One of Our Sweathogs Is Missing”) and a younger sister, Carmen (”A Love Story”). Epstein’s toughness was downplayed later on, and became more of a wiseguy. He was also known to have a “buddy” relationship with Principal Lazarus as he often referred to him by his first name, Jack. On a few occasions, when Kotter would do his Groucho Marx impersonation, Epstein would jump in and impersonate Chico Marx or Harpo Marx. Epstein’s diminutive height and large hair are common jokes associated with him.
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Epstein’s catchphrase

* “Hey, Mr. Kotter, I got a note!”
(The phony notes, excusing Epstein from classes and other sundry functions, were always written by Epstein himself, though he claimed they were signed by, as written, “Epstein’s Mother.” Epstein would lip-synch the wording of the note while Kotter would read it aloud, usually proving the note was written by Epstein himself.)

[edit] Recurring characters
[edit] Rosalie “Hotsie” Totsie

(Debralee Scott)
The femme fatale purported to have put the “sweat” in Sweathog, though her reputation was largely exaggerated by the Sweathogs’ word of mouth. Her promiscuity was at least in part a reaction to the strict discipline enforced by her father, the Rev. Totsie. To restore her good name (and to prove a point), she fabricated a story about one of the Sweathogs getting her pregnant.

The sole female sweathog, she was a favorite amongst male viewers. The character was phased out of the series at the end of the first season (when Scott was picked to co-star in the syndicated Norman Lear comedy, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman), but she reprised her role in a 1978 episode, “The Return of Hotsie Totsie”, in which it was revealed that she dropped out of school because she became pregnant and had to become a stripper to support her infant child.
[edit] Judy Borden

(Helaine Lembeck)
A recurring non-Sweathog character in the earlier seasons, Borden is a Straight A student and editor of the Buchanan Bugle, the school newspaper. She was Barbarino’s tutor at one point. Despite her academic superiority, she can easily hold her own in a ranking contest with any Sweathog.

(from the episode “Sweatgate Scandal”)
Judy: I’m an honor student. In my whole life I’ve never even gotten a “B”.
Horshack: Neither have I.
[edit] Beauregarde “Beau” De LaBarre

(Stephen Shortridge)
Introduced as a regular character in the fourth and final season, Beau is a handsome, blond, silver-tongued southerner who transfers from New Orleans after being kicked out of several other schools. He ends up in Kotter’s class. The producers sought a heart throb that was not a direct knock-off of the “Italian-Stallion” trek that was permeating Hollywood in the mid 1970s. They wanted to retain female viewers, but avoid a Travolta clone. Beau’s first reaction to the term “Sweathog” is, “That sounds gross.” He seems to have a way with women, as shown in later episodes. One of his running jokes involved imparting whimsical sayings, such as one about how a real man never steps on a pregnant alligator.
[edit] Other recurring characters

* Vernee Watson as Verna Jean
* Susan Lanier as Bambi: Bambi was a female addition to the Sweathogs introduced mostly as eye candy.
* Charles Fleischer as Carvelli: Carvelli was introduced as a student foil to the Sweathogs in Season 4.
* Bob Harcum as Murray: Murray was Carvelli’s loyal, and extremely dim, sidekick.
* Dennis Bowen as Todd Ludlow: Todd was a nerdy academic high achiever.
* Geoffrey Stump as Kyle “the Heartbreaker” Lucas
* Irene Arranga as Mary Johnson: She later became Arnold Horshack’s wife.

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Welcome Back, Kotter’s first season was controversial.

* In Boston, the local ABC affiliate (WCVB-TV) initially refused to air the show. The city was going through a tumultuous school busing program to enforce racial ‘equality’ and the local affiliate felt Kotter’s fictional integrated classroom would only add fuel to the fire. However, the show became an early ratings success and the affiliate relented, picking it up from its fifth episode. (UHF station WSBK-TV Channel 38 picked up the first few episodes.)
* Teachers in other cities had concerns about how Kotter would be portrayed, so producers allowed a union representative on the set to ensure the show protected the image of those in the profession. Kaplan opposed the idea, at one point asking a reporter if there was a junkman on the set of Sanford and Son to protect the reputation of junkmen.
* There were also concerns that the show would glorify juvenile delinquency. These sentiments faded after the Sweathogs’ antics proved to be silly rather than criminal. Like Kaplan, Hegyes was a fan of the Marx Brothers. Hegyes claims that he suggested that the Sweathogs be modeled after the Marx Brothers in order to reduce tension.[1]

Ratings slipped in the third season. In an interview some years later, Kaplan attributed the decline to the age of the actors playing the Sweathogs (Palillo was 29, Hegyes was 28, Hilton-Jacobs was 27 and Travolta was 24), saying they were no longer believable as high school students. His idea was that to have Kotter join the faculty of a community college attended by the Sweathogs.[3] However, this storyline never materialized. In order to increase viewership, the Kotters had twin girls, but this didn’t prove to be enough to regain the show’s earlier momentum. The show introduced a female Sweathog, Angie Grabowski, played by future Playboy model Melonie Haller, but the character did not last.

Major changes took place in the fourth and final season.

* Shortly before the season began, the series was moved from its successful Thursday 8:00 time slot to Monday 8:00 to make way for the impending hit series Mork & Mindy.
* Travolta, who had already starred in box office hits such as Grease, Saturday Night Fever and Carrie, began to focus more time on his film career. He was featured in eight episodes and was billed a “special guest star.” It was Travolta’s phasing out from the storyline that was the primary contributor to the cancellation of the show itself.
* Mr. Woodman was promoted to Principal of the school (Principal Lazarus retired), and Kotter was promoted to Vice-Principal, and the show’s focus moved away from Kotter’s class.
* Behind-the-scenes disputes led to limited appearances by Kaplan. To help fill the voids, Stephen Shortridge joined the cast as smooth-talking Southerner Beau De LaBarre, and Kotter’s wife, Julie, became a secretary at the school.

[edit] Popularity

The show enjoyed ratings success during its first two seasons, spawning a host of merchandising tie-ins including lunch boxes, dolls, comic books, novels and even a board game (advertised as “The ‘Up Your Nose With A Rubber Hose’ Game” in a commercial with a class full of Sweathog look-alikes). The Sweathogs (or at least an impressionist’s version of them) even made a crossover appearance with characters from the Happy Days universe on one track (the disco-themed “Fonzarelli Slide”) of a 1976 TV-promoted oldies compilation album.

The TV characters’ signature lines became enormously popular catchphrases such as Barbarino’s “up your nose with a rubber hose” and Washington’s deep-voiced “hi there” and Horshack’s wheezing laugh. It wasn’t long before the previously unknown actors became hot commodities, particularly Travolta, the show’s breakout star.

January 26, 2012

chuck pagano

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 11:07 am

More Experience Than You Might Think

One of the concerns I’ve seen expressed in a variety of places is that Pagano has no head coaching experience. I see where that would be a concern, especially since the Colts are in tear-down mode right now.

Pagano, however, is nowhere near new to coaching. He spent 18 years in the college ranks and has held a number of coaching positions in the NFL, spending a total of 10 years with the Cleveland Browns, the Oakland Raiders, and the Ravens. The Ravens organization does a great job of listing all of Pagano’s successes in his bio. The short version: he has been successful for years and in multiple locations.
That’s also 10 more years of NFL experience than Jim Tressel has, for those Colts fans who are upset that the Sweater Vest won’t be patrolling the sidelines in 2012. Tressel is, indeed, a winner in college football, but so is Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban, Barry Switzer, Bobby Petrino, Dennis Erickson, Butch Davis, Mike Riley, Rich Brooks … Shall I continue?

From the Mouths of Players

The most important quality of a head coach, in my opinion, is his ability to lead, regardless of his resume. Pagano certainly gets a ringing endorsement from his Baltimore players.

In September, after the Ravens obliterated the Pittsburgh Steelers to open the 2011 season, linebacker Terrell Suggs said, “That guy Chuckie Pagano, man, he’s as smart as he is ruthless. I guarantee he’ll only be our defensive coordinator one year, because he’ll be a head coach somewhere next year.”

“He helped me with my mental preparation so much,” said safety Ed Reed, who Pagano also coached in college at Miami. “He always got me thinking what could be the next play or what could be the next thing that the offense does. He always kept me thinking ahead and what could possibly come next on the football field.”

“Both of them [referring to Pagano and New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan] are very fiery, and I think (there are) a lot of similarities because both are ‘player’ coaches,” said Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. “They really relate to their players and things like that. Both are very outgoing. I think Chuck is more settled when it comes to the outside world but to us, Chuck is Chuck. That’s what we appreciate, and that’s why we’re doing the things we are doing, because of the flexibility he gives us.”

“What makes him good? He relates to the players a whole lot,” Baltimore defensive end Cory Redding said. “He’s almost like a player in a D-coordinator’s position. The guy has so much fun with us. He treats you like more than a player. It’s like we’re his sons. He wants us to do well. He keeps it fresh. He knows everybody’s strengths and puts them in position to make plays.”

Former Ravens defensive back Samari Rolle has a lot of good things to say about Pagano, too.

It’s certainly hard to argue with the first-hand experiences of players of this caliber who are part of one of the best defenses in the league.

Our guys are excited about him, too. When asked by a fan on Twitter about what he thought of Pagano being hired as head coach, defensive end Robert Mathis responded, “I like it.”

That’s darn good to hear since Mathis is an unrestricted free agent, and I’d like to see him back in Indianapolis tearing things up with Dwight Freeney.

Change is Good
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‘ve also seen people express concern that Pagano favors a 3-4 defense, which is different than the 4-3 we’re used to here in Indianapolis. Change is not a four-letter word, especially in the case of the Colts defense. Indianapolis hasn’t exactly been known for its defense lately. It’s about time to try something new.

Which brings me to another complaint I’ve consistently read about Pagano: that he “inherited” the defense in Baltimore and doesn’t deserve much credit for his one-year stint as the Ravens’ defense coordinator.

Horse puckey.

Pagano was Baltimore’s secondary coach for three seasons before being promoted to defensive coordinator. That’s four years’ worth of working with the Ravens defense. That hardly qualifies as “inheriting” anything.

“Chuck has done a great job,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has said of Pagano. “Chuck is a great coach. It’s more of a peer relationship in a lot of ways at this level, and they’ve (coaches and players) done a great job working together. Chuck is a great example of that. Obviously, it’s been reflected in the way those guys have played.”

Time for a Fresh Start

Suggs describes Pagano as “smart,” “ruthless,” and “unorthodox.” Lewis calls him “very fiery.” Redding calls him “fresh.”

I, for one, have had quite enough of the deer-in-the-headlights look patented by Jim Caldwell during his tenure here in Indianapolis. I’m ready for a fresh, smart, ruthless, unorthodox, fiery approach to things. The Colts were an unmitigated disaster in 2011—a house of cards that came crashing down when a vertebra in Peyton Manning’s neck was yanked out from under it—and Caldwell came across as absolutely clueless as to what to do next. It doesn’t sound like we’re going to have that issue with Pagano.

I also like that there are no apparent ties between Pagano and new general manager Ryan Grigson. There’s no cronyism or good-ol’-boys network going on here. These are two independent minds who are here in Indianapolis to bring our Colts back to greatness.

Grigson, Pagano, and owner Jim Irsay now have a little over a month to figure out what to do about Manning, but the writing on the wall is that Manning is done playing for the Colts. Manning or no Manning, these Indianapolis Colts are going to look very different in 2012. Fans need to be patient and remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. This is a process, not a magic fix.

With Grigson—and now Pagano—in place, though, Colts fans should feel a lot of hope for the future.

The author is a resident of central Indiana and a longtime fan of the Colts. He is also a Featured Contributor in Sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. You can follow him on Twitter at @RedZoneWriting and on Facebook.

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morgellons

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 11:01 am

Morgellons disease – a creepy illness that leaves patients with painful lesions, gives them a feeling that bugs are crawling all over their body, and has them seeing colorful, threadlike fibers poking through their skin – isn’t infectious and probably isn’t caused by anything in the environment, according to the first government study of the condition.

Rather, Morgellons is likely to be a mental illness and should probably be treated with the same drug and psychiatric care that works for people who suffer delusions, researchers with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.

“There were some possibilities of what could be causing this, and we’ve taken a couple of the big ones off the table. That’s a really big step forward,” said Dr. Mark Eberhard, director of the CDC’s Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria and a lead investigator in the study.
Seeking acknowledgement

The study focused on patients in the Bay Area, where a cluster of Morgellons cases have been reported over the past several years. Patients all complained of the same strange, often horrifying symptoms, and they became increasingly angry and frustrated that physicians weren’t taking their condition seriously.

Just getting the research done was a major coup for Morgellons sufferers, who had been clamoring for a serious scientific study of their illness for years. But by ruling out infectious and environmental causes of the disease and suggesting it’s a delusional condition, the CDC report was disappointing, patients said Wednesday.

Most of them aren’t ready to accept that the mysterious illness that plagues them is all in their head.

“We just want to be acknowledged. This is not a delusion,” said Cindy Casey, 49, who worked as a nurse in a Bay Area intensive care unit for 16 years before she went on disability from Morgellons. She now lives in Texas, where she runs a foundation for Morgellons research.

“We would really love to understand the etiology and be able to hope for some kind of treatment,” Casey said. “A cure is really too much to ask for at this point, but to be able to manage the symptoms would be good.”

Casey said she suffers from lesions all over her body and a “popping and tingling” sensation, primarily in her legs. She itches all over, so badly that it’s painful and she has trouble sleeping, she said.

The symptoms can be so maddening, she said, that she has no doubt that many Morgellons patients come across as “crazy” to doctors – and it’s not surprising that she and others are labeled as delusional, she admits.
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We don’t really understand’

Dr. Raphael Stricker, a Lyme disease specialist who treats about 60 people in the Bay Area whom he says suffer from Morgellons, agreed that his patients often seem delusional. “If you had these fibers coming out of your skin, wouldn’t you go a little nuts?” he said.

But he’s convinced that Morgellons is not a mental illness and has done his own research to try to find a cause, or at least an explanation for the strange filaments he’s seen growing out of and under patients’ skin.

“I want to commend the CDC for doing this study and trying to get a handle on this disease, which has baffled many people and is a big problem,” Stricker said. “But the only thing it really tells us clearly is that we need to do more work, because we don’t really understand this disease.”

The CDC study focused on members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, using patient records to find people who suffered from symptoms commonly associated with Morgellons. They found 115 such patients, most of them middle-age white women. That worked out to about 4 cases per 100,000 Kaiser members, making the condition very rare, Eberhard said.

While there was no doubt that the patients were all sick, the cause of their illness was unclear, researchers found. More than two-thirds of patients reported chronic fatigue, and about 60 percent had cognitive problems, often related to memory or their ability to concentrate.
Fibers blamed on clothing

All of the patients had complained at least once of some kind of threadlike filament growing out of their skin. Most patients identified the filaments as fibers, but some referred to them as worms, “fuzz balls” or larvae. The CDC researchers examined filaments taken from 12 patients and found that they were most likely fibers that came from clothing and had stuck to the skin.

“Clearly these people have something that’s very impactful on their health,” Eberhard said. “But a number of those problems can be treated. We really think there’s the potential to significantly help a fair number of these folks.”

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Morgellons (also called Morgellons disease or Morgellons syndrome) is a name given in 2002 by stay-at-home-mom Mary Leitao[1] to a proposed condition characterized by a range of cutaneous (skin) symptoms including crawling, biting, and stinging sensations (formication); finding fibers on or under the skin; and persistent skin lesions (e.g., rashes or sores). Most doctors,[2] including dermatologists[3] and psychiatrists,[4] regard Morgellons as a manifestation of known medical conditions, including delusional parasitosis.[5][6][7]

Despite the lack of evidence that Morgellons is a novel or distinct condition and the absence of any agreed set of diagnostic symptoms,[8][not in citation given] the Morgellons Research Foundation and self-diagnosed Morgellons patients successfully lobbied members of Congress and the U.S. government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate the proposed condition.[2][9] The CDC researchers issued the results of their multi-year study in January, 2012, indicating that there were no disease organisms present in Morgellons patients, the fibers found were normal clothing fibers, and suggested that patients’ sensations were manifestations of “delusional infestation”
In 2001,[1][12] according to Mary Leitao, her then two-year-old son developed sores under his lip and began to complain of “bugs.”[13] Leitao, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and worked for five years at Boston hospitals as a lab technician before becoming a stay-at-home mother, says she examined the sores with her son’s toy microscope and discovered red, blue, black, and white fibers.[1][14][15] She states that she took her son to see at least eight different doctors who were unable to find any disease, allergy, or anything unusual about her son’s described symptoms. Fred Heldrich, a Johns Hopkins pediatrician with a reputation “for solving mystery cases,” examined Leitao’s son.[1] Heldrich found nothing abnormal about the boy’s skin, wrote to the referring physician that “Leitao would benefit from a psychiatric evaluation and support,” and registered his worry about Leitao’s “use” of her son.[1] Psychology Today reports that Leitao last consulted an unnamed Johns Hopkins infectious disease specialist who after reviewing her son’s records refused to see him, suggesting Leitao herself might suffer from “Munchausen’s by proxy, a psychiatric syndrome in which a parent pretends a child is sick or makes him sick to get attention from the medical system.”[15] This opinion of a potential psychological disorder, according to Leitao, was shared by several medical professionals she sought out:[16]

(Leitao) said she long ago grew accustomed to being doubted by doctors whenever she sought help for her son, who is now 7 and still suffering from recurring lesions. “They suggested that maybe I was neurotic,” Leitao said, “They said they were not interested in seeing him because I had Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.”[17]

Leitao says that her son developed more sores, and more fibers continued to poke out of them.[13][15] She and her husband, Edward Leitao, an internist with South Allegheny Internal Medicine in Pennsylvania, felt their son suffered from “something unknown.”[1] She chose the name Morgellons disease (with a hard g) from a description of an illness in the monograph A Letter to a Friend by Sir Thomas Browne, in 1690, wherein Browne describes several medical conditions in his experience, including “that endemial distemper of children in Languedoc, called the morgellons, wherein they critically break out with harsh hairs on their backs.”[15][18] There is no suggestion that the symptoms described by Browne are linked to the alleged modern cases.

Leitao started the Morgellons Research Foundation (MRF) in 2002 (informally) and as an official non-profit in 2004.[15][19] The MRF states on its website that its purpose is to raise awareness and funding for research into the proposed condition, described by the organization as a “poorly understood illness, which can be disfiguring and disabling.”[20] Leitao stated that she initially hoped to receive information from scientists or physicians who might understand the problem, but instead, thousands of others contacted her describing their sores and fibers, as well as neurological symptoms, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and other symptoms.[15] The MRF claims to have received self-identified reports of Morgellons from all 50 US states and 15 other countries, including Canada, the UK, Australia, and the Netherlands, and states that they have been contacted by over 12,000 families
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In May 2006, a CBS news segment on Morgellons aired in Southern California.[21] The same day the Los Angeles County Department of Health services issued a statement saying, “No credible medical or public health association has verified the existence or diagnosis of ‘Morgellons Disease’,” and “at this time there is no reason for individuals to panic over unsubstantiated reports of this disease.”[22] In June and July 2006 there were segments on CNN,[23] ABC’s Good Morning America,[24] and NBC’s The Today Show. In August 2006, a segment of the ABC show Medical Mysteries[13] was devoted to the subject. The disease was featured on ABC’s Nightline on January 16, 2008,[25] and as the cover story of the January 20, 2008 issue of the Washington Post Magazine.[26]

The first article to propose Morgellons as a new disease in a scientific journal was a review article co-authored by members of the MRF and published in 2006 by the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology.[27] An article in the San Francisco Chronicle reported, “There have been no clinical studies” (of Morgellons disease).[28] A New Scientist article in 2007 also covered the phenomenon noting that people are reporting similar symptoms in Europe and Australia.[29]

In an article published in The Los Angeles Times on April 22, 2010, singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell claimed to be a sufferer of the condition, stating:

“I have this weird, incurable disease that seems like it’s from outer space, but my health’s the best it’s been in a while, Two nights ago, I went out for the first time since Dec. 23: I don’t look so bad under incandescent light, but I look scary under daylight. Garbo and Dietrich hid away just because people became so upset watching them age, but this is worse. Fibers in a variety of colors protrude out of my skin like mushrooms after a rainstorm: they cannot be forensically identified as animal, vegetable or mineral. Morgellons is a slow, unpredictable killer — a terrorist disease: it will blow up one of your organs, leaving you in bed for a year. But I have a tremendous will to live: I’ve been through another pandemic — I’m a polio survivor, so I know how conservative the medical body can be. In America, the Morgellons is always diagnosed as “delusion of parasites,” and they send you to a psychiatrist. I’m actually trying to get out of the music business to battle for Morgellons sufferers to receive the credibility that’s owed to them.”[30]

On 13 June 2011, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s ‘Radio National’ broadcast The mystery of Morgellons with guests including the Mayo clinic’s Professor Mark Davis.[31]

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Billy Koch and his entire immediate family have been noted in the media to be sufferers.[32][33]
[edit] CDC investigation

Following a mailing campaign coordinated by the Morgellons Research Foundation in which self-described sufferers clicked on the foundation Web site and sent thousands of form letters to members of Congress, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) task force first met in June 2006.[2][34] In July 2006, Dan Rutz, MPH, a communications specialist for the CDC, said, “We’re not ready to concede there’s a new disease, but the volume of concern has stepped up because a lot of people are writing or calling their congressmen about it.”[35] By August 2006, the task force consisted of 12 people, including two pathologists, a toxicologist, an ethicist, a mental health expert and specialists in infectious, parasitic, environmental and chronic diseases.[36] In May 2007, KGW-TV Newschannel 8’s Laural Porter asked Rutz if he had any information about the nature of the fibers. At that time Rutz said, “None. We don’t know. We haven’t studied them in a lab yet. There is nothing to imply there is [an infectious process], but our mind is open to everything, including that remote possibility.”

In June 2007, the CDC opened a website on “Unexplained Dermopathy (aka ‘Morgellons’)”.[9] By November 2007, the CDC had announced an investigation process, stating that, “The primary goals of the investigation are to better describe the clinical and epidemiologic features of this condition and to generate hypotheses about possible risk factors.”[9] Kaiser Permanente in Northern California was chosen to assist with the investigation, which began after the scientific protocols and review board structure had been prepared and approved. Investigators planned to report on the geographic distribution of the illness, and estimate rates of illness in affected communities. The investigation involved skin biopsies from affected patients, and characterization of foreign material such as fibers or threads obtained from patients to determine their potential source.[9][37] In January 2008 it was reported that the CDC was enlisting the aid of the U.S. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and the American Academy of Dermatology “to conduct ‘immediate’ and ‘rigorous’ research.”[38]

On 4 November 2009, the CDC issued a preliminary report based on an external peer review of the project.[39] As of 24 March 2011 (2011 -03-24)[update] the CDC said “We recently completed the data analysis. A final report has been submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.”[40]

On 25 January 2012 the CDC released the results of the study finding no infectious or environmental links.[10][11] The study consisted of skin biopsies, blood tests, and interviews of over 100 Morgellons patients, and yielded no evidence of an infection (bacterial, fungal, or otherwise) or common environmental factor causing the problems.[10] Laboratory analysis of the threads found by participants revealed nothing unusual, but consisted of cotton and other materials likely to be found in clothing.[10] The researchers could not find any explanation for sensations participants reported under their skin and suggested these could be “delusional infestation,” wherein people falsely believe their bodies are being invaded by small organisms.[10][11] Various Morgellons groups responded to the results of the studies by saying it confirmed their expectations that the government-run study is trying to cover up larger issues.[11] Jan Smith, owner and operator of “Morgellons Exposed”, a site which hosts her theories of the cause or Morgellons including alien nano-technology implants, believed the problem was more than a medical condition and responded, “There’s something being hidden.”[11]
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Morgellons is not recognized as a unique disorder, so there is currently no list of symptoms or differential diagnosis for Morgellons that is generally accepted by the medical community. Patients usually self-diagnose based on media reports and the internet.

The 2007 Atlas of Human Parasitology covers the proposed condition in its section on “Pseudoparasites and Artifacts”:

Many dermatologists refute the suggestion that this is an actual disease but instead indicate that many of these patients have psychological problems or other common skin disorders. Given the large numbers of individuals who feel that they have this affliction, it will be most helpful over the coming years to have a valid scientific assessment of Morgellons disease and its possible etiology (or etiologies). One of the chief criticisms by many patients has been that they feel the medical community and other scientists consulted have not been open to the idea that there is possibly an as yet unidentified infectious or physiologic causation for the disease. However it is certainly true that many expert parasitologists, medical entomologists and other microbiologists have in fact carefully examined fibers and other materials expressed or extracted from such patients and found that biological organisms are not present. Although an apparent association of the condition with the presence of Lyme disease has been reported (Savely et al., 2006, Am J Clin Dermatol, 7:1–6), further research will be needed to help resolve the validity of Morgellons disease. Until then, whether Morgellons disease is another name for delusional parasitosis or a real disease entity with a biologic or physiologic basis will remain up in the air.[44]

The main purported symptom of Morgellons is “a fixed belief” that fibers are embedded in or extruding from the skin.[4] The Morgellons Research Foundation claims patients have reported additional—though unsubstantiated—symptoms,[45] including:

* formication, the sensation of insects “moving, stinging or biting” beneath the skin
* skin lesions, both spontaneous and self-inflicted
* musculoskeletal effects and pain, including joints, muscles, tendons and connective tissue
* disabling fatigue
* cognitive and emotional effects

William T. Harvey, director of the MRF medical advisory board, claimed in 2007 that Morgellons patients exhibit laboratory findings including increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, increased insulin, and antibodies to three bacterial pathogens, but did not provide evidence for these claims.[46] Many Morgellons patients have symptoms that are also consistent with chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and attention deficit disorder.[47] Rhonda Casey, chief of pediatrics at OSU Medical Center, while working with the OSU-CHS for the Investigation of Morgellons Disease, stated that her Morgellons patients looked ill with neurological symptoms, which included confusion, difficulty walking and controlling their feet (foot drop), and a sagging mouth when speaking.[15] The OSU-CHS has issued a list of symptoms similar to that of the MRF.[48]
[edit] Causes and pathophysiology
[edit] Delusional parasitosis and other neuropsychological disorders

Most dermatologists, psychiatrists, and other medical professionals view Morgellons as a new name for a well established condition, delusional parasitosis,[49] also known as “delusions of parasitosis” (DP or DOP) and Ekbom’s Syndrome: Morgellons is “a pattern of dermatologic symptoms very similar, if not identical, to those of delusions of parasitosis,”[49] and “the vast majority”[27] (elsewhere, 95%)[50] of Morgellons patients are diagnosed with delusional parasitosis or another psychosomatic illness. This explanation is, however, “unpopular among individuals identifying themselves as having Morgellons disease.”[51]

In delusional parasitosis, patients hold a delusional belief that they are infested with parasites. They may experience formication, a sensation similar to that of insects crawling on or under the skin. Individuals suffering from this condition may develop elaborate rituals of inspection and cleansing to locate and remove “parasites” and fibers, resulting in a form of self-mutilation; they injure themselves in attempts to be rid of the “parasites” by picking at the skin, causing lesions, and then pick at the lesions, preventing them from healing.[4] Patients with delusional parasitosis often present at the doctor’s office with what MDs term the “matchbox sign”[27][52] — a medical sign characterized by the patient making collections of fibers and other foreign objects supposedly retrieved from the skin[4] — and, because of “unshakeable delusional ideation”, strongly reject diagnoses that do not involve parasites.[27][53] A significant minority of DP cases occur in groups of two, three, or more individuals in close proximity, even families, known by the French terms folie à deux, folie à trois, and folie à famille.[27] Delusional parasitosis, with symptoms that have “extraordinary similarities” to Morgellons, has been described in the medical literature for over 75 years.[54] Dr. Noah Craft, a dermatologist at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, has seen a handful of Morgellons patients and biopsied their skin lesions, but found only normal skin and inflammation, as one would find in a bump that has been picked at.[15]

Some cases of delusional parasitosis have organic causes other than those associated with neurological/psychological conditions of unknown etiology. For example, formication, the sensation that bugs are crawling under one’s skin, can be caused by allergies, diabetic neuropathy, menopause, skin cancer, demodex mites, stimulant drug abuse or herpes zoster. Both dementia and mental retardation have been reported in association with DP.[55] Symptoms associated with delusional parasitosis, including urticaria (hives), paresthesia (unexplained tingling sensations in the skin), and pruritus are common side-effects of many prescription drugs or drug abuse.[56] The sensations are real, but the attribution of the sensations to unknown parasites and the collection of fibers is part of the delusion.

The MRF’s William Harvey has written that non-healing “Morgellons lesions” have been found on infants’ bodies in locations that the infants cannot themselves reach to scratch.[46]

Some cases of Morgellons have been diagnosed as “cutaneous dysaesthesia”
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Morgellons patients usually self-diagnose with the Internet and find support and confirmation in on-line communities of people with similar illness beliefs.[51][58][59] In 2006, Waddell and Burke reported the influence of the Internet on their self-diagnosed Morgellons patients: “physicians are becoming more and more challenged by the many persons who attempt self-diagnosis on-line. In many cases, these attempts are well-intentioned, yet wrong, and a patient’s belief in some of these oftentimes unscientific sites online may preclude their trust in the evidence-based approaches and treatment recommendations of their physician.”[60] Dermatologist Caroline Koblenzer specifically faults the MRF website for misleading patients: “Clearly, as more and more of our patients discover this site (MRF), there will be an ever greater waste of valuable time and resources on fruitless research into fibers, fluffs, irrelevant bacteria, and innocuous worms and insects.”[54] Vila-Rodriguez and MacEwan said in the American Journal of Psychiatry that the Internet is important in spreading and supporting “bizarre” disease beliefs, because “a belief is not considered delusional if it is accepted by other members of an individual’s culture or subculture.”[58]

The LA Times, in an article on Morgellons, notes that “(t)he recent upsurge in symptoms can be traced directly to the Internet, following the naming of the disease by Mary Leitao, a Pennsylvania mother.”[59] Robert Bartholomew, a sociologist who has studied the Morgellons phenomenon, states that the “World Wide Web has become the incubator for mass delusion and it (Morgellons) seems to be a socially transmitted disease over the Internet.” According to this hypothesis, patients with delusions of parasitosis and other psychological disorders become convinced they have “Morgellons” after reading internet accounts of others with similar symptoms.[61][62] A 2005 Popular Mechanics article stated that Morgellons symptoms are well-known and characterized in the context of other disorders, and that “widespread reports of the strange fibers date back” only a few years to when the MRF first described them on the Internet.[57]

The Dallas Observer writes that Morgellons may be spread via the Internet and mass media, and “(i)f this is the case, then Morgellons is one in a long line of weird diseases that have swept through populations, only to disappear without a trace once public concern subsides.”[19] The article draws parallels to several mass media-spread mass delusions. An article in the journal Psychosomatics in 2009 similarly asserts that Morgellons is an Internet meme.[63]

In 2008 the Washington Post Magazine reported that Internet discussions about Morgellons include many conspiracy theories about the cause, including biological warfare, nanotechnology, chemtrails and extraterrestrial life.[64]
[edit] Known skin conditions

Some cases of self-diagnosed Morgellons disease are actually other recognized skin disorders, including allergic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, idiopathic urticaria and infestation with the parasite scabies. There are also case reports of patients submitting self-dissected superficial nerves.[3] [54][65]
[edit] Hypotheses about the fibers

Randy Wymore, a former research director of the MRF and presently director of the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences’ Center for the Investigation of Morgellons Disease, claims that Morgellons patients have submitted masses of dark fibers visible at 60x magnification under the unbroken skin, while unaffected individuals do not.[3] Wymore sent samples of fibers, none of which collected by biopsy, to the Police Crime Lab in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for analysis. A forensic scientist at the Tulsa Police Crime Lab in Oklahoma searched the FBI’s national database, but the Morgellons sample did not match any known fiber in the database.[13] Lab director Mark Boese said the fibers were “consistent with something that the body may be producing,” adding, “These fibers cannot be manmade and do not come from a plant. This could be a byproduct of a biological organism.”[13]

Dermatologists say many fibers are from clothing embedded in self-imposed sores and the fibers patients bring in bags are textile in nature.[15][66] The fibers may also be peripheral nerve endings
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Many dermatologists treat Morgellons as delusional parasitosis. After a thorough medical examination to rule out known organic causes for the symptoms, delusional parasitosis patients are typically prescribed one of several typical antipsychotic drugs.[71][72] In the past, pimozide was the drug of choice; in addition to antipsychotic activity, it also has antipruritic activity, meaning it inhibits the sensation of itching.[73] However, pimozide requires frequent electrocardiographic monitoring.[72] Currently, atypical antipsychotics such as olanzapine or risperidone are used as first line treatment.[72] Antipsychotics are effective at treating delusional parasitosis at doses as low as one-fifth to one-tenth the dose typically prescribed for schizophrenia.[72] It is common for patients who believe they have Morgellons to reject a physician’s diagnosis of delusional parasitosis. It has been suggested that the term Morgellons should be adopted by dermatologists to enhance their rapport with their patients, allowing them to overcome this resistance.[74]
[edit] Treatment for infectious disease

People who say they have Morgellons frequently reject the diagnosis of delusional parasitosis,[57] “report that their symptoms are not taken seriously,”[27] and refuse psychotropic medicine. Randy Wymore, a former MRF director, has claimed on his website that some Morgellons patients who test positive for Lyme disease obtain symptom relief using aggressive, long-term antibiotic treatment similar to what is used by some doctors to treat “chronic” Lyme disease, another proposed but medically disputed condition.[75] Virginia Savely, a nurse with the MRF and member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), claims to have similar unpublished results.[27] The antibiotic treatment is not curative, because when it is discontinued, the symptoms return.[47] Dermatologists say that these positive effects of antibiotic use for some patients are likely the result of a placebo effect or anti-inflammatory actions of the drugs. They advise against prescribing antibiotics, which may reinforce the patients’ delusions instead of addressing what these doctors consider the core problem: delusional parasitosis.[49] In addition, long-term antibiotic use can have serious side effects.
[edit] Self-treatment

Persons with Morgellons symptoms may turn to alternative remedies described on web sites and discussion groups. Some treatments are dangerous, however, and have included the use of bleach, veterinary medicines intended for deworming horses, and industrial insecticides.[36]
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vanna white

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 10:53 am

Back in the day, Wheel of Fortune’s Pat Sajak used to host the beloved game show while drunk — and letter-turner Vanna White was three sheets to the wind, too — he admitted on talk show Dan Le Batard Is Highly Questionable.

PHOTOS: Reality TV shockers!

“When I first started and was much younger and could tolerate those things,” Sajak, now 65, explained. “We had a different show then.”

PHOTOS: Celeb meltdowns

Sajak began working on the show way back in 1981, and says he and White, 54, would hit a Mexican restaurant for dinner breaks — and muchos margaritas! — while filming.

“Vanna and I would go across and have two or three or six and then come and do the last shows and have trouble recognizing the alphabet,” he recalls. “They’re really great tapes to get a hold of,” Sajak said. “I had a great time. I have no idea if the shows were any good, but no one said anything, so I guess I did OK.”

PHOTOS: What?! Craziest celeb quotes ever

No more margaritas today, though. “I would hesitate to have anything to drink now,”" Sajak said.

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White’s first appearance in a game show was on the June 20, 1980 episode of The Price Is Right,[citation needed] in which she was among the first four contestants. She did not make it onstage, but the clip of her running to Contestants’ Row was rebroadcast as part of The Price Is Right 25th Anniversary Special in August 1996 and also was featured on the special broadcast Game Show Moments Gone Bananas. After Wheel of Fortune hostess Susan Stafford left in October 1982, White was chosen as one of three substitute hostesses (along with Vicki McCarty and Summer Bartholomew) to co-host the show. On December 13, 1982, White became the show’s regular hostess and remained as the show’s daytime hostess until 1991.

White’s popularity peaked after the syndicated version of Wheel of Fortune made its debut in September 1983, a role she has held ever since. Her 1987 autobiography, Vanna Speaks!, was a best-seller.[5] Also in 1987, she was featured in a Playboy pictorial, showing photos taken of her by her boyfriend (before her career on Wheel of Fortune) wearing see-through Josh Liebman brand lingerie.

In 1988, she appeared in the NBC television film Goddess of Love, in which she played Venus; fellow game-show personality Betsy Palmer co-starred as Juno. The film was panned universally by critics, with TV Guide joking that White’s acting was “wheely” bad. Film historian Leonard Maltin added that said picture was “…bottom-of-the-barrel yet, on its own terms, a must-see.”

White also has made cameo appearances on television shows such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, 227, Simon and Simon, and Full House; and in films such as Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult. She appeared in the supporting role of Doris in the low-budget B-Movie Graduation Day in 1981. She guest-starred on Married…With Children, in a gender-bending parody of the film Indecent Proposal; White had the Robert Redford role, while Al Bundy was in Demi Moore’s. She served as guest timekeeper for WrestleMania IV. In 1992, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized White as “television’s most frequent clapper.” In 1996, she was the main narrator and singer in the CD release of Leslie Bricusse’s “Santa’s Last Ride”. On April 20, 2006, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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White dated Playgirl centerfold/Chippendales-dancer-turned-actor John Gibson in the 1980s, and they eventually became engaged. However, in 1986 Gibson was killed in a plane crash. During Vanna’s absence to mourn his death, former hostess Susan Stafford appeared for a week of episodes.

White married restaurant owner George San Pietro in December 1990, and they divorced in November 2002. To accommodate her wedding, White was absent from Wheel of Fortune for two weeks of episodes that aired in January 1991. Tricia Gist substituted for her.[6] From this marriage, White has two children, a son born in 1994[7] and a daughter born in 1997.[8] From 2004 to 2006, she was engaged to businessman Michael Kaye, senior partner in a large leveraged buyout fund based in southern California.

White is a crochet and knitting enthusiast and has a line of yarns called “Vanna’s Choice” through Lion Brand Yarns.[9]
[edit] Litigation

White sued the Samsung Electronics corporation over its use of a humorous ad featuring a robot turning letters on a game show. The lower court decision in Samsung’s favor was reversed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, White v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc., 971 F.2d 1395 (1992), and the Ninth Circuit denied a rehearing over a colorful dissent by Judge Kozinski. White v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc. 989 F.2d 1512 (9th Cir. 1993). The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari. Samsung Electronics America, Inc. v. White, 508 U.S. 951 (1993). White ultimately was awarded $403,000 in damages.
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jan brewer disrespect

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 10:51 am

Janice Kay “Jan” Brewer (born September 26, 1944) is the 22nd and current Governor of the U.S. state of Arizona and a member of the Republican Party. She is the fourth woman, and third consecutive woman, to hold the office. Brewer previously served as Secretary of State of Arizona, from January 2003 until then-Governor Janet Napolitano resigned after being selected as Secretary of Homeland Security in January 2009. Brewer became Governor of Arizona as part of the line of succession, as determined by the Arizona constitution.

Born in California, Brewer attended Glendale Community College where she received a radiological technologist certificate, but never earned a degree. She has served as a State Senator and State Representative for Arizona, from 1983 to 1996. Brewer also served as Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, before running for Arizona Secretary of State in 2002.

Brewer came into the national spotlight when, on April 23, 2010, she signed the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act. The act makes it a state misdemeanor crime for an alien to be in Arizona without carrying registration documents required by federal law, authorizes state and local law enforcement of federal immigration laws, and cracks down on those sheltering, hiring and transporting illegal aliens.[3] Brewer sought a full term as Governor of Arizona in the 2010 Arizona gubernatorial election, and was elected on November 3, 2010, winning with 55% of the vote over Democrat Terry Goddard’s 42%.
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Arizona Governor Jan Brewer traded words with President Obama after she greeted him at a Phoenix airport Wednesday.

Brewer and Obama “spoke intensely for a few minutes” after he landed at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, according to a White House pool report. At one point, the GOP governor shook her finger at the president.

“He was a little disturbed about my book,” Brewer told a reporter after the incident, referring to her political memoir, “Scorpions for Breakfast.” In the book, Brewer depicted Obama as “patronizing” during an earlier meeting.

“I said to him that I have all the respect in the world for the office of the president,” Brewer said. “The book is what the book is. I asked him if he read the book. He said he read the excerpt. So.”

Brewer said Obama told her “that he didn’t feel I had treated him cordially.”

“I said I was sorry he felt that way but I didn’t get my sentence finished,” Brewer said. “Anyway, we’re glad he’s here. I’ll regroup.”

The last time Obama met with Brewer was June 2010, when the Arizona governor visited the Oval Office for a private, 30-minute encounter the White House called a “good meeting.” At the time, Brewer said the meeting was “very cordial,” but in her book she said Obama had been “condescending.”

During Wednesday’s encounter, Brewer handed Obama a handwritten letter asking him to sit down with her to discuss the “Arizona comeback.”

“I thought we probably would’ve talked about the things that were important to him and important to me, helping one another,” Brewer said of a potential meeting with the president. “Our country is upside down. Arizona was upside down. But we have turned it around. I know again that he loves this country and I love this country.”

This isn’t the first time Obama and Brewer have disagreed. In October, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought on by Brewer that accused the Obama administration of failing to enforce immigration laws or maintain control of her state’s border with Mexico.
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Going on to become interested in her children’s education, Brewer began attending school board meetings in 1981, and quickly became “unimpressed” by the board’s performance.[2] Intending to run for a seat on the board, Brewer soon saw an opening in her local legislative district, and decided to run for State Representative. Brewer would go on to serve in the Arizona House of Representatives for three years, from 1983 to 1987, before deciding to run for the Arizona Senate, where she would serve from 1987 to 1996. As State Senator, Brewer sought legislation with the intention of creating an office of Lieutenant Governor in the state, arguing that holding the office of Secretary of State does not make a candidate qualified for Governor, and that the office should be filled by a member of the same party, should a vacancy arise.[2] During her last three years as a State Senator, she held the senior leadership position of majority whip.[2]

In 1996, Brewer ran for chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, defeating incumbent Ed King, and would serve for six years on the board. She inherited a debt of $165 million, and by the end of Brewer’s tenure in 2002, she left Maricopa County in one of the strongest financial positions of any county in the nation.[2] Governing Magazine proclaimed the County as “one of the two best managed large counties in the nation.”[
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Governor Janet Napolitano was selected by President Barack Obama to serve as the Secretary of Homeland Security in the United States Cabinet. Arizona has no lieutenant governor, so the Secretary of State stands first in the line of succession if he or she holds that post as a result of an election. Despite her earlier quarrels with the line of succession while serving in the State Senate, Brewer was sworn in as governor after Napolitano resigned from her position on January 21, 2009. She is Arizona's fourth female governor and its third consecutive female governor.[2]

In her inaugural address, Brewer promised to keep taxes low in Arizona, in an attempt to attract business from other states, including California. Fewer than two months into her term, however, Brewer proposed a tax increase in front of the State Legislature, causing two Republican members[who?] to walk out of the address mid-speech. Attempting to rationalize the tax increase, Brewer stated that she was ultimately forced to ask for the increase due to the state’s $4 billion state budget deficit
On April 23, 2010, Brewer signed the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, otherwise known as Arizona SB1070, into law, making it “a state crime for illegal immigrants to not have an alien registration document,” and requiring police “to question people about their immigration status if there is reason.” It also makes it illegal for people to hire illegal immigrants for day labor or to knowingly transport them. In addition, it provides provisions to allow citizens to file lawsuits against government agencies that hinder enforcement of immigration laws.[7] A follow-on bill, said to address certain “racial profiling” issues with the original bill, was passed by the Arizona legislature just before ending their 2010 session, and was signed by Brewer on April 30, 2010.[8] Signing of the bill has led to massive demonstrations in Arizona, Washington, D.C. and many other cities across the United States, both for and against the legislation.[9]

On June 3, 2010, Brewer met with President Barack Obama to discuss immigration along Mexico’s border with Arizona, and how the federal government could work together with state officials to combat violence there. Brewer remarked after the meeting, “I am encouraged that there is going to be much better dialogue between the federal government and the state of Arizona now.”[10] According to press reports, about 1200 national guard troops will be stationed along the border, in a layout still to be determined.[11]

On August 24, 2010, Brewer won the Republican primary, to face Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard in the general election.[12] Brewer was elected in her own right on November 2, 2010, to the office of Governor in the state’s 2010 gubernatorial election, earning 55% of the states votes over Democrat Terry Goddard with 42%. This was not unexpected, as polling conducted after Brewer’s signing of Arizona SB1070 had shown her as an early favorite in the general election, and she was sworn in for a full term on January 3, 2011 on the State Capitol grounds in Phoenix.[13]

As a result of a ballot measure approved by the voters in 2000, redistricting in Arizona is entrusted to a five-member panel with an independent chair. In 2011, Republicans wanted more favorable lines than those drawn by the commission, and Brewer sent a letter purporting to remove Colleen Mathis, the independent chair, from office. The Arizona Supreme Court ruled that Brewer’s action was illegal and it reinstated Mathis.[14]

Brewer will not be able to run for a second full four-year term in 2014; the Arizona Constitution limits governors to a total of eight consecutive years in office, but former Arizona governors will be allowed to seek third or fourth nonconsecutive terms after a four-year respite.
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In July 2009, Jan Brewer signed SB 1113, which entitles persons in Arizona to carry concealed guns in bars or restaurants as long as they do not consume alcohol, and the business has not specifically posted a sign in accordance with Arizona law that guns are not to be permitted on the premises.[16] Brewer also signed SB 1168, a measure that bans property owners from prohibiting the storage of firearms in locked vehicles parked on their lots.[17] She signed SB 1243, which allows a person who is threatened to announce they are armed, or display or place their hand on their firearm before the use of deadly force.[18] In April 2010, Brewer signed SB 1108, which removes the licensure requirement for law-abiding citizens who choose to carry a concealed firearm in the state of Arizona—the third state in the union with such a law after Vermont and Alaska. Brewer is a member and supporter of the National Rifle Association, as well as the Arizona Rifle and Pistol Association.[19] On April 18, 2011 Governor Jan Brewer vetoed two bills one which set a mandate that anyone running for President must have proof of U.S. citizenship and the other being a bill which allowed guns on college campuses.[20]
[edit] Healthcare

In the face of a mounting budget crisis in Arizona, Brewer signed the 2011 legislative budget which eliminates the Arizona variant of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program program, known as KidsCare, that provides health insurance to uninsured children[21] whose families’ income exceeds the Medicaid cutoff.[22] According to the FY 2011 budget, enrollment caps will also be put into place for Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), thereby limiting access to the program. Brewer, at a press conference, said the state had no choice but to eliminate the free health care programs saying, “We do not have the money [...] We are broke.”[23]

Brewer called a special session of the Arizona Legislature to join in the class-action lawsuit by 21 state Attorneys General to challenge the constitutionality of that part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that establishes a federal individual mandate to purchase health insurance.[24][25] The mandate was considered by legislators and insurers [26] as a quid pro quo for the inclusion in the legislation of popular changes which will prevent insurers from pre-screening applicants and/or applying higher premiums and coverage caps on people with pre-existing conditions and/or rescinding policies once a patient becomes seriously ill.[citation needed]
[edit] Immigration, border security and “headless bodies”

Brewer believes in strict enforcement of border security, with absolutely no amnesty for illegal immigrants entering the United States unlawfully over the Mexico – United States border. In addition to signing Arizona SB 1070, she has prohibited state and local governments from giving any public benefits to illegal aliens, in addition to making it a misdemeanor for a state or local government official to fail to report immigration law violations discovered while administering a public benefit or service. Brewer has also supported efforts to re-deploy the National Guard of the United States along the southern Arizona border, in an attempt to provide increased border security.[27]

On June 27, 2010, Brewer appeared on “Sunday Square Off”, which broadcasts on KPNX-TV. While speaking on the subject of crime related to illegal immigration, she was quoted as saying that “law enforcement agencies have found bodies in the desert either buried or just lying out there that have been beheaded”, a claim that has been disproven.[28][29][30]

On July 11, 2010, Jan Brewer announced that 10 million dollars given to her state by the federal government, most of which was intended to go to education, would instead go to enforcing border security.[31]
[edit] Same-sex marriage and domestic partnership

Brewer supported Arizona Proposition 107, which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman.[32]

Jan Brewer signed a law repealing legislation put into place by former governor Janet Napolitano, which had granted domestic partners of state employees the ability to be considered as “dependants,” similar to the way married spouses are handled.[33]

According to an editorial in the Arizona Daily Star on October 13, 2009, the Department of Administration in Arizona “stated that about 800 state employees are affected and that the cost to insure domestic partners is about $3 million of the $625 million the state spends on benefits.”[34] However, the state was giving those employees another year of coverage, due to legal necessity: “A legal review determined existing contracts with state employees will be honored.”[34]

A federal lawsuit, Collins v. Brewer, challenging Brewer’s action is being heard in federal court. The plaintiffs, represented by Lambda Legal, a LGBT rights advocacy group, asked for summary judgment based on due process and equal protection claims. On July 23, 2010, U.S. District Judge John W. Sedwick denied the due process claim, but based on the equal protection claim he issued a temporary injunction blocking enforcement of the law pending a trial.[35][36] Brewer said the state would appeal the decision
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Brewer’s signing of Arizona SB 1070 and her position of Governor made her the recipient of much of the bill’s criticism. In response to the various personal attacks launched against her, many of which called her a Nazi, she responded: “Knowing that my father died fighting the Nazi regime in Germany, that I lost him when I was 11 because of that… and then to have them call me Hitler’s daughter. It hurts. It’s ugliness beyond anything I’ve ever experienced.” However Brewer’s father died in 1955 (ten years after World War II ended) from lung cancer, believed to be caused from constant exposure to chemicals while working as a civilian supervisor at the Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada. Brewer’s father never served in the military nor was he overseas during the war.[38]

After Brewer’s statement that “Our law enforcement agencies have found bodies in the desert either buried or just lying out there that have been beheaded,” a Fox News team investigated the claim. They concluded that in the last two years only one human skull had been found, and that had been the result of animals. Six medical examiners in Arizona from Yuma, Pima, Santa Cruz, Cochise, Pinal and Maricopa confirmed that they had no records of decapitated bodies.[28][29] Brewer later retracted her previous statement, saying, “That was an error, if I said that. I misspoke, but you know, let me be clear, I am concerned about the border region because it continues to be reported in Mexico that there’s a lot of violence going on and we don’t want that going into Arizona”.[39]

The Brewer administration has also been investigated by KPHO for hiring Chuck Coughlin and Paul Senseman, both lobbyists for Corrections Corporation of America, as a policy advisor and communications director.[40] Although Coughlin continues work as both a lobbyist and policy advisor, Senseman no longer does work for CCA. CCA operates six private, for-profit prisons in Arizona.[41] After KPHO published its investigative report, Brewer’s re-election campaign retaliated by pulling all campaign ads from KPHO.[40]

Photo of a conversation between the president and the governor at an Arizona airport on 24 January 2012 received much media attention.[42] [43]
[edit] Personal life

Brewer attended Glendale Community College in Glendale, Arizona,[1] receiving certification as a radiological technologist.[44]

Brewer and her husband have had three sons, one of whom died of cancer in 2007.[45] Another son was declared criminally insane for the rape of a Phoenix woman in 1989; he has served 20 years in the Arizona Mental Hospital.[46]
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Greg Kelly

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 10:46 am

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office is investigating a rape allegation made against Greg Kelly, the son of New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, a law-enforcement official confirmed.

The younger Mr. Kelly, 43 years old, is co-anchor of “Good Day New York” on Fox’s New York affiliate. Andrew Lankler, an attorney for the newsman, said the younger Mr. Kelly “is aware that the New York County District Attorney’s office is conducting an investigation. Mr. Kelly strenuously denies any wrongdoing of any kind and is cooperating fully with the district attorney’s investigation. We know that the district attorney’s investigation will prove Mr. Kelly innocent.”

Fox 5 is owned by News Corp., which also owns The Wall Street Journal.

Paul Browne, a spokesman for the police department, said the allegation came to light after a man approached the police commissioner at an event and told him “your son ruined my girlfriend’s life.”

Mr. Browne said that when the commissioner asked for more information, the man said he didn’t want to talk about it in public and provided no more details. The commissioner told the man to write him a letter, but a letter was never received from the man, the spokesman said.

A spokeswoman for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. declined to comment.

Greg Kelly, who is unmarried, has been the co-host of the morning news program on Fox 5 since 2008 and was previously a White House correspondent for Fox New Channel and a reporter for New York 1 News.

The rape allegation was first reported on the New York Times websit
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Kelly is a host of Good Day New York on Fox 5. Previously, Kelly was a co-host of Fox and Friends and a White House Correspondent for Fox News.

In 2003, he provided extensive coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom as an embedded journalist with the United States Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, 2nd Brigade. He received a minor shrapnel wound to the face when a mortar round exploded near him while crossing the Euphrates River with the 3rd Infantry Division on March 31, 2003.

Kelly was the first television journalist to broadcast live pictures of U.S. military forces reaching Baghdad on April 5, 2003. Information Minister Muhammad Said al-Sahhaf, a.k.a. Baghdad Bob, was shown at one of his press conferences saying that Coalition forces were not in Baghdad, Fox News was showing, in split screen, reporter Kelly riding a tank through the city. Two days later, Kelly captured another exclusive during the storming of Saddam Hussein’s presidential palace.

His reporting assignments have brought him back to Iraq numerous times, as well as to Gaza, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.

Before joining Fox News, Kelly was a political affairs reporter for NY1, in New York City, where he covered the 2001 mayoral campaign, and provided extensive coverage from Ground Zero on September 11, 2001.

Prior to his stint at NY1, Kelly served as an anchor for the morning news program at WIVT-TV (ABC) in Binghamton, New York, where he secured an exclusive interview with then President Bill Clinton.
[edit] Military career

Kelly is an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.[1] During his 1991-2000 active duty military service Kelly was an A/V 8-B Harrier jump jet pilot assigned to Marine Attack Squadron 211, the “Wake Island Avengers”. Kelly amassed over 158 aircraft carrier landings and flew over Iraq in Operation Southern Watch, enforcing the United Nations imposed No-Fly Zone. [2]
[edit] Personal life

Kelly is a native of Garden City, New York. His father, Raymond W. Kelly, is the current New York City Police Commissioner. Kelly graduated from Fordham University with a B.A. in political science. While attending Fordham, Kelly worked at WFUV as an on-air reporter.

In January 2012 he was accused of rape.[3]
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January 25, 2012

maurice sendak

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 9:39 am

Author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, best known for his popular book “Where The Wild Things Are,” appeared on Tuesday night’s episode of “The Colbert Report” matching the show’s host Stephen Colbert comedic interview tit for tat in a segment called “Grim Colberty Tales.”

While most guests on the late night show can’t keep up with Colbert’s comedy interviews, the 83-year-old Sendak gave Colbert a run for his money.

In the interview Sendak and Colbert discussed a wide variety of topics including children. Colbert referred to children as moochers, quoting Newt Gingrich, while Sendak called Gingrich “an idiot of great renown” and “hopelessly gross and vile.”

Sendak also explained while children enjoy his books, he didn’t set out to write for children. “I write, and someone says, ‘Oh that’s for children.’” Sendak also tells Colbert, “I like them [children] as few and far between as I like adults…Maybe a bit more because I really don’t like adults at all.”

Later in the interview Colbert suggested to Sendak that he should make a sequel to “Where The Wild Things Are” called “Where The Wild Things Are 2: Still Wildin’” starring Vin Diesel. Sendak gave Colbert his blessing but said, “it has to be as bad as that looks like it is.”

The second half of Colbert’s interview with the author/illustrator airs tonight on “The Colbert Report” at 11:30 p.m. Sendak is on the show to promote his latest book “Bumble-Ardy.”

Click here to watch the Sendak’s segment on “The Colbert Report.”
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Sendak gained international acclaim after writing and illustrating Where the Wild Things Are. The book’s depictions of fanged monsters concerned some parents when it was first released, as his characters were somewhat grotesque in appearance. Before Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak was best known for illustrating Else Holmelund Minarik’s Little Bear series of books.[6]

When Sendak saw a manuscript of Zlateh the Goat, the first children’s story by Isaac Bashevis Singer, on the desk of an editor at Harper & Row, he offered to illustrate the book. It was first published in 1966 and received a Newbery Award. Sendak was delighted and enthusiastic about the collaboration. He once wryly remarked that his parents were finally impressed by their youngest child when he collaborated with Singer.[7]

His book In the Night Kitchen, first published in 1970, has often been subjected to censorship for its drawings of a young boy prancing naked through the story. The book has been challenged in several American states including Illinois, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Texas. In the Night Kitchen regularly appears on the American Library Association’s list of “frequently challenged and banned books.” It was listed number 21 on the “100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-1999.”[8]

His 1981 book Outside, Over There is the story of a girl, Ida, and her sibling jealousy and responsibility. Her father is away and so Ida is left to watch her baby sister, much to her dismay. Her sister is kidnapped by goblins and Ida must go off on a magical adventure to rescue her. At first, she’s not really eager to get her sister and nearly passes her sister right by when she becomes absorbed in the magic of the quest. In the end, she rescues her baby sister, destroys the goblins, and returns home committed to caring for her sister until her father returns home.

Sendak was an early member of the National Board of Advisors of the Children’s Television Workshop during the development stages of the television series Sesame Street. He also adapted his book Bumble Ardy into an animated sequence for the series, with Jim Henson as the voice of Bumble Ardy. He wrote and designed three other animated stories for the series: “Seven Monsters” (which never aired), “Up & Down”, and “Broom Adventures”.

Sendak produced an animated television production based on his work titled Really Rosie, featuring the voice of Carole King, which was broadcast in 1975 and is available on video (usually as part of video compilations of his work). An album of the songs was also produced. He contributed the opening segment to Simple Gifts,[9] a Christmas collection of six animated shorts shown on PBS TV in 1977 and later issued on VHS in 1993. He adapted his book Where the Wild Things Are for the stage in 1979. Additionally, he has designed sets for many operas and ballets, including the award-winning (1983) Pacific Northwest Ballet production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Houston Grand Opera’s productions of Mozart’s The Magic Flute (1981) and Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel (1997), Los Angeles County Music Center’s 1990 production of Mozart’s Idomeneo, and the New York City Opera’s 1981 production of Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen.

In the 1990s, Sendak approached playwright Tony Kushner to write a new English version of the Czech composer Hans Krása’s children’s opera Brundibar. Kushner wrote the text for Sendak’s illustrated book of the same name, published in 2003. The book was named one of the New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Illustrated Books of 2003.

In 2003, Chicago Opera Theatre produced Sendak and Kushner’s adaptation of Brundibar. In 2005, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, in collaboration with Yale Repertory Theatre and Broadway’s New Victory Theater, produced a substantially reworked version of the Sendak-Kushner adaptation.
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Maurice Sendak is known for drawing inspiration and influences from a vast number of painters, musicians and authors. Going back to his childhood, one of his earliest memorable influences was actually his father, Philip Sendak. According to Maurice, his father would relate tales from the Bible; however, he would embellish them with racy details to jazz them up. Not realizing that this was inappropriate for children, little Maurice would frequently be sent home after retelling his father’s “softcore Bible tales” at school.[10]

Growing up, Sendak developed from other influences, starting with Disney’s Fantasia. He has been quoted as saying, “My gods are Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson, Mozart. I believe in them with all my heart.” Elaborating further, he has explained that reading Emily Dickinson’s works helps him to remain calm in an otherwise hectic world: “And I have a little tiny Emily Dickinson so big that I carry in my pocket everywhere. And you just read three poems of Emily. She is so brave. She is so strong. She is such a sexy, passionate, little woman. I feel better.” Likewise, of Mozart, he has said, “When Mozart is playing in my room, I am in conjunction with something I can’t explain. [...] I don’t need to. I know that if there’s a purpose for life, it was for me to hear Mozart.”[11]

In terms of influencing others, Sendak has been a massive influence over the decades. While his books certainly have roused much controversy, they have also charmed scores of parents and children alike with their unique illustrations and lovable characters. Perhaps one of his biggest fans would be Gregory Maguire, author of the hit novel Wicked. Maguire enjoys Sendak’s works so much that he was prompted to write a tributary book dedicated to Sendak’s life and accomplishments, titled Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak Appreciation.

jorge posada hall of famer!

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 9:38 am

Posada was asked that very question at an emotional press conference announcing his retirement on Tuesday. His ambiguous answer: “When you compare me to people in the Hall of Fame, we’ll see. I’m really excited to see what happens.”

Jorge Posada retires after 17 seasons, 5 titles

Posada finished his career with impressive numbers, especially for a catcher. He posted a .273 career batting average, 275 home runs and 1,065 RBIs.

But only 13 catchers are enshrined in Cooperstown. Will Jorge Posada join them?

The case for Posada:

Power. Posada belted 275 home runs over his career, averaging 24 homers per 162 games played as a starter. Only four Hall of Fame catchers have hit more home runs — Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Gary Carter and Carlton Fisk. It’s hard to ignore that group of sluggers when weighing Posada’s chances.

Durability. Except for an injury-plagued 2008 campaign, Posada played in over 110 games in every season since 1998, when he became the starting Yankees catcher. He played at least 133 games behind the plate over seven straight seasons, a tough feat for such a physically demanding position. His longevity paid dividends at the plate. According to ESPN, among catchers since 1901, Posada ranks in the top ten in multiple categories, including total walks (3rd), doubles (7th), OPS (6th) and home runs (8th).

Consistency. While Posada only hit 30 homers once (2003) and only hit over .300 once (.338 in 2007), he was extremely steady at the plate. During his prime, he was a perennial 20-homer, 80-90 RBI guy who drew walks. Before he retired, Posada ranked 25th among all active players with a .374 career on-base percentage. His career .474 slugging percentage would rank him in the middle of the pack with catchers already in the Hall of Fame.

Rings. He won five of them in all and was the starting catcher for four of the Yankees World Series titles. The Hall of Fame tends to give extra credit to “winners” and Posada was behind the plate for a ton of Yankee victories. Yes, he benefitted from playing with superstar teammates but Posada was an integral part of the Yankees success over his 17 seasons.

The case against Posada:

He wasn’t the best at his position. Posada was an excellent all-around player, especially at the plate, but he wasn’t consistently the best catcher in the game. Contemporaries Ivan Rodriguez and Mike Piazza were regarded as better hitters in their prime (though Piazza was a weak defensive catcher). Still, Posada (who was a five-time All-Star) stacks up well against several other highly regarded catchers (such as Javy Lopez, Jason Varitek and Victor Martinez) who played during the same era.

Defense. Posada was maligned for being a subpar backstop with a weak throwing arm. The stats back that up. He only threw out 28 percent of base stealers for his career and ranked in the top five in SBs allowed 11 times. Ouch. He was led the league twice in two dubious categories: passed balls and errors. When viewing this in the context of Cooperstown, it’s worth noting that Hall of Fame catchers Roy Campanella and Gary Carter had similar offensive numbers as Posada – but were far superior behind the plate.

Postseason mediocrity. While Posada will be remembered as the guy behind the plate for all those Yankee World Series titles, his postseason numbers – especially during the Fall Classic – are nothing special. In 124 playoff games, Posada hit .248 with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs. While he hit a respectable .283 in 51 ALDS games, he hit just .224 in 45 ALCS games and a paltry .219 in 29 World Series games. Not exactly Hall of Fame production when the stakes are highest.

Final analysis:

Posada doesn’t boast any surefire Hall of Fame “magic” numbers (.300+ career batting average, 3,000 hits or 400 steroid-free home runs) but as a catcher, his offensive stats stack up favorably in among other Hall of Famers who played the position. Paradoxically, he was a subpar defensive catcher, which may be the main factor keeping him out of the Hall. Still, Cooperstown looks kindly on longevity and Posada was able to rack up some pretty impressive totals over his 17 seasons. And one of those totals — five World Series rings – may very well put him over the top. He is also is regarded as “grinder” and “good guy” with a lot of “intangibles” – baseball cliches for sure but qualities that voters consider when casting their ballot. Prediction: It takes a few years but Posada makes the Hall of Fame.
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Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta (born August 17, 1971) is a Puerto Rican former baseball catcher who played 17 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees from 1995 to 2011. Posada produced strong offensive numbers for his position, recording a .273 batting average, 275 home runs, and 1,065 runs batted in (RBIs) during his career. A switch hitter, Posada was a five-time All-Star, won five Silver Slugger Awards, and was on the roster for four World Series championship teams.

Drafted by the Yankees in 1990, Posada was originally an infielder before moving to catcher during his minor league career. He debuted in the major leagues in 1995, but it was not until 1998 that he found regular playing time. A solid-hitting catcher, Posada established himself as a mainstay in the Yankees lineup and as one of the “Core Four” players who contributed to the Yankees’ winning seasons. In 2003, he finished third in voting for the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award and became only the second Yankees catcher after Yogi Berra to hit 30 home runs in a season. Posada added one of his best seasons in 2007 at age 35 when he batted .338. Following a stint as designated hitter in 2011, he retired.

Posada was only the fifth MLB catcher with 1,500 hits, 350 doubles, 275 home runs, and 1,000 RBIs in a career.[1] From 2000 to 2011, he compiled more RBIs and home runs than any other catcher in baseball. He is the only MLB catcher to ever bat .330 or better with 40 doubles, 20 home runs, and 90 RBIs in a single season.[citation needed] Away from baseball, Posada is involved with research for craniosynostosis, a disease that impacts his son
Posada’s father, Jorge Posada, Sr., is Cuban, but defected to Puerto Rico to escape Fidel Castro’s regime.[4][47] Posada, Sr. worked as a scout for the Colorado Rockies. His uncle, Leo Posada, played for the Kansas City Athletics.[48]

On January 21, 2000, Jorge married Laura (née Mendez),[citation needed] an attorney and former model and actress from Puerto Rico. They have two children, Jorge Luis and Paulina.

Posada’s son, Jorge Luis, suffers from craniosynostosis, which he was diagnosed with 10 days after he was born.[4] Jorge Luis has endured numerous surgeries to correct the condition. Posada established the Jorge Posada Foundation to help find a cure for the disease and support families with children affected by the condition. Jorge released a charity wine in 2008 called Jorge Cabernet to raise funds for his foundation.[49] In June 2011, his son underwent what Posada hoped would be the final surgery for the condition.[50]

Posada is close personal friends with teammate Derek Jeter, who served as best man at Posada’s wedding.[51]

Posada wrote a children’s book entitled Play Ball! that was published in 2006.[52] He and his wife cowrote Fit Home Team, a family health manual, and an autobiography titled The Beauty of Love: A Memoir of Miracles, Hope, and Healing, which describes their personal ordeals and how they dealt with them after learning of their son’s birth condition in 1999.[53]

prince fielder agrees to sign

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 9:37 am

Prince Cecil Fielder (born May 9, 1984) is an American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent. He is currently listed at 5′ 11″ (180 cm) and 285 lb (129 kg). He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.

He is the son of former first baseman Cecil Fielder. Prince and Cecil are the only father-son combination in MLB history to each hit 50 home runs in a season. Prince holds the Brewers’ team record for home runs in a season, and is the youngest player to hit 50 home runs in a season. Prince Fielder is the first Brewer to win the Home Run Derby, defeating Nelson Cruz 6–5 in the final round of the 2009 derby in St. Louis.
DETROIT — With Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera in the middle of the lineup, the Detroit Tigers look ready for a season of slugging at Comerica Park.

Fielder and the Tigers agreed Tuesday to a nine-year, $214 million contract, a person familiar with the deal said. The AL Central champions boldly stepped up in the Fielder sweepstakes after the recent knee injury to star Victor Martinez. A week ago, the Tigers announced the productive designated hitter could miss the entire season after tearing his left ACL during offseason conditioning.

CBS first reported the agreement with Fielder.

The person told The Associated Press the deal was subject to a physical. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract was not yet complete.

Several teams had shown interest this winter in Fielder, the free agent first baseman who had spent his entire career with the Milwaukee Brewers. He visited Texas, and the Washington Nationals also got involved in the discussions.

The Tigers won their division by 15 games before losing in the AL championship series to Texas. With Fielder now in the fold, general manager Dave Dombrowski and owner Mike Ilitch have a team that figures to enter the 2012 season as a favorite to repeat in the division — with an eye on winning the franchise’s first World Series title since 1984.

“Everyone knew Mr. Ilitch and Mr. Dombrowski were going to make a move when Victor went down,” outfielder Brennan Boesch said in a phone interview with the AP. “But I don’t think anybody thought it would be this big.”

The move also keeps Fielder’s name in the Tigers’ family. His father, Cecil, became a big league star when he returned to the majors from Japan and hit 51 home runs with Detroit in 1990. Cecil played with the Tigers into the 1996 season, and young Prince made a name for himself by hitting prodigious home runs in batting practice at Tiger Stadium.

In an interview with MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, Cecil Fielder said he was “shocked” by the news that Prince was heading to Detroit.

“He’s been there in Detroit most of his young life so I think he’ll be comfortable in that place,” Cecil Fielder said. “I know Mr. Ilitch is probably excited because he’s been wanting that kid since he was a little kid, so he finally got his wish.”

With Cabrera and Fielder, Detroit will begin this season with two players under age 30 with at least 200 career homers. According to STATS LLC, that’s happened only once before. At the start of the 1961 season, the Milwaukee Braves featured 29-year-old Eddie Mathews (338 homers) and 27-year-old Hank Aaron (219).

Fielder hit .299 with 38 home runs and 120 RBIs last season. He is a three-time All-Star and was the MVP of last year’s event in Phoenix.

The beefy slugger has averaged 40 homers and 113 RBIs over the past five years. He’s also been among the most durable players in the majors, appearing in at least 157 games in each of the last six seasons.

Fielder hits left-handed, while Cabrera is a righty. Manager Jim Leyland will get to decide where to put them in the batting order.

“I don’t think there’s a better right-left combo in any lineup in baseball,” Boesch said. “I’m sure Skip’s wheels are already turning on how to set them up.”

And to think, the Tigers also have the American League’s reigning MVP and Cy Young Award winner — right-hander Justin Verlander.
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Fielder’s deal is only the fourth $200 million contract in baseball history, following Alex Rodriguez’s $275 million, 10-year contract with the New York Yankees, A-Rod’s $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas and Albert Pujols’ $240 million, 10-year contract last month with the Los Angeles Angels.

Among current players, Fielder’s $23.78 million average salary is behind only A-Rod ($27.5 million), Ryan Howard ($25 million), and Cliff Lee and Pujols ($24 million each).

Dombrowski indicated last week he’d probably seek a short-term solution to Martinez’s injury, but he left himself some wriggle room, saying it depended who the replacement was.

Acquiring Fielder opens all sorts of possibilities. For now, Detroit has an opening at DH with Martinez out. But Martinez is in the second year of a $50 million, four-year contract.

One option could be to move Cabrera from first base to third. He played third base regularly for the Florida Marlins before the Tigers acquired him before the 2008 season.

Third baseman Brandon Inge has one year left on a two-year, $11.5 million deal with Detroit.
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Prince, like many sons of prominent major leaguers, was a fixture around his father’s teams’ clubhouses growing up. In addition, he starred alongside his father in a McDonald’s commercial and appeared with him on MTV’s “Rock N’ Jock Softball”.

When his father played for Detroit, Prince would sometimes come along for batting practice. Contrary to popular belief, Fielder did not hit a home run into the upper deck of Tiger Stadium[1] at the age of 12, but he did hit a home run over the fence as a pre-teen. Fielder set the story straight in a 2007 interview with Fox Sports during a road trip to Detroit, saying that it “just went over the fence.”
High school career

Fielder spent his first three years of high school playing at Florida Air Academy. He then transferred to Eau Gallie High School to play baseball there his senior year (2002).[2] He hit .524 with 13 doubles, 10 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 47 runs in his senior year. He was named by the Florida Today as the All-Space Coast Player of the Year in 2002.[3]
Professional career
2005

Fielder began the 2005 season with the minor league Nashville Sounds, and later served as a designated hitter for the Brewers during interleague play. Fielder married his wife Chanel during the Triple-A All-Star Break. He earned his first call-up to the Majors on June 13, 2005, but he was sent back down to the Sounds after the end of interleague play, since Lyle Overbay was already the regular first baseman for the team. Fielder was again called up to the Majors on August 17, 2005, and went on to finish the season with the Brewers, where he was used as a pinch-hitter. He was the 6th-youngest player in the league.

On June 15, 2005, he collected his first major league hit, a double, off Hideo Nomo, and drove in his first big league run with his second hit of the night at Tampa Bay.
After Lyle Overbay was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, Fielder became the Brewers’ starting first baseman in 2006 and was an early favorite for National League Rookie of the Year.

Prince did not get off to a great start in the 2006 regular season, going 0–9 with 7 strikeouts. In his twelfth at-bat Fielder finally made a big splash, delivering a game-winning hit that drove home Geoff Jenkins for the winning run in the bottom of the 8th inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The hit not only won the game for the Brewers, but secured an opening series sweep. Even with his early season struggles, Prince was named the National League’s Rookie of the Month for April, and hit consistently since. On Mother’s Day, May 14, 2006, Fielder was one of more than fifty hitters who brandished a pink bat to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation. With his eighteenth home run of the year, Fielder broke the Brewers’ rookie home run record previously held by Greg Vaughn.

He led all major league rookies with twenty-eight homers in the 2006 season. On defense, he had the lowest zone rating among NL first basemen, .804.[4]
2007
Fielder had a strong first half in 2007, earning a start at first base in the 2007 All-Star game over the previous two MVP winners, Ryan Howard (2006) and Albert Pujols (2005).

On August 13, 2007, Fielder was featured on a magazine cover for the first time when he was featured on the August 13, 2007, issue of ESPN The Magazine.[5]

On September 15, 2007, Fielder broke the Brewers franchise record for home runs in a season, hitting his forty-sixth in a game against the Cincinnati Reds. The record was previously jointly held by Richie Sexson (twice) and Gorman Thomas.

On September 25, Fielder became the youngest player ever to reach fifty home runs in a season, joining his estranged father in the exclusive club. Fielder has stated that he hopes to surpass his father’s total of 51 home runs in a season (1990) as a way of exorcising the demons that have come with being the son of a prominent major leaguer. “A lot of people said that’s the only reason I got drafted… I don’t mind people comparing me to him but I’m a completely different player. One day I want people to mention my name and not have to mention his,” Fielder has said. Earlier in the season, Cecil Fielder had told a magazine that it was his famous name that led to his son being such a highly touted prospect. The younger Fielder also saw his contention in the 2007 NL MVP race as a way of proving his father wrong, but gets little else from the rift but motivation saying, “You’ve got to look at who’s saying it. Let’s be honest. He’s not really the brightest guy.” [6]

Fielder ranked first in the National League in home runs (50) in his MVP-caliber 2007 season, was second in slugging percentage to teammate Ryan Braun (.618), second in at bats per home run (11.5) and OPS (1.013), third in RBIs (119) and extra base hits (87), fourth in total bases (354) and hit by pitch (14), fifth in intentional walks (21) and sacrifice flies (8), seventh in runs (109) and times on base (269), and ninth in walks (90).

In 2007 he led all major league first basemen in errors, with fourteen, and was last among eligible major league first basemen in range factor (8.49).

Fielder earned the Milwaukee Brewers Team MVP award, the Player’s Choice NL Outstanding Player award, 2007 Silver Slugger award, and was voted the National League’s Hank Aaron Award winner.[7]
2008

Unable to come up with an agreement for a long-term contract with the Brewers, Fielder and his agent, Scott Boras, signed a one-year, $670,000 deal with the Brewers. Fielder was quoted saying, “I’m not happy about it at all,” showing his disappointment in not being able to reach an agreement with the club.[8]

On June 19, Fielder hit the second inside-the-park home run of his career, against the Toronto Blue Jays.

On August 4, Fielder and teammate Manny Parra got into a scuffle in the dugout during a game against the Cincinnati Reds in which Parra was the starting pitcher. They were having a brief conversation, which led to Parra throwing his jacket down and Fielder shoving him. Fielder had to be restrained by teammates Ray Durham, Dave Bush, J. J. Hardy, Ryan Braun, and pitching coach Mike Maddux. ESPN reported that night that the dispute was over Parra heading back to the clubhouse after being pulled from the game instead of staying in the dugout to watch the Brewers bat in the next inning. Baseball Tonight also reports the exchange was started when Parra told Fielder to “get off his fat ass and play defense.” Manager Ned Yost said reporters asking questions about the incident was as rude as “going over to the neighbors’ house after they’ve been fighting and asking about it.”

On September 23, Fielder hit his second walk-off home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates, helping the Brewers keep pace with the New York Mets in the NL Wild Card race.

Fielder was named the National League Player of the Week for the week of September 15–21 after he batted .462, with 27 total bases, six doubles, 11 RBI, .533 on-base percentage, and a 1.038 slugging percentage.[9]

Fielder ended the 2008 regular season with a .276 batting average, 34 home runs, 102 RBI, 86 runs and 84 walks. The Brewers finished 90–72, earning the NL Wild Card on the final day of the regular season, their first postseason berth as a National League club and their first since losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1982 World Series. They faced the Philadelphia Phillies and were eliminated in four . Fielder hit the Brewers’ only home run of the series, in Game 4.[10]
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After the 2008 season Fielder was seeking an $8 million salary in 2009, while the Brewers filed for $6 million. On January 23 the Brewers and Fielder avoided arbitration and finalized a two-year $18 million contract.[11]

Fielder hit his first career grand slam against Rafael Perez of the Cleveland Indians on June 15, 2009, at Progressive Field to give the Brewers the lead 13–12. The Brewers were down 8–3 at one point.

Fielder was one of four NL first basemen who made the 2009 NL All Star Team.

Fielder won the 2009 State Farm Home Run Derby in St Louis. Fielder began the Derby with a Rickie Weeks bat, but quickly switched to one of Ryan Braun’s because it was longer and gave him more plate coverage.[12] He made the finals with seventeen home runs after the first two rounds, eliminating local favorites Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard. He then beat former Brewers teammate Nelson Cruz with six homers in the final round. His twenty-three long balls tied for the sixth-most in the Derby’s history.[13] He also hit the longest home run of the Derby at 503 feet.[14]

On August 4, Fielder was involved in an incident with Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Guillermo Mota. With two outs in the ninth inning, Mota hit Fielder with a pitch on the leg, (apparently in retaliation for Mota’s teammate Manny Ramirez being hit in the hand by Brewers pitcher Chris Smith). Mota was ejected. After the 17–4 Dodgers victory, Fielder went to the Dodgers clubhouse, in an effort to confront Mota. The Dodgers security guards stopped Fielder from entering, though the incident was captured by a television crew. Both Mota and Fielder were fined by Major League Baseball for their roles in the incident.[15]

Fielder had a good month of September. While playing the San Francisco Giants on September 6, Fielder hit a walk off home run. This was the second walk off hit Fielder had against the Giants. Then, on September 19, Fielder set the Brewers’ single-season record for RBIs at 127, beating Cecil Cooper’s 1983 record of 126.[16] He set this record during a game against the Houston Astros—the team Cooper was managing at the time. The record-breaking RBI was a sacrifice fly, scoring Mike Cameron. He finished the season with 141 RBIs, which surpassed his father’s career high of 133 in 1991.

Fielder finished tied for first in the National League in RBIs with Ryan Howard, and second in home runs with 46. He is one of three players in Brewers franchise history to have 100 or more RBIs in three consecutive seasons, along with Richie Sexson (2001–03) and Ryan Braun (2008–10).[17]
2011

On January 18, Fielder and the Brewers agreed on a one-year, $15.5 million contract.[18] Fielder was named MVP of the 82nd All Star Game, in which he hit a 3-run home run.[19]

Along with Fielder, Braun also hit 30 home runs on the season, marking the 4th time the duo each hit at least 30 home runs in a season. Only 6 other duos have done this in major league history.

He became one of three Brewers who have had four 100-RBI seasons, along with Cecil Cooper and Braun.[20]

On September 27 in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Fielder went 3-for-3 with three homeruns and a walk, and 5 RBIs. It was his first career three-home run game.

In 2011, Fielder batted .299, led the National League in intentional walks (32; a Brewers record), was second in the league in home runs (38), and was third in slugging percentage (.566).[21] On defense, he led the majors in errors committed by a first baseman (15) and had the lowest fielding percentage of all first basemen (.990).[22][23] Through 2011, he had the second-highest career slugging percentage (.540) and OPS (.929) of any player in Brewers history, behind Braun, and was second in career home runs (230) to Robin Yount.[21]

Following the 2011 World Series, Fielder became a free agent.

He came in third in the voting for the 2011 National League Most Valuable Player Award, behind winner Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp.[24]
2012

On January 24, 2012 Fielder reportedly agreed to a 9 year, $214 million contract with the Detroit Tigers to play first base and replace the offensive output of the injured Víctor Martínez. The deal is pending a passed physical.[25]
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mitch daniels response

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 9:35 am

On paper, it was a fiery, combative, presidential response to President Obama’s State of the Union address. Good thing it was Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels who had the honor of delivering it, otherwise the country may have been focused on the potential national ambitions of anyone who delivered a speech like that.
On these evenings, Presidents naturally seek to find the sunny side of our national condition. But when President Obama claims that the state of our union is anything but grave, he must know in his heart that this is not true,” said Daniels.

“The President’s grand experiment in trickle-down government has held back rather than sped economic recovery. He seems to sincerely believe we can build a middle class out of government jobs paid for with borrowed dollars. In fact, it works the other way.” Daniels went on to call the government “big and bossy” which lives off the “backs of the middle class.”

Many in the GOP’s halls of power this morning observed the stable, deliberative nature of Daniels last night and wonder what might have been. If only they had gotten to Cherri earlier, or convinced Daniels to open an exploratory committee last April… But stable and deliberative are the qualities that Washington longs for following three years of aloofness and erratic behavior by the Obama administration. Is that desire shared by the voting public? That’s a dubious assertion.

It’s likely that the public wants to see an Andrew Jackson, a fiery populist that would take hold of the reins of government and really, truly pull back on them. The most recent rise of Gingrich amidst all his personal and political problems shows that, at least among Republicans and republican-leaning voters, they hunger for a fighter and not a manager – the managerial class in Washington are the only ones clamoring for a manager in chief.

The nation at large has long since abandoned the notion that the persistent economic crisis can be managed away.
Mitchell Elias “Mitch” Daniels, Jr. (born April 7, 1949) is the 49th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana. A Republican, he began his first four-year term as governor on January 10, 2005, and was elected to his second term by an 18-point margin on November 4, 2008. Previously, he was the Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget under George W. Bush. He was formerly Senior Vice President of Eli Lilly and Company, Indiana’s largest corporation, where he was in charge of the corporation’s business strategy. He is cited as a rising star in the Republican Party, and was widely speculated[1][2][3] to be a candidate for President of the United States in 2012 before choosing not to run.[4]

During his tenure as head of the Office of Management and Budget, from 2001 to 2003, the federal budget went from an annual surplus of $236 billion to a deficit of $400 billion, and Daniels’s projection of a return to surplus by 2005 proved to be inaccurate.[5]

During his first year in office as Governor, he proposed a number of controversial plans to balance the state’s $24 billion budget through tax increases, budget cuts, and privatization plans. A proposed 1-year, 1% tax increase on people making over $100,000 was not brought to the legislature, but his other budget austerity measures were and they were passed. Spending was reduced by $440 million through budget cuts and privatization plans, and the annual budget growth was cut to 2.8% from the previous 5.9%.

Support for a switch to daylight saving time, the privatized lease of the Indiana Toll Road, and the closure of many license branches brought him into conflict with Democrats; and, in 2005, his approval ratings dropped to a low of 42%. In 2007, he began pressing for constitutional changes to cap state property taxes at 1–3% of value. The caps were approved by the Indiana General Assembly as statute the same year, and added to the state constitution by a 2008 ballot measure. His support for the property tax limits, and its subsequent adoption, helped raise his popularity and secure his re-election bid.

His second term saw a large drop in state revenues, leading to major spending cuts to maintain a balanced budget. He was aided in passing the agenda by the election of a large Republican majority to both houses of the Indiana General Assembly in 2010. In an attempt to block his agenda, the Democratic minority in the Indiana House of Representatives staged a legislative walkout for several weeks, preventing the passage of any legislation. After the return of the minority, most of Daniels’ backed agenda was passed; education reform bills were enacted, creating a statewide school voucher program, restricting collective bargaining rights for teachers, and instituting a merit pay system for public school personnel. Immigrations laws penalizing companies who employed illegal immigrants and denied in-state tuition to illegal immigrants was enacted. A stronger abortion regulation law was enacted that outlawed abortions after twenty weeks of pregnancy, state funding was withdrawn from all healthcare providers that offered abortion services (though this has currently been halted by a Federal Judge), and the corporate income tax rate was lowered.
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Mitchell Elias Daniels, Jr., was born in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, to Dorothy Mae (née Wilkes) and Mitchell Elias Daniels, Sr.[6] His paternal grandparents were Christian immigrants from Syria. Daniels has been honored by the Arab-American Institute with the 2011 Najeeb Halaby Award for Public Service.[7][8][9] His mother’s ancestry was mostly English (where three of his great-grandparents were born), as well as Scottish.[10] Daniels spent his early childhood years in Pennsylvania, Tennessee,[11] and Georgia. The Daniels family moved to Indiana from Pennsylvania in 1959 when his father accepted a job at the Indianapolis headquarters of the pharmaceutical company Pittman-Moore. Then 11-year-old Daniels was accustomed to the mountains, and he at first disliked the flatland of central Indiana. He was still in grade school at the time of the move and first attended Delaware Trail Elementary, Westlane Junior High School, and North Central High School. In high school he was student body president.[12] After graduation in 1967, Daniels was named one of Indiana’s Presidential Scholars—the state’s top male high school graduate that year—by President Lyndon Johnson.[13]

Daniels toured several northeastern universities, including Yale and Dartmouth College, finally choosing Princeton University because he preferred the campus.[12] In 1971, Daniels earned a Bachelor’s degree with Honors from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton. His high grades allowed him to gain entry to Georgetown University Law Center, where he earned a Juris Doctor with Honors.[8]

In 1970, while an undergraduate student at Princeton, he and two roommates were arrested for possession of marijuana, LSD, and illicit prescription drugs.[14] He spent two nights in jail.[15] In a plea bargain, he pled guilty to “maintaining a common nuisance” and was fined $350.[14] Daniels told The Daily Princetonian in 2011 that “justice was served,”[16] and has disclosed the arrest on job applications, and spoke about the incident in columns in The Indianapolis Star[17] and The Washington Post.[18]
[edit] Early political career

Daniels had his first experience in politics while still a teenager when, in 1968, he worked on the unsuccessful campaign of fellow Hoosier and Princeton alumnus William Ruckelshaus, who was running for the U.S. Senate.[12] After the campaign Ruckelshaus helped Daniels secure an internship in the office of then–Indianapolis mayor Richard Lugar. In 1971, Daniels worked on Lugar’s re-election campaign and then joined his mayoral staff. Within three years, he became Lugar’s principal assistant. After Lugar was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1976, Daniels followed him to Washington, D.C. as his Chief of Staff.[17]

Daniels served as Chief of Staff during Lugar’s first term (1977–82); and, during this time, he met Cheri Herman, who was working for the National Park Service. The two married in 1978 and had four daughters. They divorced in 1993 and Cheri married again; Cheri later divorced her second husband and remarried Daniels in 1997.[8]

In 1983, when Lugar was elected Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Daniels was appointed its Executive Director. Serving in that position (1983–84), he played a major role in keeping the GOP in control of the Senate. Daniels was also manager of three successful re-election campaigns for Lugar. In August 1985, Daniels became chief political advisor and liaison to President Ronald Reagan.[17]

In 1987, Daniels returned to Indiana as President and CEO of the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank.[8][19] In 1988, Dan Quayle was elected Vice President of the United States, and Governor of Indiana Robert D. Orr offered to appoint Daniels to Quayle’s vacant Senate seat, but Daniels declined, fearing it would force him to spend too much time away from his family.[12]
[edit] Eli Lilly

In 1990, Daniels left the Hudson Institute to accept a position at Eli Lilly and Company, the largest corporation headquartered in Indiana at that time.[20] He was first promoted to President of North American Operations (1993–97) and then to Senior Vice President for Corporate Strategy and Policy (1997–2001).[7][8][17] During his time at Lilly, Daniels managed a successful strategy to deflect attacks on Lilly’s Prozac product by a public relations campaign against the drug being waged by the Church of Scientology. In one interview in 1992, Daniels said of the organization that “it is no church,” and that people on Prozac were less likely to become victims of the Church. The Church responded by suing Daniels in a libel suit for $20 million. A judge dismissed the case.[21]

Eli Lilly experienced dramatic growth during Daniels’ tenure at the company. Prozac sales made up 30–40% of Lilly’s income during the mid-to-late 1990s, and Lilly doubled its assets to $12.8 billion and doubled its revenue to $10 billion during the same period. When Daniels later became Governor of Indiana, he drew heavily on his former Lilly colleagues to serve as advisers and agency managers.[22]

During the same period, Daniels also served on the board of directors of the Indianapolis Power & Light (IPL). He resigned from the IPL Board in 2001 to join the federal government, and sold his IPL stock for $1.45 million. Later that year the value declined when Virginia-based AES Corporation bought IPL.[7] The Indiana Securities Division subsequently investigated the sale and found no wrongdoing, but opponents brought up the sale and questioned it during his later election campaign.[21]
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In January 2001, Daniels accepted President George W. Bush’s invitation to serve as director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). He served as Director from January 2001 through June 2003. In this role he was also a member of the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council.

During his time as the director of the OMB, Bush referred to him as “the Blade,” for his noted acumen at budget cutting.[23] The $2.13 trillion budget Daniels submitted to Congress in 2001 would have made deep cuts in many agencies to accommodate the tax cuts being made, but few of the spending cuts were actually approved by Congress.[12] During Daniels’ 29-month tenure in the position, the projected federal budget surplus of $236 billion declined to a $400 billion deficit, due to an economic downturn, and failure to enact spending cuts to offset the tax reductions.[17]

Conservative columnist Ross Douthat has stated that Daniels “carried water, as director of the Office of Management and Budget, for some of the Bush administration’s more egregious budgets [and...] made dubious public arguments in support of his boss’s agenda.”[24] Daniels was responsible for estimating the cost of the invasion of Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom. The operation was estimated to last six months, and did not include a projection of the long-term cost of maintaining a military presence in the region after its immediate occupation.[25] In 2002, Assistant to the President on Economic Policy Lawrence B. Lindsey estimated the cost at between $100–$200 billion, much higher than Daniels’ estimate. Daniels called Lindsey’s estimate “very, very high” and stated that the costs would be between $50–$60 billion.[26] President Bush ultimately requested $75 billion to finance the operation during the fiscal year, and according to a 2010 Congressional Research Service report, the first fiscal year of the war cost $51 billion.[27] The failure to provide long term cost estimates led opponents to claim that Daniels and the administration had suggested the entire war would cost less than $60 billion.[24][25]
Daniels’ decision to run for Governor of Indiana led to most of the rest of Republican field of candidates to drop out of the race. The only challenger who did not do so was conservative activist and lobbyist Eric Miller. Miller worked for the Phoenix Group, a Christian rights defense group. Daniels’ campaign platform centered around cutting the State budget and privatizing public agencies. He won the primary with 67% of the vote.[28]

While campaigning in the General Election, Daniels visited all 92 Counties at least three times. He traveled in a donated white RV nicknamed “RV-1″ and covered with signatures of supporters and his campaign slogan, “My Man Mitch.”[29] “My Man Mitch” was a reference to a phrase once used by President George W. Bush to refer to Daniels. Bush campaigned with Daniels on two occasions, as Daniels hoped that Bush’s popularity would help him secure a win. In his many public stops, he frequently used the phrase “every garden needs weeding every sixteen years or so”; 16 was the number of years since Indiana had had a Republican governor.[28] His opponent in the general election was the incumbent, Joe Kernan, who had succeeded to the office upon the death of Frank O’Bannon. Campaign ads by Kernan and the Democratic Party attempted to tie Daniels to number of issues—his jail time for marijuana use; a stock sale leading to speculations of insider trading; and, because of his role at Eli Lilly, the high cost of prescription drugs.[29] The 2004 election was the costliest in Indiana history, up until that time, with the candidates spending a combined US$23 million.[28] Daniels won the election, garnering about 53% of the vote compared to Kernan’s 46%.[28] Kernan was the first incumbent Governor to lose an election in Indiana since 1894
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In his first State of the State address on January 18, 2005, Daniels put forward his agenda to improve the State’s fiscal situation. Indiana has a biennial budget, and had a projected two year deficit of $800 million. Daniels called for strict controls on all spending increases, and reducing the annual growth rate of the budget. He also proposed a one-year 1% tax increase on all individuals and entities earning over $100,000. The taxing proposal was controversial and the Republican Speaker of the House, Brian Bosma, criticized Daniels and refused to allow the proposal to be debated.[28][32]

The General Assembly approved $250 million in spending cuts and Daniels renegotiated 30 different state contracts for a savings of $190 million, resulting in a budget of $23 billion. Annual spending growth for future budgets was cut to 2.8% from the 5.9% that had been standard for many years.[32][33] Increase in revenues, coupled with the spending reductions, led to a $300 million budget surplus. Indiana is not permitted to take loans, as borrowing was prohibited in its constitution following the 1837 state bankruptcy. The state, therefore, had financed its deficit spending by reallocating $760 million in revenue that belonged to local government and school districts over the course of many years. The funds were gradually and fully restored to the municipal governments using the surplus money, and the state reserve fund was grown to $1.3 billion.[33]

Two of Daniels’ other tax proposals were approved: a tax on liquor and beverages to fund the construction of the Lucas Oil Stadium and a tax on rental cars to expand the Indiana Convention Center. The new source of funding resulted in a state take-over of a project initially started by the City of Indianapolis and led to a bitter feud between Daniels and the city leadership over who should have ownership of the project. The state ultimately won and took ownership of the facilities from the city.[34]
One of the most controversial measures Daniels successfully pushed through was the state adoption of Daylight Saving Time, which Daniels argued would save the state money on energy costs.[34] Although the state is in the Eastern Time Zone, Indiana’s counties had adopted their own time zone practices, and in practice the state effectively observed two different times, and the central part of the state fluctuated between Eastern and Central Time depending on the time of year. Interests for both EST and CST time zones had prevented the official adoption of daylight saving since the 1930s, and had led to decades of debate. Daniels pressed for the entire state to switch to Central Time, but the General Assembly could not come to terms. Ultimately after a long debate, they adopted Eastern Daylight Saving Time, the measure passing by one vote, putting all but northwestern Indiana on the same time for the first time.[34]

A second controversial plan, known as the Major Moves plan, was passed in 2006. The Indiana Toll Road was leased to State Mobility Partners, a joint venture company owned by Spanish firm Cintra and Australia’s Macquarie Infrastructure Group for 75 years in exchange for a one time payment of $3.85 billion. The measure was opposed by most Democrats, who began an advertising campaign accusing Daniels of selling the road to foreign nations.[35][36] The income from the lease was used to finance a backlog of public transportation projects and create a $500 million trust fund to generate revenue for the maintenance of the highway system.[33]

Daniels’ support for such controversial legislation led to a rapid drop in his approval rating; in May 2005, a poll showed a 18-point drop in support and that only 42% of Hoosiers approved of the way he was doing his job. In the following months, many of his reforms began to have a positive effect; and his ratings began to improve, and his approval rebounded.[37]

In 2006, Daniels continued his effort to reduce state operating costs by signing into law a bill privatizing the enrollment service for the state’s welfare programs. Indiana’s welfare enrollment facilities were replaced with call centers operated by IBM. In mid-2009, after complaints of poor service, Daniels canceled the contract and returned the enrollment service to the public sector
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When Daniels was elected, he stated his number one priority was job creation.[7] To achieve that goal, he created the public-private Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), became chairman of its board, and ordered it to “act at the speed of business, not the speed of government,” to attract new jobs. During its first year, the IEDC closed more transactions than similar efforts had during the previous two years combined. Between 2005 and 2008, 485 businesses committed to creating more than 60,000 new jobs and invest $14.5 billion into the Indiana economy.[7]

During a 12-day trade mission in Asia, Daniels visited Indiana soldiers serving on the border of the Korean Demilitarized Zone. On the 56th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, he laid a bouquet of white flowers at the base of a plaque listing 900 soldiers from Indiana who died in the war. During the visit he met with Asian auto executives and successfully promoted the expansion of facilities in Indiana.[39]

In 2006, the IEDC topped its 2005 results. It landed three high profile automotive investments from Toyota, Honda, and Cummins. In 2007, the IEDC announced its third consecutive record-breaking year for new investment and job commitments in Indiana with its largest deal being made with BP to construct $3.2 billion in facilities to assist in recovery of fuel from the Canadian tar sands.[7][33]
[edit] Healthy Indiana Plan

In 2007, Daniels signed the Healthy Indiana Plan, which provided 132,000 uninsured Indiana workers with coverage. The program works by helping its beneficiaries purchase a private health insurance policy with a subsidy from the state. The plan promotes health screenings, early prevention services, and smoking cessation. It also provides tax credits for small businesses that create qualified wellness and Section 125 plans. The plan was paid for by an increase in the state’s tax on cigarettes and the reallocation of federal medicaid funds through a special wavier granted by the federal government. In a September 15, 2007 Wall Street Journal column, Daniels was quoted as saying about the Healthy Indiana Plan and cigarette tax increase saying, “A consumption tax on a product you’d just as soon have less of doesn’t violate the rules I learned under Ronald Reagan.”[7][40]

The plan allows low to moderate income households where the members have no access to employer provided healthcare to apply for coverage. The fee for coverage is calculated using a formula that results in a charge between 2%–5% of a person’s income. A $1,100 annual deductible is standard on all policies and allows applicants to qualify for a health savings account. The plan pays a maximum of $300,000 in annual benefits.[41]
[edit] Property tax reform
See also: Taxation in Indiana

In 2008, Daniels proposed a property tax ceiling of one percent on residential properties, two percent for rental properties and three percent for businesses. The plan was approved by the Indiana General Assembly on March 14, 2008 and signed by Daniels on March 19, 2008. In 2008, Indiana homeowners had an average property tax cut of more than 30 percent; a total of $870 million in tax cuts. Most money collected through property taxes funds local schools and county government. To offset the loss in revenues to the municipal bodies, the state raised the sales tax from 6% to 7% effective April 1, 2008.[42]

Fearing a future government may overturn the statue enforcing property tax rate caps, Daniels and other state Republican leaders pressed for an amendment to add the new tax limits to the state constitution. The proposed amendment was placed on the 2010 General election ballot and was a major focus of Daniels’ reelection campaign. In November 2010, voters elected to adopt the tax caps into the Indiana Constitution.[43]

Daniels’ successes at balancing the state budget began to be recognized nationally near the end of his first term. Daniels was named on the 2008 “Public Officials of the Year” by the Governing magazine.[44] The same year, he received the 2008 Urban Innovator Award from the Manhattan Institute for his ideas for dealing with the state’s fiscal and urban problems.[45]
[edit] Voter registration
Main article: Crawford v. Marion County Election Board

In the 2005 session of the General Assembly, Daniels and Republicans, with some Democrat support, successfully enacted a voter registration law that required voters to show a government issued photo ID before they could be permitted to vote. The law was the first of its kind in the United States, and many civil rights organizations, like the ACLU, opposed the bill saying it would unfairly impact minorities, poor, and elderly voters who may be unable to afford an ID or may be physically unable to apply for an ID. To partially address those concerns, the state passed another law authorizing state license branches to offer free state photo ID cards to individuals who did not already possess another type of state ID.[46]

A coalition of civil rights groups began a court challenge of the bill in Indiana state courts, and the Daniels’ administration defended the government in the case. The Indiana Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state in late 2007. The petitioners appealed the bill to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and that body upheld the State Supreme Court decision in the case of Crawford v. Marion County Election Board. Upon appeal the United States Supreme Court also ruled in favor of the state in April 2008, setting a legal precedent. Several other states subsequently enacted similar laws in the years following.[46]
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Daniels entered the 2008 election year with a 51% approval rate, and 28% disapproval rate. Daniels’ reelection campaign focused on the states unemployment rate, which had lowered during his time in office, the proposed property tax reform amendment, and the successful balancing of the state budget during his first term.[47]

On November 4, 2008, Daniels defeated Democratic candidate Jill Long Thompson and was elected to a second term as Governor with 57.8% of votes.[48] He was reinaugurated on January 12, 2009. Washington Post blogger Chris Cillizza named the Daniels reelection campaign “The Best Gubernatorial Campaign of 2008″ and noted that some Republicans were already bandying about his name for the 2012 presidential election.[49] Daniels garnered 20 percent of the African American vote and 37 percent of Latinos in his 2008 re-election campaign.

On July 14, 2010 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Daniels was on hand to help announce the return of IndyCar Series chassis manufacturing to the state of Indiana.[50] Dallara Automobili will build a new technology center in Speedway, Indiana and the state of Indiana will subsidize the sale of the first 28 IndyCar chassis with a $150,000 discount.[51]

Daniels has been recognized for his commitment to fiscal discipline. He is a recent recipient of the Herman Khan Award from the conservative think tank the Hudson Institute, of which he is a former President and CEO, and was one of the first to receive the Fiscy award for fiscal discipline.[52] A November 2010 poll gave Daniels a 75% approval rate.[53]
[edit] Second term

Democrats won a majority in the Indiana House of Representatives in the 2006 and 2008 elections. This caused Indiana to have a divided government, with Democrats controlling the Indiana House of Representatives and the Republicans controlling the Governor’s office and the Indiana Senate. This also lead to a stalemate in the budget debate, which caused Mitch Daniels call a special session of the Indiana General Assembly. The state was faced with a $1 billion shortfall in revenue for the 2009–11 budget years. Daniels proposed a range of spending cuts and cost saving measures in his budget proposal. The General Assembly approved some of his proposals, but relied heavily on the state’s reserve funds to pay for the budget shortfall. Daniels signed the $27 billion two-year budget into law.
[edit] 2011 legislative walkout
See also: 2011 Indiana legislative walkouts

In the 2010 mid-term elections, Republican super-majorities regained control of the House, and took control of the Senate, giving the party full control of General Assembly for the first time in Daniels’ tenure as governor. The 2011 Indiana General Assembly’s regular legislative session began in January and the large Republicans majorities attempted to implement a wide-ranging conservative agenda largely backed by Daniels. Most of the agenda had been “dormant” since Daniels’ election due to divided control of the assembly.[54] In February, Republican legislators attempted to pass a right to work bill in the Indiana House of Representatives. The bill would have made it illegal for employees to be required to join a workers’ union. Republicans argued that it would help the state attract new employers. Unable to prevent the measure from passing, Democratic legislators fled the state to deny the body quorum while several hundred protesters staged demonstrations at the capital. Minority walkouts are somewhat common in the state, occurring as recently as 2005.[55]
While Daniels supported the legislation, he believed the Republican lawmakers should drop the bill because it was not part of their election platform and deserved a period of public debate. Republicans subsequently dropped the bill, but the Democratic lawmakers still refused to return to the capital, demanding additional bills be tabled, including a bill to create a statewide school voucher program. Their refusal to return left the Indiana General Assembly unable to pass any legislation, until three of the twelve bills they objected to were dropped from the agenda on March 28. The minority subsequently returned to the statehouse to resume their duties.[55]

Daniels was interviewed in February 2011 about the similar 2011 Wisconsin budget protests in Madison. While supporting the Wisconsin Republicans, he said that in Indiana “we’re not in quite the same position or advocating quite the same things they are up in Madison.”[56]
[edit] Education

Following the legislative walkouts, the assembly began passing most of the agenda and Daniels signed the bills into law. Written in collaboration with Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett, a series of education reform laws made a variety of major changes to statewide public schools. A statewide school voucher program was enacted. Children in homes with an income under $41,000 could receive vouchers equal to 90% of the cost of their public school tuition and use that money to attend a private school. It provides lesser benefits to households with income over $41,000. The program will be gradually phased in over a three-year period and would be available to all state residents by 2014.[54][57][58]

Other funds were redirected to creating and expanding charter schools, and expanding college scholarship programs. The law also created a merit pay system to give better performing teachers higher wages, and gave broader authority to school superintendents to terminate the employment of teachers and restricts the collective bargaining rights of teachers.[57]
[edit] Abortion

In May, the state ended all funding for Planned Parenthood and all other health service providers who offered abortion services. Another law enacted banning abortions for women more than twenty weeks pregnant.[54] Planned Parenthood and the ACLU subsequently brought a lawsuit against the state alleging it was being targeted unfairly, that the state law violated federal medicaid laws, and that their Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated. A May 11 ruling allowing the case to move forward, but denied the request from the petitioners to grant a temporary injunction to restore the funding;[59] however, a June 24 ruling prohibited the state from enforcing the law.[60]

In the same week, the legislature passed other bills backed by Daniels, including a law that banned synthesized marijuana.[54]
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When are people going to realize that both parties are to blame what has happened to America. I am tired of people supprting a party, when neither working for the people and only which ever party they belong to. people say they are republican or democrat when they believe in what both parties may say. Paeople have to stop voting along party lines and vote for the person and what they believe in.
I can’t understand one thing here: If the GOP claims that things are so bad, why did all of them make MORE money under Obama? If the GOP are the so called “job enablers” why is it their agenda to dismantle every single law, regulation­, agency, department that is geared to protect WORKING men and women? They are not investing their money here, it goes to China. They cry about the Keystone Pipeline, there again, no benefit to America other then a few short term jobs. Gas drilling (hydrofrak­king) Utica/Marc­ellus Shale, China has invested over $2 billion dollars across the state line from me, in Ohio, so all of the “free, clean, ENERGY for AMERICA is already contracted out to CHINA! These GOP only want to work for Rich Corporatio­ns, who in turn do not want to pay their FAIR share of tax, and thier CEO’s like Romney claim they should pay little or NO tax on their capital gains…An­yone with eyes and ears can read, hear that the wealth gap in America has gotten much bigger, and the GOP wants to keep it that way. I am not against success, I am against unchecked GREED at the expense of working men and women, it is THEIR sweat equity that makes it all go.

demi moore hospitalized

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 9:31 am

It has been a whirlwind few months for Demi Moore, who’s going through a split with her estranged husband, Ashton Kutcher. And now the drama has taken a toll on her health.

Moore’s reps released this statement to USA TODAY this evening:

Because of the stresses in her life right now, Demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health. She looks forward to getting well and is grateful for the support of her family and friends. We have no comment beyond this statement.

Additionally, TMZ reports that a 911 call was placed late Monday night and that paramedics transported the star from her L.A. home to a hospital.

L.A. City Fire Dept. spokesman Matt Spence confirmed an emergency call came from Moore’s address, telling People, “We transported at least one patient to a local hospital. The patient was transported at 11:21 p.m.”

Moore filed for divorce from Kutcher in November after six years of marriage.

“As a woman, a mother and a wife there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen to move forward with my life,” she said at the time.

Her rep confirmed to EW.com that Moore has pulled out of Lovelace, the film in which she was to play Gloria Steinem.

Moore’s ex, Ashton Kutcher, hasn’t mentioned the incident on Twitter at this point. He has been tweeting from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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After a 911 call landed Demi Moore in the hospital, her rep said she is seeking professional help.

According to TMZ.com, paramedics responded to the 911 call at Moore’s home on Monday night and the actress was rushed to a local hospital.

On Wednesday, RadarOnline reported Moore had a seizure and is being treated for anorexia, among other substance abuse issues.

In November, Moore, 49, split from her husband Kutcher, who is in Brazil to shoot a catalogue for the Brazilian fashion brand Colcci.

Moore, who was recently spotted partying at Beacher’s Madhouse in Hollywood with daughter Rumer Willis, was just cast as Gloria Steinem in Lovelace a Linda Lovelace biopic.

As of Tuesday night, her rep said she would no longer be working on the project.

After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), and in the early 1990s, became one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood with her successes in Ghost (1990), A Few Good Men (1992), Indecent Proposal (1993), and Disclosure (1994).

Moore took her professional name from her first husband, musician Freddy Moore, and is the mother of three daughters from her second marriage to actor Bruce Willis. She married her third husband, actor Ashton Kutcher, in 2005, and separated from him in 2011.
Moore was born in Roswell, New Mexico. As a child, she had a difficult and unstable home life. Her biological father, Charles Harmon, left her mother, Virginia King (November 27, 1943 – July 2, 1998), after a two-month marriage, before Moore was born. As a result, Moore had the surname of her stepfather, Danny Guynes (March 9, 1943 – October 1980 by suicide), on her birth certificate. Danny Guynes frequently changed jobs; as a result, the family moved a total of forty times. Moore has two younger half-brothers: James Craig Harmon (paternal) and Morgan Guynes (maternal, born 1967). Although disputed by Moore,[2] many sources give her birth name as Demetria or Demitria.[3][4][5][6] Her parents were alcoholics who often fought and beat each other. Moore was cross-eyed as a child and wore an eye patch in an attempt to correct the problem until it was ultimately corrected by two surgeries. She also suffered from kidney dysfunction.[7]

Moore’s family settled in Los Angeles in 1976. She attended Fairfax High School in Hollywood, where her schoolmates included Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis, bassist Michael Balzary (aka Flea) and actor Timothy Hutton. When Moore was 16, her friend Nastassja Kinski persuaded her to drop out of school to become an actress.
After training with John Casablancas, the founder of Elite Model Management and posing as a cover model for Oui magazine,[8] Moore made her film debut with a small supporting role in the 1981 deaf-teen drama Choices, directed by Silvio Narizzano.[9] She joined the ensemble of the 1982 3-D science fiction/horror film Parasite after director Charles Band instructed casting director Johanna Ray to “find me the next Karen Allen.”[8] However, Moore was not widely known until she played the part of Jackie Templeton on the ABC soap opera General Hospital from 1982 to 1983.

In the mid-1980s, Moore appeared in the youth-oriented films St. Elmo’s Fire, Blame It on Rio and About Last Night…, and she was often listed as one of the Brat Pack, a name the media dubbed a certain group of top young actors at the time. In 1988, she starred in The Seventh Sign directed by Carl Schultz. After the commercial success of Ghost, Moore was given more prominent roles in A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal, Disclosure, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame for which she was the first actress to reach the $10 million salary mark.
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uring the early 1990s, she was the highest paid actress in Hollywood.[citation needed] She never surpassed the success of Ghost, and had a string of less successful films like Nothing but Trouble, The Scarlet Letter, The Juror, Striptease, and G.I. Jane. Moore’s Passion of Mind co-star Joss Ackland lambasted her by describing her as being “not very bright or talented”,[10] although he worked with her again on Flawless in 2008. At the same time, she produced and starred in a TV miniseries called If These Walls Could Talk, written by Nancy Savoca. A three-part series on abortion, Savoca directed two segments, including the one in which Moore played a single woman in the 1950s seeking a back-alley abortion. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress for that role.

Moore was a founding “celebrity investor” in the Planet Hollywood chain of international theme restaurants (modeled after the Hard Rock Cafe and launched in New York on October 22, 1991) along with Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and then-husband Bruce Willis.

After a break from her acting career, Moore returned to the screen as the villain of the 2003 film Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. In 2006, she appeared in Bobby which featured an all-star cast, including her husband Ashton Kutcher, although they did not appear in any scenes together. She later starred in the thriller film Mr. Brooks, which was released on June 1, 2007. She appeared in Jon Bon Jovi’s longform video “Destination Anywhere” as Janie.[11]

In 2006, Moore became the new face for the Helena Rubinstein brand of cosmetics.[12]
In August 1991, Moore appeared nude on the cover of Vanity Fair under the title More Demi Moore. Annie Leibovitz shot the picture while Moore was seven months pregnant with her daughter Scout LaRue, intending to portray “anti-Hollywood, anti-glitz” attitude.[13] The cover sparked an intense controversy for Vanity Fair and Moore. It was widely discussed on television, radio, and in newspaper articles.[14] The frankness of Leibovitz’s portrayal of a pregnant sex symbol led to divided opinions, ranging from complaints of sexual objectification to celebrations of the photograph as a symbol of empowerment.[15]

The photograph was subject to numerous parodies, including the Spy magazine version, which placed Moore’s then husband Bruce Willis’ head on her body. In Leibovitz v. Paramount Pictures Corp., Leibovitz sued over one parody featuring Leslie Nielsen, made to promote the 1994 film Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult. In the parody, the model’s body was attached to what is described as “the guilty and smirking face” of Nielsen. The teaser said “Due this March”.[16] The case was dismissed in 1996 because the parody relied “for its comic effect on the contrast between the original”.[16] In November 2009, the Moroccan magazine Femmes du Maroc emulated the infamous pose with Moroccan news reporter Nadia Larguet, causing controversy in the majority Muslim nation.[17] In August 1992, Moore would again appear nude on the cover of Vanity Fair, modeling for the world’s leading body painting artist, Joanne Gair in Demi’s Birthday Suit.[18][19] The painting is widely considered to be the best-known example of modern body painting artworkIn 1980, at the age of 18, she married singer Freddy Moore, adopting his surname.[21] The marriage ended in 1984.[22]

In 1987, Moore met and married her second husband, actor Bruce Willis.[23] They had three daughters together: Rumer Glenn Willis (born August 16, 1988), Scout LaRue Willis (born July 20, 1991), and Tallulah Belle Willis (born February 3, 1994).[23] Moore and Willis divorced in 2000.[23]

After two years of dating, Moore wed actor Ashton Kutcher on September 24, 2005.[22] On November 17, 2011, Moore released a statement announcing her intention to divorce Kutcher.[24] The announcement followed weeks of media speculation about the state of the couple’s marriage due to his alleged cheating.[25]

james farentino dies

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 9:28 am

Among his many television appearances, Farentino guest-starred in 1964 with Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., in the episode “Super-Star” of the CBS drama series, The Reporter, with Harry Guardino in the starring role of journalist Danny Taylor of the fictitious New York Globe newspaper. Early in 1967, he appeared in Barry Sullivan’s NBC western series The Road West in the episode “Reap the Whirlwind”.

In 1969, he starred opposite Patty Duke in the film Me, Natalie. Farentino was one of the lawyers in NBC TV series The Bold Ones (1969–1972), which also starred Burl Ives and Joseph Campanella. He made two appearances in the 1970s anthology television series Night Gallery, once with then-wife Michele Lee (”Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay”), and secondly with actress Joanna Pettet (”The Girl With The Hungry Eyes”). In the 1970s, he appeared in an NBC Mystery Movie, Cool Million. In 1978, Farentino was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Special for his portrayal of Saint Peter in the mini-series, Jesus of Nazareth.

In 1980, Farentino starred in The Final Countdown with Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen. In the movie, the supercarrier U.S.S. Nimitz (captained by Douglas) is sent back in time by a strange storm at sea to December 6, 1941 (the day before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor). The Captain must decide whether or not to use the force of the modern warship Nimitz to stop the attack or to allow history to proceed as “normal”. Farentino appeared as “Frank Chaney” in the short-lived 1984 ABC series Blue Thunder, based on the 1983 film of the same name starring Roy Scheider. (The 11-episode series, which starred a then-unknown Dana Carvey, was released on DVD in August 2006.) In the late 1990s, he appeared as Doug Ross’ estranged father, “Ray”, on ER.
[edit] Personal life

Farentino was married to:

* Stella Farentino (August 3, 1994 – his death); Stella filed for divorce in 1998 due to “irreconcilable differences,” but later withdrew her petition. Then, James himself filed for divorce in January 2001, also due to “irreconcilable differences”; however the couple remained married until James Farentino’s death.
* Debrah Farentino (June 1985 – 1988; divorced)
* Michele Lee (February 20, 1966 – 1982; divorced); one child, David
* Elizabeth Ashley (September 1, 1962 – 1965; divorced)[2][3][4]

Farentino was charged with stalking his former girlfriend, Tina Sinatra (youngest child of Frank Sinatra), in 1993. A restraining order was issued against him after he entered a plea of No Contest.[5]

Farentino was arrested in Vancouver, British Columbia, on July 23, 1991, after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police intercepted a package containing 3.2 grams of cocaine being sent to his hotel room. Farentino was in town filming the TV movie, Miles From Nowhere. He was charged with cocaine possession and released on bail.[6]

In 2010, Farentino was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor battery after a citizen’s arrest was made against the actor. [7] Police were called to Farentino’s Hollywood home. He was taken into custody and booked at the LAPD’s Hollywood-area station. Farentino was released two days later after posting $20,000 bond. Police said the actor was trying to physically remove a man from his house. The man, who police said suffered visible bruising, made a citizen’s arrest on Farentino for battery.[8]
[edit] Death

On January 24, 2012, Farentino died of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles following a long illness. [9][1]
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James Farentino, the veteran tube star perhaps best known for a recurring role on TV’s Dynasty and playing George Clooney’s estranged dad on ER, has died.

He was 73.

A family spokesman told the Los Angeles Times that Farentino passed away Tuesday at L.A.’s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after a long illness.

Farentino shot to fame at the tail end of the studio system in the 1960s as a contract player for Universal Pictures.

After winning a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer for his performance in the 1967 comedy The Pad and How to Use It , the thesp earned a number of parts in such TV series as The Fugitive, The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, and Police Story. He also played Simon Peter in the 1977 miniseries Jesus of Nazareth.

His most prominent big-screen appearance came shortly thereafter opposite Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen in 1980’s sci-fi adventure The Final Countdown.

Farentino made his most memorable mark with younger audiences in a recurring role on ABC’s Dynasty as well as briefly starring in the 1984 tube series Blue Thunder, playing the character Roy Scheider made famous in the movie.

MORE: M*A*S*H Star Harry Morgan Dies

The next decade however saw Farentino’s career hit the skids after he pleaded no contest in 1994 to stalking on-and-off girlfriend Tina Sinatra, the youngest daughter of Frank Sinatra. Aside from harassing her with a slew of phone calls, the Brooklyn-born actor violated a restraining order barring him from contacting her. He was sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to undergo psychiatric and alcohol counseling.

Despite the bad press, Farentino still managed to get jobs, most notably playing Doug Ross’ father on NBC’s megahit ER. In 1998, he also appeared on Melrose Place.

No word yet on funeral plans.

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James Farentino, the Brooklyn-born actor who carved a successful career that always kept him circling on the outskirts of stardom, died Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 73.

The official cause was heart failure. A family spokesman said he had been ill for some time.

Farentino was best known for his long recurring role on “Dynasty,” but he acted in close to a hundred TV shows, stage dramas and movies.

He got an Emmy nomination for playing St. Peter in the 1978 mini-series “Jesus of Nazareth.” He played George Clooney’s estranged father on “ER” and Stanley Kowalski in a 1973 production of “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

He often played characters who were tough and a little roguish, with dark sides, and that mirrored his personal life.

He was married four times – the last time just five months after he was arrested in March 1994 for stalking his ex-girlfriend Tina Sinatra. He pleaded no contest to the charge and was placed on 36 months probation with orders to undergo alcohol and psychiatric counseling.

He had also been arrested in 1991 in Canada for cocaine possession, and he told the Los Angeles Times in 2003 that the Sinatra case marked a low point of his life and career.

“My behavior was appalling,” he said.

His fourth marriage lasted until his death, though both he and his wife filed for divorce at separate times, citing irreconcilable differences.

The son of a clothing designer, Farentino went to school in Brooklyn and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He launched his acting career with a small role in the 1961 Broadway production of “Night of the Iguana.”

His TV career started in 1962 with guest roles in shows that included “77 Sunset Strip,” “Naked City,” “The Defenders” and “Route 66.”

His film breakthrough came in 1967 with “The Pad and How to Use It,” for which he won a Golden Globe award as most promising newcomer.

That led to a starring role opposite Patty Duke in the 1969 film “Me, Natalie.”

A decade later he starred opposite Martin Sheen and Kirk Douglas in the sci-fi film “The Final Countdown.”

Most of his work was in television, however, including a recurring roles on “The Bold Ones: The Lawyers” and “Melrose Place.”

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January 24, 2012

jorge posada

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 12:04 pm

NEW YORK – Flanked by his wife and children, with five World Series trophies sitting on a table to his right, Jorge Posada announced his retirement Tuesday.

The five-time All-Star catcher ends his major league career after 17 seasons, all with the New York Yankees.

The 40-year-old Posada finished with a .273 career batting average, 275 home runs and 1,065 RBIs. Shifted to designated hitter last year, his playing time diminished.

Posada joins Bernie Williams and Andy Pettitte in retirement, leaving only 37-year-old Derek Jeter and 42-year-old Mariano Rivera from the core group that led the Yankees to four World Series titles in five years from 1996-2000.

With Jeter, Rivera and CC Sabathia looking on, Posada began by quoting Joe DiMaggio: “I want to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee.”

“I could never wear another uniform,” he said. “I will forever be a Yankee.”
Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta (born August 17, 1971) is a Puerto Rican former baseball catcher who played 17 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees from 1995 to 2011. Posada produced strong offensive numbers for his position, recording a .273 batting average, 275 home runs, and 1065 runs batted in (RBIs) during his career. A switch hitter, Posada was a five-time All-Star, won five Silver Slugger Awards, and was on four World Series championship teams.

Drafted by the Yankees in 1990, Posada was originally an infielder before moving to catcher during his minor league career. He debuted in the major leagues in 1995, but it was not until 1998 that he found regular playing time. A solid-hitting catcher, Posada established himself as a mainstay in the Yankees lineup and as one of the “Core Four” players who contributed to the Yankees’ winning seasons. In 2003, he finished third in voting for the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award and became only the second Yankees catcher after Yogi Berra to hit 30 home runs in a season. Posada added one of his best seasons in 2007 at age 35 when he batted .338. Following a stint as designated hitter in 2011, he retired.

Posada was only the fifth MLB catcher with 1,500 hits, 350 doubles, 275 home runs, and 1,000 RBIs in a career.[1] From 2000 to 2011, he compiled more RBIs, home runs, and hits than any other catcher in baseball. He is the only MLB catcher to ever bat .330 or better with 40 doubles, 20 home runs, and 90 RBIs in a single season.[citation needed] Away from baseball, Posada is involved with research for craniosynostosis, a disease that impacts his son.
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Posada has also been a member of four World Series championship teams (1998, 1999, 2000, 2009)[6] and six American League championship teams (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2009). Posada is a five-time All-Star (2000–03, 2007) and a five-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award in those same years.
[edit] 1995–1999

Posada made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 1995, replacing Jim Leyritz in the ninth inning of a game on September 4.[7] Despite his appearing in only one game during the regular season, the Yankees included Posada on their postseason roster, and he appeared in Game 2 of the 1995 American League Division Series as a pinch runner, scoring a run.[7]

Posada began the 1996 season with Columbus, but was promoted to the Yankees late in the season. He appeared in eight games, making his first start on September 25,[7] but he was not added to the postseason roster. Posada replaced Leyritz in 1997 as the backup catcher to Joe Girardi, with the expectation that he would appear in approximately 40 games:[8] he started in 52.[9] Going into the 1998 season, Posada pushed for more playing time.[9] Posada caught David Wells’ perfect game on May 17, 1998.[10] Overall, Posada batted .268 with 17 homers and 63 runs batted in over 111 games in the 1998 season.[11] The Yankees renewed Posada’s contract for $350,000 for the 1999 season, less than the $650,000 he asked for.[11] In 1999, Posada batted .245 and committed 17 passed balls.[12]

Girardi helped mentor Posada when they were teammates.[13] The two catchers split time for the Yankees through 1999, with Posada receiving “roughly 60 percent of the playing time behind the plate to Girardi’s 40 percent.”[14] During the 1999 season, Posada played in 112 games with 379 at-bats, while Girardi played in 65 games with 209 at-bats.[15] While Girardi began the 1999 postseason as the regular catcher,[15] Posada saw increased playing time.[16]
[edit] 2000–2007
Girardi left the Yankees as a free agent after the 1999 season to become a full-time catcher with the Chicago Cubs, which allowed Posada to become the Yankees’ full-time catcher.[17] With Girardi gone, the Yankees entrusted Posada with the everyday catching job.[18]

Posada won a Silver Slugger Award for catcher every year from 2000 to 2003. He started the All-Star game at catcher in 2002 and 2003.[19] In 2003, he hit 30 home runs (one every 16.0 at bats, ninth best in the league) and drove in 101 runs, both career highs. He batted .281 and was also fifth in the league in OBP (.405), and sixth in the league in walks (93; walking 17.5% of the time, a career high). He tied Yogi Berra’s record for most home runs by a Yankee catcher and finished third in the MVP voting.

In 2006, Posada posted his highest batting average and home run total since 2003. He also led the major leagues with 20 pinch hits.[20] In addition, work with new first base coach Tony Peña, a former catcher, helped him improve his percentage of runners thrown out stealing second almost 60 points above his career average. He batted (.277) and had 23 home runs with 93 RBIs. On May 16, Posada led the Yankees to a victory despite falling behind by nine runs, matching the largest deficit the Yankees overcame for a victory in franchise history.[21] He registered a +0.93 win probability added in that game, the highest of his career.[22]

Posada batted .338, with 20 home runs, 90 RBIs, and career highs in hits (171) and doubles (42) in 2007. He joined Iván Rodríguez as the only two catchers in MLB history to record at least 40 doubles in two separate seasons. He was 3rd in the AL in on-base percentage (.426), 4th in batting average, 6th in OPS (.970), and 8th in doubles and slugging percentage (.543). Posada batted .395 in September, and became the first Yankee catcher since Thurman Munson, in 1978, to finish among the top 10 AL batting leaders. His longest hitless streak was only 11 at-bats. Posada is the first catcher to hit .330 or better with a slugging percentage of at least .540 and an on-base percentage of at least .420 since Mike Piazza in 1996–97. On the final day of the 2007 regular season, Yankees manager Joe Torre allowed Posada to act as the manager for the game,[23] an honor that Torre traditionally bestowed upon a veteran player if the final game does not matter in the standings. The Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 10–4 to give Posada an unofficial win in his ‘managerial debut’.
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After starting the 2011 season in a slump, Posada was moved to ninth in the batting order for a May 14 game against the Boston Red Sox. Posada asked to be removed from the lineup. Posada told reporters that he needed time to “clear [his] head” and also mentioned some “stiffness” in his back as the reasons for his request. Manager Joe Girardi claimed he did not know about the “stiffness” but agreed to give Posada a day off because he thought he needed it “mentally”.[37] Posada apologized to Girardi and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman the next day saying he “just had a bad day” and a “very frustrating season so far”. The team management declined to discipline him and considered the matter closed.[38] Posada hit .382 in June,[39] but was removed from the everyday lineup due to his .230 season batting average.[40] On August 13, 2011, his first start since the benching, in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Posada went 3 for 5 with a grand slam and six RBIs. His grand slam was the tenth of his career, moving him past Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle for sixth place on the Yankees’ all-time list.[41] On August 25, 2011, he played second base for the first time in his Major League career during the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 22 to 9 victory over the A’s; Posada recorded the final out by fielding a grounder.[42]

On September 10, 2011, Posada played catcher for the first time all season against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after Russell Martin was injured by a foul tip, as Francisco Cervelli was unavailable to play and Jesus Montero was the DH for the game. Martin was taken out at the start of the 3rd inning and replaced by Posada. Posada went 1 for 2 with a single and threw out the only baserunner who tried to steal against him.[43] On September 21, 2011, Posada hit a pinch hit, go-ahead two-run single in the bottom of the 8th inning, giving the Yankees the lead; the Yankees won the game to clinch the AL East division title.[44] Posada finished the regular season with a .235 batting average, 14 home runs, and 44 RBI.

In the 2011 American League Division Series, Posada got six hits (including a triple), four runs, and four walks in 14 at-bats as the starting DH for a .429 batting average and a .579 on-base percentage.[45]
[edit] Retirement

When asked by reporters after the 2011 ALDS if had considered the fact he might have played for the final time with the Yankees, Posada said, “I don’t want to look at it like that. We lost, and we’ll see what happens in the off-season.” As the interview session went on, he eventually became emotional and left the clubhouse area to compose himself.[45] Girardi said, “This guy, when you look at what he did in this series, he was awesome. He’s had a tremendous career, and I’m sure he’s going to continue to play, and I don’t know what’s going to happen.” Girardi added, “But you talk about being proud of players — what he went through this year and what he gave us in the postseason, I don’t think there’s a prouder moment that I’ve had of Jorgie.”[45] Posada announced his retirement from baseball on January 24, 2012.[46]
[edit] Personal life

Posada’s father, Jorge Posada, Sr., is Cuban, but defected to Puerto Rico to escape Fidel Castro’s regime.[4][47] Posada, Sr. worked as a scout for the Colorado Rockies. His uncle, Leo Posada, played for the Kansas City Athletics.[48]

On January 21, 2000, Jorge married Laura (née Mendez),[citation needed] an attorney and former model and actress from Puerto Rico. They have two children, Jorge Luis and Paulina.

Posada’s son, Jorge Luis, suffers from craniosynostosis, which he was diagnosed with 10 days after he was born.[4] Jorge Luis has endured numerous surgeries to correct the condition. Posada established the Jorge Posada Foundation to help find a cure for the disease and support families with children affected by the condition. Jorge released a charity wine in 2008 called Jorge Cabernet to raise funds for his foundation.[49] In June 2011, his son underwent what Posada hoped would be the final surgery for the condition.[50]

Posada is close personal friends with teammate Derek Jeter, who served as best man at Posada’s wedding.[51]

Posada wrote a children’s book entitled Play Ball! that was published in 2006.[52] He and his wife cowrote Fit Home Team, a family health manual, and an autobiography titled The Beauty of Love: A Memoir of Miracles, Hope, and Healing, which describes their personal ordeals and how they dealt with them after learning of their son’s birth condition in 1999.[53]
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January 24, 2012 3:07 PM

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Jorge Posada retires after 17 seasons, 5 titles

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New York Yankees’ Jorge Posada poses for a picture while standing behind five World Series trophies he helped to win during a baseball news conference at Yankee Stadium in New York, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
(AP)

NEW YORK – Flanked by his wife and children, with five World Series trophies sitting on a table to his right, Jorge Posada announced his retirement Tuesday.

The five-time All-Star catcher ends his major league career after 17 seasons, all with the New York Yankees.

The 40-year-old Posada finished with a .273 career batting average, 275 home runs and 1,065 RBIs. Shifted to designated hitter last year, his playing time diminished.

Posada joins Bernie Williams and Andy Pettitte in retirement, leaving only 37-year-old Derek Jeter and 42-year-old Mariano Rivera from the core group that led the Yankees to four World Series titles in five years from 1996-2000.

With Jeter, Rivera and CC Sabathia looking on, Posada began by quoting Joe DiMaggio: “I want to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee.”

“I could never wear another uniform,” he said. “I will forever be a Yankee.”

Posada’s voice broke up, especially when he spoke in Spanish. He thanked his teammates, rubbing his chin three times and wiping his eyes.

“Hopefully you won’t miss me that much,” he said.

Diana Munson, wife of the late Yankees catcher Thurman Munson, spoke about how Posada helped revive her interest in baseball, which had disappeared after her husband’s death.

“I think he and Thurman definitely would have been best buds,” she said.

Posada said he made the decision to retire during last season, which turned tumultuous May 14 when he was dropped to No. 9 in the batting order against Boston. He asked to be taken out of the lineup, saying he wasn’t ready to play.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman said that was just a blip in his career — part of Posada’s fiery nature, the one that drew fans to him. Jeter said that emotion can’t be faked, that it comes from a drive to win.

“I feel the same way,” Jeter said. “I’m just better at hiding it.”

Jeter and Rivera talked about how their days for retirement would come.

“Mo’s going to be here longer than all of us,” Jeter said.

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tim thomas

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 12:00 pm

Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas fended off 238 shots during his team’s run to the 2011 Stanley Cup title.

Now Beantown’s bearded netminder is fending off some serious flak for his decision not to join his teammates for a White House ceremony on Monday celebrating their championship run.

In a statement on his Facebook page, Thomas explained his choice, saying: “I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People.”

Thomas is hardly the first athlete to use the sports platform to make a political statement.

Here are a few other memorable events involving U.S. athletes from the ‘Black Power Salute’ at the 1968 Olympics to ‘Los Suns.’
1967 – Muhammad Ali refuses enlistment in the United States Army after being drafted for the Vietnam War. Protesting: The Vietnam War.

1968 – American track and field stars Tommie Smith and John Carlos perform the ‘Black Power salute’ during the “Star-Spangled Banner” following their medal-winning sprints at the Mexico City Olympics. Protesting: The need for equality and black rights in the U.S.

1980 – The United States and 62 other countries boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Protesting: the Soviet Union’s Christmas Day invasion of Afghanistan.

1996 – Denver Nuggets guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf refuses to stand for the National Anthem before NBA games. Protesting: U.S. foreign policy and ‘tyranny’ which conflicted with his new Islamic beliefs. (Abdul-Rauf was suspended by the NBA for one game for his action.)

2004 – Blue Jays outfielder Carlos Delgado refuses to stand for “God Bless America” during 7th inning stretch. Protesting: The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

2010 – The Phoenix Suns sport “Los Suns” jerseys on Cinco De Mayo for a playoff game against the San Antonio Spurs. Protesting: Arizona’s new immigration law targetting illigal immigrants.

What political statements by athletes resonated with you? And what do you think of Thomas’s decision? Was his absence a political statement? Did he let his teammates down by not joining them to celebrate their achievement? Should he have swallowed his pride and gone anyway?

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Timothy James Thomas, Jr. (born April 15, 1974) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Raised in Davison, MI, Thomas played college hockey for the University of Vermont for four years, from 1993–1997, during which he was drafted 217th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He played for several years in the minor leagues and Europe, before making it to the NHL at age 28, with the Boston Bruins. He finally emerged as the Bruins’ starting goaltender at age 32. Thomas is a two-time winner of the Vezina Trophy (2009 and 2011) as the league’s best goaltender, and was a member of Team USA in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.[1] Thomas won the Conn Smythe Trophy for Most Valuable Player in the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. Winning it, along with the Stanley Cup, at age 37, he became the oldest player and second American-born player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy in NHL history, after Brian Leetch.[2]
Thomas played four seasons (1993–97) of college hockey for the University of Vermont, posting an 81–43–15 record to go with a 2.70 GAA and .924 save percentage. He ranks third in the NCAA Division I record book in career saves (3,950). He led the nation in save percentage in 1996 (.924) and helped UVM’s Catamounts to NCAA tournament appearances in his final two seasons, including a berth in the 1996 NCAA Frozen Four (a program first).[3] He was a two-time All-ECAC Conference selection and a two-time NCAA East All-American.[4] He ranks first all-time amongst Vermont goalies in games played (140), wins (81) and saves (3,950). At Vermont, Thomas played on the same team as Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Martin St. Louis.
Early pro years

Completing his four-year tenure at Vermont, Thomas played briefly for the Birmingham Bulls of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and Houston Aeros of the International Hockey League (IHL) in 1997–98, before transferring overseas mid-season to HIFK of the Finnish SM-Liiga. Thomas played 18 games with a save percentage of .947 as the team advanced through the playoffs to defeat Ilves in the finals and win the Finnish championship. After signing with the Edmonton Oilers on June 4, 1998,[4] Thomas initially moved to the AHL the following season with the Hamilton Bulldogs, where he played 15 games, before again transferring to HIFK. Thomas recorded a .917 save percentage in 14 games as HIFK made it to the league finals once more but finished as runners-up to TPS.

In 1999–2000, Thomas returned once again to North America to play for the Detroit Vipers of the IHL, then spent the next season with AIK of Sweden’s Elitserien. In 2001, #30 Thomas joined the Boston Bruins organization, but chose to continue playing in Europe, spending his first full SM-liiga season in 2001–02 with Kärpät of Oulu. Although the team didn’t get far in the playoffs, Thomas played a successful season of 32 games with a .925 save percentage.
AHL seasons, NHL debut

Beginning in 2002–03, Thomas played his initial two seasons with Boston’s AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. He made his National Hockey League (NHL) debut with the Bruins during the 2002–03 season, appearing in four games total, with a .907 save percentage and a 3–1 record. Thomas recorded his first NHL win in his league debut with the Bruins on October 19, 2002, in a 31-save, 4–3 win against the Edmonton Oilers.[4]
Return to Finland

As a result of the one-season duration NHL lockout in North America, in 2004–05 Thomas joined Jokerit of the SM-Liiga, his fourth stint in Finland. He played in all games of the season except one, 54 games in total, and racked up a league-high .946 save percentage. He also surpassed the previous record of 13 shutouts in the league by achieving 15 shutouts during the regular season. Thomas continued to perform in the playoffs, where he played 12 games with a .938 save percentage. The team was unable to defeat Kärpät in the finals, however, and Thomas was awarded his second silver medal in the SM-liiga. He received the Lasse Oksanen trophy (as the league’s best player) and the Kultainen kypärä award (as the league’s best player award as voted by the players), becoming the first Jokerit player to win the award since Teemu Selänne.
Boston Bruins
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In August 2005, Thomas signed to play with Jokerit for the 2005–06 season, but his contract included an NHL option and on September 14, one day before the regular season in the SM-liiga started, Thomas announced he had signed with the Boston Bruins, leaving Jokerit with rookie goaltender Joonas Hallikainen as their sole goaltender. Eventually Jokerit used three North American goaltenders (Karl Goehring, Steve Passmore and Tom Askey) that season but missed the playoffs.

When he returned to North America, he was assigned to Providence of the AHL out of training camp. However, as Boston suffered injuries to their two goalies Andrew Raycroft and Hannu Toivonen, Thomas earned his first call-up to the NHL in three years and took over as the Bruins starting goalie, completing the 2005–06 season with a 12–13–7 record, 2.77 goals against average (GAA), .917 save percentage and his first NHL shutout. As a result, Thomas was awarded the Boston Bruins 7th Player Award, voted by the fans as having gone beyond expectations. In the off-season, Thomas was re-signed by the Bruins to a three-year deal.
2006–2008

Although Boston’s previous starter, Andrew Raycroft, was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the off-season, Thomas began the 2006–07 season as the Bruins’ backup, behind Hannu Toivonen instead. However, as Toivonen struggled, Thomas was again promoted as the Bruins’ starting goaltender, eventually posting a 30–29–4 record with a .904 save percentage. He won the 7th Player Award for the second consecutive season and became the first goalie in team history to win the award twice.

During the summer of 2007, Thomas began a yoga-based physical conditioning program to increase his flexibility and strength, a concept that would greatly increase his abilities during the 2007–08 NHL season and onwards.[5]
On July 1, 2007, the Bruins acquired goaltender Manny Fernandez from the Minnesota Wild and later traded Thomas’ previous backup, Toivonen, to the St. Louis Blues. Many hockey analysts presumed that Thomas would support Fernandez as a backup goaltender once again for the 2007–08 season.[citation needed] However, as Fernandez went down to injury early in the season, Thomas seized the opportunity and once again emerged as the Bruins’ starting goalie. He was selected for his first NHL All-Star Game on January 22, 2008 as a replacement for Martin Brodeur and played in the third period of the game, stopping 14 of 18 shots. Thomas was credited with the win, as the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference 8–7.

Early in the 2008–09 season, Thomas became the first Bruins goalie to record back-to-back shutouts since Byron Dafoe in 1999, winning 1–0 games against the Edmonton Oilers on October 27, 2008 and the Vancouver Canucks on October 28.[6] His overall shutout streak came to end the next game at 154:43 minutes against the Calgary Flames on October 30.[7] In late November, Thomas missed a few games due to an illness. He was chosen to play in his second All-Star Game in 2009 and was once again the winning goaltender for the Eastern Conference, beating the Western Conference 12–11 in a shootout (the first time the All-Star Game required the tie-breaker since 2005).[8] A month later, on February 26, 2009, Thomas recorded his 100th NHL win, in a 6–0 shutout against the Anaheim Ducks.[8]
2008–2010

On April 2, 2009 Thomas agreed to a four-year extension with the Bruins, through the 2012–13 season. The contract will see him make $6 million the first two seasons, then $5 million and $3 million the final two seasons for an average annual salary of $5 million.[9] Two days later, on April 4, he posted his career-high fifth shutout of the season in a 1–0 win against the New York Rangers, clinching the top spot in the Eastern Conference, Boston’s first title since 2001–02.[10] His strong play allowed the Bruins to sweep the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the Bruins bowed out to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games in Round 2.

On June 18, 2009, Thomas was awarded the Vezina Trophy at the NHL awards, beating out Minnesota Wild netminder Niklas Bäckström and the Blue Jackets’ rookie goaltender Steve Mason. He led the NHL with his 2.10 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.

Thomas started for the Bruins in the 3rd NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2010. The game, held at Fenway Park in Boston, resulted in a 2–1 overtime victory over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers. But Thomas suffered a drop-off in form during the regular season, posting just a 17–18–8 record, albeit with a still-strong 2.56 GAA. He did not play at all in the playoffs, as Tuukka Rask played all the games for Boston. The Bruins won their Conference quarter-final series, and led the Philadelphia Flyers three games to none in the Conference semi-final. But Boston then lost the next four games to drop the series; the Flyers became just the third team in NHL history (after the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders) to win a series after losing the first three games.

Named to his third straight NHL All-Star Game in 2011 – the game was not played in 2010 due to the Winter Olympics – Thomas became the first goaltender in league history to earn the win in three consecutive All-Star Games.[11]
2010–2011 and Stanley Cup win

In the 2010–2011 season, following off-season hip surgery during the summer of 2010, Tim Thomas broke the NHL record for save percentage, beating Dominik Hasek’s record of .937, with a .938 percentage. On Friday, April 22, 2011, Thomas was named a finalist for the 2010–2011 Vezina Trophy, which he won on Wednesday, June 22, 2011.

On Friday, May 27, 2011, Thomas posted a shutout victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, sending the Boston Bruins to their first Stanley Cup appearance since 1990. In the Finals, Thomas again posted a shutout victory in Game 7 against the Vancouver Canucks. He was selected as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner, being only the second American-born NHL player to ever win the award, and the first in 17 years. During the Bruins’ playoff run, he set the record for most saves in a single postseason with 798 and the most saves in a Stanley Cup series with 238, and broke Frank McCool’s 66-year old record of fewest goals allowed in a 7-game Stanley Cup Finals, allowing only eight goals total (for an all-time record .967 save percentage in the Stanley Cup Finals). Thomas also became the first goaltender ever to post a shutout in a Game 7 on the road. At 37 years, 62 days, Thomas is the oldest recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy, the first American-born winner of the trophy since Brian Leetch in 1994, and the first American-born goaltender to win the award.[12]
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January 23, 2012

giants vs 49ers

Filed under: Family News — genius @ 7:25 am

The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The team plays its home games in East Rutherford, New Jersey at MetLife Stadium, which it shares with the New York Jets in a unique arrangement.

The Giants were one of five teams that joined the NFL in 1925, but the only one admitted that year which still exists. The team ranks third among all NFL franchises with seven NFL titles: four in the pre–Super Bowl era (1927, 1934, 1938, 1956) and three since the advent of the Super Bowl (Super Bowls XXI (1986), XXV (1990), and XLII (2007). Their championship tally is surpassed only by the Green Bay Packers (13) and Chicago Bears (9). During their history, the Giants have featured 15 Hall of Fame players, including NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award winners Mel Hein, Frank Gifford, Charlie Conerly, Y. A. Tittle, and Lawrence Taylor.

To distinguish themselves from the professional baseball team of the same name, the football team was incorporated as the “New York National League Football Company, Inc.” in 1929 and changed to “New York Football Giants, Inc.” in 1937. Although the baseball team moved to San Francisco after the 1957 season, the football team continues to use “New York Football Giants, Inc.” as its legal corporate name,[1] and is often referred to by fans and sportscasters as the “New York Football Giants”. The team has also gained several nicknames, including “Big Blue”, the “G-Men”, and the “Jints”, an intentionally mangled contraction seen frequently in the New York Post and New York Daily News, originating from the baseball team when they were based in New York. Additionally the team as a whole is occasionally referred to as the “Big Blue Wrecking Crew”, even though this moniker primarily and originally refers to the Giants defensive unit during the 80s and early 90s.[2]

The team’s heated rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles is the oldest of the NFC East rivalries, dating all the way back to 1933 and has been called the best rivalry in the NFL in the 21st century.[3][4]
The Giants played their first game as an away game against All New Britain in New Britain, Connecticut, on October 4, 1925.[5][6] They defeated New Britain 26–0 in front of a crowd of 10,000.[5] The Giants were successful in their first season, finishing with an 8–4 record.[7]

In its third season, the team finished with the best record in the league at 11–1–1 and was awarded the NFL title.[8] After a disappointing fourth season (1928) owner Mara bought the entire squad of the Detroit Wolverines, principally to acquire star quarterback Benny Friedman, and merged the two teams under the Giants name.

In 1930, there were still many who questioned the quality of the professional game, claiming the college “amateurs” played with more intensity than professionals. In December 1930, the Giants played a team of Notre Dame All Stars at the Polo Grounds to raise money for the unemployed of New York City. It was also an opportunity to establish the skill and prestige of the pro game. Knute Rockne reassembled his Four Horsemen along with the stars of his 1924 Championship squad and told them to score early, then defend. Rockne, like much of the public, thought little of pro football and expected an easy win.[9] But from the beginning it was a one-way contest, with Friedman running for two Giant touchdowns and Hap Moran passing for another. Notre Dame failed to score. When it was all over, Coach Rockne told his team, “That was the greatest football machine I ever saw. I am glad none of you got hurt.”[10] The game raised $100,000 for the homeless, and is often credited with establishing the legitimacy of the professional game for those who were critical.[
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In a fourteen-year span from 1933 to 1946, the Giants qualified to play in the NFL championship game 8 times, winning twice.[8] During the period the Giants were led by Hall of Fame coach Steve Owen, and Hall of Fame players Mel Hein, Red Badgro, and Tuffy Leemans. This period also included the famous “Sneakers Game”, where they defeated the Chicago Bears on an icy field in the 1934 NFL Championship game, while wearing sneakers for better traction.[8] The Giants were particularly successful from the latter half of the 1930s until the United States entry into World War II. They added their third NFL championship in 1938 with a 23–17 win over the Green Bay Packers.[8]
[edit] 1947–63

They did not win another league title until 1956, aided by a number of future Pro Football Hall of Fame players such as running back Frank Gifford, linebacker Sam Huff, and offensive tackle Roosevelt Brown, as well as all-pro running back Alex Webster. The Giants’ 1956 championship team not only included players who would eventually find their way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but a Hall of Fame coaching staff, as well. Head coach Jim Lee Howell’s staff had Vince Lombardi coaching the offense and Tom Landry coaching the defense.[11] From 1958 to 1963, the Giants played in the NFL Championship Game five times, but failed to win.[8] Most significantly, the Giants played the Colts in the 1958 NFL Championship Game that is considered a watershed event in the history of the NFL.[12] The game, which the Giants lost in overtime 23–17,[8] is often considered one of the most important events in furthering the NFL’s popularity. The following year, they lost the championship to the Colts again, giving up a 16–9 4th quarter enroute to 31–16 loss. In 1963 led by league MVP quarterback Y.A. Tittle, who threw a then-NFL record 36 touchdown passes, the Giants advanced to the NFL Championship Game, where they lost to the Bears 14–10.[13]
[edit] 1964–78

From 1964 to 1978, the Giants registered only two winning seasons and no playoff appearances.[7] With players such as Tittle and Gifford approaching their mid 30s, the team declined rapidly, finishing 2–10–2 in 1964.[7] They rebounded with a 7–7 record in 1965,[7] before compiling a league-worst 1–12–1 record,[14] and allowing more than 500 points on defense in 1966.[14] During the 1969 preseason, the Giants lost their first meeting with the New York Jets, 37–14, in front of 70,874 fans at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut.[15] Following the game, Wellington Mara fired coach Allie Sherman,[16] and replaced him with former Giants fullback Alex Webster.

In 1967, the team acquired quarterback Fran Tarkenton from the Minnesota Vikings. Despite having several respectable seasons with Tarkenton at quarterback, including a 7–7 finish in 1967 and 9–5 in 1970,[7] the Giants traded him back to the Vikings after a 4–10 finish in 1971 .[17] Tarkenton would go on to lead the Vikings to three Super Bowls and earn a place in the Hall of Fame,[17] while the Giants suffered through one of the worst stretches in their history,[7] winning only 23 games from 1973–79.[7] Before the 1976 season, the Giants tried to revive a weak offense by replacing retired RB Ron Johnson with future HOF fullback Larry Csonka, but Csonka was often injured and ineffective during his 3 years in New York. The 1977 season featured a roster that included three rookie quarterbacks.[18]

The Giants were allowed to play their home games at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut in 1973–74, and at at Shea Stadium (home of the Mets) in 1975, due to the renovation of Yankee Stadium. They finally moved into their own dedicated state-of-the-art stadium in 1976,[11] when they moved into Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey. One of the low points during this period was the play known as the “Miracle at the Meadowlands”, which occurred in 1978.[19] With the Giants trying to secure a win against the Philadelphia Eagles,[19] they chose to call a running play—which resulted in a fumble that was returned for a game-winning touchdown by the Eagles’ Herman Edwards.[19]

The Giants’ front office operations were complicated by a long-standing feud between Wellington Mara and his nephew, Tim Mara.[20] Jack Mara had died in 1965, leaving his share of the club to his son Tim. Wellington and Tim’s personal styles and their visions for the club clashed, and eventually they stopped talking to each other. Commissioner Rozelle intervened and appointed a neutral general manager, George Young, allowing the club to operate more smoothly. The feud became moot on February 20, 1991, when Tim Mara sold his shares in the club to Preston Robert Tisch.
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In 1979, the Giants began the steps that would, in time, return them to the pinnacle of the NFL. These included the drafting of quarterback Phil Simms in 1979, and linebacker Lawrence Taylor in 1981.[11] In 1981, Taylor won the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards and the Giants made the playoffs for the first time since 1963.[7][21] One of the few bright spots during this time was the team’s excellent linebackers, who were known as the Crunch Bunch.[22] After the strike-shortened 1982 season, in which they finished 4–5,[7] head coach Ray Perkins resigned to take over the same position at the University of Alabama. In a change that would prove crucial in the coming years, he was replaced by the team’s defensive coordinator, Bill Parcells.

The Giants struggled in Parcells’s initial year and finished with 3–12–1 record.[7] After 9–7 and 10–6 finishes in 1984 and 1985 respectively,[7] the Giants compiled a 14–2 record in 1986 led by league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Lawrence Taylor and the Big Blue Wrecking Crew defense. The Giants defeated the 49ers 49–3 in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs [23] and the Redskins 17–0 in the NFC championship game, advancing to their first Super Bowl,[24] Super Bowl XXI, against the Denver Broncos at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Led by MVP Simms who completed 22 of 25 passes for a Super Bowl record 88% completion percentage, they defeated the Broncos 39–20,[25] to win their first championship since 1956. In addition to Simms and Taylor, the team was led during this period by head coach Bill Parcells, tight end Mark Bavaro, running back Joe Morris, and Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson.

The Giants struggled to a 6–9 record in the strike-marred 1987 season,[7] due largely to a decline in the running game, as Morris managed only 658 yards[26] behind an injury-riddled offensive line.[27] The early portion of the 1988 season was marred by a scandal involving Lawrence Taylor. Taylor had abused cocaine and was suspended for the first four games of the season for his second violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. Despite the controversy, the Giants finished 10–6, and Taylor recorded 15.5 sacks after his return from the suspension. They surged to a 12–4 record in 1989, but lost to the Los Angeles Rams in their opening playoff game when Flipper Anderson caught a 47-yard touchdown pass to give the Rams a 19–13 overtime win. In 1990, the Giants went 13–3 and set an NFL record for fewest turnovers in a season (14).[28] They defeated the San Francisco 49ers, who were attempting to win the Super Bowl for an unprecedented third straight year, 15–13 at San Francisco [29] and then defeated the Buffalo Bills 20–19 in Super Bowl XXV.[25]

Following the 1990 season, Parcells resigned as head coach and was replaced by the team’s offensive coordinator, Ray Handley. Handley served as coach for two disappointing seasons (1991–92), which saw the Giants fall from Super Bowl champions to 6–10 records. He was fired following the 1992 season, and replaced by former Denver Broncos’ coach Dan Reeves. In the early 1990s, Simms and Taylor, two of the stars of the 1980s, played out the last seasons of their careers with steadily declining production. The Giants experienced a resurgent season with Reeves at the helm in 1993 however, and Simms and Taylor ended their careers as members of a playoff team.
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The Giants initially struggled in the post Simms-Taylor era. After starting 3–7 in 1994, the Giants won their final six games to finish 9–7 but missed the playoffs.[30] Quarterback Dave Brown received heavy criticism throughout the season.[31] Brown performed poorly the following two seasons, and the Giants struggled to 5–11 and 6–10 records.[7] Reeves was fired following the 1996 season, and replaced by Jim Fassel, former offensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals. Fassel named Danny Kanell the team’s starting quarterback, and the team finished 10–5–1 and made the playoffs in 1997.[7] After losing in the first round to the Vikings in 1997, the Giants needed to close out the season with four wins to finish 8–8 in 1998. One of the bright spots of that season was a win over the Denver Broncos in week 15, giving the Broncos their first loss of the season after starting 13–0.

Before the 1999 season Kerry Collins was brought in to help the team. Collins was the first–ever draft choice of the expansion Carolina Panthers in 1995, and led the Panthers to the NFC Championship game in his second season. However, problems with alcohol, conflicts with his teammates and questions about his character led to his release from the Panthers.[32] The Giants finished 7–9 in 1999.[7]
[edit] 2000 season

The 2000 season was considered a make-or-break year for Fassel. The conventional wisdom was that Fassel needed to have a strong year and a playoff appearance to save his job. After two back-to-back losses at home against St. Louis and Detroit, the Giants fell to 7–4[33] and their playoff prospects were in question. At a press conference following the Giants’ loss to Detroit, Fassel guaranteed that “[t]his team is going to the playoffs”.[34] The Giants responded, winning the rest of their regular season games to finish the season 12–4[33] and earn a bye as the NFC’s top seed. The Giants won their first playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles, 20–10, and defeated the Minnesota Vikings 41–0 in the NFC Championship game.[33] They advanced to play the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV. Though the Giants went into halftime down only 10–0,[35] the Ravens dominated the second half. Their defense harassed Kerry Collins all game long, resulting in Collins completing only 15 of 39 passes for 112 yards and 4 interceptions.[35] The Ravens won the game 34–7.[35]
[edit] 2004 season

In 2004, three years after their last Super Bowl appearance, Fassel was replaced by current coach Tom Coughlin. Although Collins had several solid seasons as the Giants quarterback, he experienced his share of struggles. In 2004, the Giants completed a draft day trade for University of Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning.[36] Manning became the team’s starting quarterback in the middle of the 2004 season, taking over for Kurt Warner. The early part of Coughlin’s tenure produced inconsistent results (a 25–23 record and two playoff appearances—both losses, before the 2007 season[37]) and spawned intense media scrutiny concerning the direction of the team.[38] During this period in their history, standout players included defensive end Michael Strahan, who set the NFL single season record in sacks in 2001,[39] and running back Tiki Barber, who set a team record for rushing yards in a season in 2005.[40]
[edit] 2007 season and Super Bowl victory

Going into 2007, the Giants had made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons. In 2007, the Giants became the third NFL franchise to win at least 600 games when they defeated the Atlanta Falcons 31–10 on Monday Night Football .[41] For the 2007 season, the NFL scheduled the Giants’ road game against the Miami Dolphins on October 28 in London’s Wembley Stadium; this was the first NFL regular-season game to be played outside of North America. The Giants defeated the Dolphins, 13–10. The Giants finished 10–6, and became NFC Champions after defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, and Green Bay Packers in the NFC Playoffs. They set a record for most consecutive road wins with 10 (a streak which ended with a loss to the Cleveland Browns during week 6 of the 2008 season).

The Patriots (18–0) entered the Super Bowl undefeated and were 12 point favorites going into game weekend.[42] The Giants defeated the Patriots 17–14 in Super Bowl XLII, capped by the famous “Manning to Tyree” pass. the third biggest upset by betting line in Super Bowl history. (The Baltimore Colts were favored by 17 over the New York Jets in Super Bowl III, and the St. Louis Rams were favored by 14 over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI.) [43] Co-owner John Mara described it as “the greatest victory in the history of this franchise, without question”.[
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In 2008, the Giants won the NFC East with a record of 12–4 (and also were the number one seed in the NFC after beating the Carolina Panthers for home field advantage), but lost 23–11 to the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round of the playoffs.[45]

In 2009, the Giants opened a new training complex, the Timex Performance Center, also located in the Meadowlands. After starting 5–0 in the 2009 season, New York lost to the likewise undefeated New Orleans Saints at the Superdome 48–27, beginning a four game losing streak,[46] in which they lost to the Arizona Cardinals 24-17, the Chargers 21-20 and the Eagles 40-17. The streakwhich was broken with a 34–31 overtime victory against the Atlanta Falcons. On Thanksgiving night, they lost to the Denver Broncos 26–6. The Giants next beat the division leading Dallas Cowboys. A week later, with a record of 7–5, they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 45–38. On December 27, the Giants lost to the Carolina Panthers 41–9 in their final game at Giants Stadium, and were eliminated from playoff eligibility. The Giants finished the season 8–8.

Third year wideout Steve Smith led the team with 107 receptions (a team record), 1,220 receiving yards (second most in a season for the Giants) and 7 touchdowns.

Following the season, the Giants fired first-year defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan, and replaced him with the former Buffalo Bills interim head coach, Perry Fewell. The Giants defense finished 13th overall under Sheridan, giving up 324.9 yards per game, and the final two losses of the season against Carolina and Minnesota, in which the Giants gave up 85 points, ultimately led to the firing.[47]

In 2010, the Giants moved from Giants Stadium into MetLife Stadium, then known as the “New Meadowlands Stadium”. They won against the Panthers in the first game at the New Meadowlands, but then lost to the Colts in the second “Manning Bowl”, so-called due to Eli Manning’s brother Peyton playing for the Colts. The Giants dropped one game to the Titans before going on a 5-game winning streak, beating the Bears, Texans, Lions, Cowboys and Seahawks. Before long, the Giants were 6-2, but lost two straight to division foes: to the Dallas Cowboys 33-20 at home, and to the Eagles on the road, putting the G-Men in 2nd place in the NFC East at 6-4. In first place was the Eagles, but at December 19 they were both tied for first place at 8-4, setting up a match for first place. The Giants were at home, and led 24-3 over the Eagles at halftime. The score was 31-10 with 5:40 left in the game, but Michael Vick led the Eagles to three touchdown drives to tie the game up at 31 with 40 seconds left. After a Giants three-and-outs, Matt Dodge punted the ball to Desean Jackson, who returned it for a touchdown, concluding the Giants’ epic collapse. The next game, the Giants lost to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Packers 45-17, and at 9-6, they faced the Redskins. They had to win and have the Packers lose in order to get into the playoffs. The Giants won 17-14, but the Packers beat the Bears 10-3, so the Giants missed out on the playoffs again, ending an collapse in which the Giants went 4-4 in their last eight games.
[edit] 2011 season: A return to the Super Bowl

2011 saw the renaming of the New Meadowlands to MetLife Stadium. The Giants lost Kevin Boss, Steve Smith, Rich Seubert, Keith Bullock, and Derek Hagan to free agency. However, the season also saw the emerging of second-year wide receiver Victor Cruz and second-year tight end Jake Ballard. On September 11, 2011, the Giants faced the Washington Redskins at Washington for the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, with both New York City and Washington being a target of the attacks. The Redskins upset the Giants 28-14, but the Giants rebounded by winning three straight against St. Louis, Philadelphia and Arizona. The Giants lost their next game at home against the Seattle Seahawks due to a Manning pick-six late in the game. However, the Giants responded to the adversity by engineering a three game winning streak during which all three games were won due to 4th quarter comebacks orchestrated by Manning. The surge culminated with the Giants upset of the New England Patriots 24-20 in Foxborough thanks to Manning’s touchdown pass to tight end Jake Ballard on 3rd and goal, with 15 seconds left in the game; this snapped the Patriots’ NFL record home-game winning streak. However, the Giants seemed to hit a wall after the midpoint of the season. Marred by inconsistent gameplay, questionable play-calling and injuries, the team struggled the following three games, dropping their record from 6-2 to 6-5 in the process and losing their spot as the NFC East Division leaders to the Cowboys. The skid started Sunday, November 13, as the Giants lost to the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 27-20, falling just short of another fourth quarter rally. Following this, they played a universally dispirited game against the Eagles, losing 17-10 at Metlife Stadium on Sunday Night Football, which lead head coach Tom Coughlin to question the team’s desire. That poor effort was followed by a 49-24 beatdown by the Saints on the November 28, 2011 edition of Monday Night Football, one eerily reminiscent of their meeting during the 2009 season which started Big Blue’s collapse during that season. On December 4, the Giants hosted the undefeated Green Bay Packers and lost 38-35.[48] The Giants broke their losing streak and regained their position atop the NFC East Division with a tightly contested 37-34 victory over the Cowboys on December 11. Soon after, the Giants would lose to the Redskins again, but they would avenge their defeat by beating their cross-town rival New York Jets, also knocking the Philadelphia Eagles out of playoff contention, leaving them with a tiebreaker versus the Dallas Cowboys. On a cold night in New York, the Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys 31-14 in Week 17 to clinch the NFC East and thus their NFL record 31st playoff appearance, breaking their tie with the Cowboys at 30.

On January 8, 2012 in the first round of the playoffs the Giants defeated the Atlanta Falcons 24-2. After giving up an early safety in the first half, QB Eli Manning threw for three consecutive touchdowns. RBs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs combined for 172 yards rushing, a season-high for the Giants. With the victory, the Giants advanced to the second round against the top-ranked Green Bay Packers. On January 15th, 2012, the Giants defeated the Green Bay Packers 37-20. Eli Manning threw for 330 yards and 3 touchdowns, two of which to wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. This earned the Giants a spot in the NFC Championship Game on January 22, 2012, against the San Francisco 49ers. They won this game 20 to 17, with Tynes scoring the winning field goal as he did four years earlier in the same game.
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By the early 1960s, the Giants had firmly established themselves as one of the league’s biggest attractions. However, rather than continuing to receive their higher share of the league television revenue, the Mara sons pushed for equal sharing of revenue for the benefit of the entire league. Revenue sharing is still practiced in the NFL today, and is credited with strengthening the league.[54] After their struggles in the latter half of the 1960s and the entire 1970s, the Giants hired an outsider, George Young, to run the football operations for the first time in franchise history.[58] The Giants’ on-field product and business aspects improved rapidly following the move.

In 1991, Tim Mara, struggling with cancer at the time, sold his half of the team to Bob Tisch for a reported $80 million.[59] This marked the first time in franchise history the team had not been solely owned by the Mara family. In 2005, Wellington Mara, who had been with the team since its inception in 1925 when he worked as a ball boy, died at the age of 89.[60] His death was followed two weeks later by the death of Tisch.

In 2010, MetLife Stadium opened, replacing Giants Stadium. The new stadium is a 50/50 partnership between the Giants and Jets, and while the stadium is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority on paper, the two teams jointly built the stadium using private funds, and administer it jointly through New Meadowlands Stadium Corporation. The Giants had previously planned a $300 million dollar renovation to the Meadowlands, before deciding in favor of the new stadium which was originally estimated to cost approximately $600 million,[61] before rising to an estimated cost of one billion dollars.[57] One advantage gained by owning the stadium is that the teams saved considerable money in tax payments. The teams leased the land from the state at a cost of $6.3 million per year.[61] The state paid for all utilities, including the $30 million needed to install them.[61]

The Giants are currently owned and operated by John Mara and Steve Tisch. Forbes magazine estimates the current value of the team at $974 million.[62] This ranks them eighth among the 32 teams in the league in terms of estimated value.[62] The value has steadily increased from $288 million in 1998, to their current value.[56] The magazine estimated their revenue in 2006 at $182 million, of which $46 million came from gate receipts. Operating income was $26.9 million, and player salary was $102 million.[57] Current major sponsors include Gatorade, Anheuser Busch, Toyota, and Verizon Wireless.[57] Recent former sponsors include Miller Brewing and North Fork Bank.[61] Game day concessions are provided by Aramark, and the Giants average ticket price is $72.[57]

The Giants draw their fans from the New York metropolitan area. Since their move to New Jersey in 1976, fans from each state have claimed the team as their own.[63] In January 1987, shortly before the team won Super Bowl XXI, then New York City mayor Ed Koch labeled the team “foreigners” and said they were not entitled to a ticker-tape parade in New York City.[64] On February 5, 2008, the city, under mayor Michael Bloomberg, threw a ticker tape parade in honor of the Giants’ Super Bowl XLII victory at the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan.[65] According to a team spokesman, in 2001, 52 percent of the Giants’ season ticket-holders lived in New Jersey. Most of the remaining ticket holders lived in New York State with some coming from other states.[63]

Through the lean years of 1960s and 1970s the Giants, in spite of a 17-year-long playoff drought, still accumulated a 20-year-long waiting list for season tickets. It has been estimated that the Giants have a waiting list of 135,000 people, the largest of any franchise

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