News for today's 2018

IRAN ACTIVELY WEIGHS SYRIAN-ISRAELI CLASH.

2:37 AM Tukiyooo 0

<br /> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxf7OWvQXu1weHJjzLcSOl21Lv3Z0KzpEEzNwj9aMJi7_PnANwT8J8wZ_-5_cw245-gypRfvXuinRPBIDbu25LJvtfu3IZWaoDvS7gHMqrxnkV5aAzMOUcq2TbKT66g0dHgfZuGGDh3us/s1600/2012-11-15T212906Z_01_JER37_RTRIDSP_3_PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxf7OWvQXu1weHJjzLcSOl21Lv3Z0KzpEEzNwj9aMJi7_PnANwT8J8wZ_-5_cw245-gypRfvXuinRPBIDbu25LJvtfu3IZWaoDvS7gHMqrxnkV5aAzMOUcq2TbKT66g0dHgfZuGGDh3us/s400/2012-11-15T212906Z_01_JER37_RTRIDSP_3_PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">IRON DOME POSTED IN N. ISRAEL</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <span style="color: blue;">IRAN:</span></span></b></span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A ISRAELI OFFENSIVE AGAINST SYRIA WOULD BE TREATED AS A DIRECT CONFRONTATION WITH IRAN</span></b></span></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DEBKA<i>file</i> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Tehran appears to be looking seriously at a limited SYRIAN-LEBANESE clash of arms with ISRAEL – possibly using Bashar Assad’s chemical weapons as a trigger, debkafile’s military and intelligence sources disclose.  Reacting to this news, ISRAEL announced the deployment of Iron Dome anti-missile batteries some days ago to reinforce security in northern Israel and the key Haifa port. </span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The IRANIANS see three strategic benefits in embroiling Israel in a limited war with its two allies, Syria and Hizballah:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">1. A new outbreak of armed violence would direct world attention away from the SYRIAN civil war:</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2. ISRAEL would be sidetracked from a possible strike against IRAN’S nuclear facilities – even a “surgical operation” such as Defense Minister Ehud Barak spoke of over the weekend – by being thrown into multiple battles with IRANIAN forces in SYRIA and LEBANON, the Shiite Hizballah and the Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihadi in the Gaza Strip.<br />The clash would be programmed to end without winners or losers like ISRAEL’S war against Hizballah in 2006 and its two anti-terror operations the Gaza Strip in 2009 and 2012. But meanwhile ISRAEL would have its hands too full with threats on three borders to pursue military action against a nuclear IRAN.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">3. Tehran would buy another year’s delay for spinning out its talks with the Six Powers (US, RUSSIA, FRANCE, BRITAIN, CHINA and GERMANY) on their nuclear controversy.<br />At the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said “ISRAEL faced some of the gravest threats in its existence” and they continue to run riot “in the east, the north and the south.”<br /><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">UNCERTAINTY FACTOR: EGYPT</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Behind his words, was an immediate neighborhood beset in last couple of weeks by al Qaeda’s advance in Mali - now checked by FRENCH intervention; the ALGERIAN gas field hostage siege; and the discovery of the strong interface among the various AFRICAN Al Qaeda branches, including EGYPT, in operations, logistics, shared arms suppliers and the pooling of jihadist manpower in the different arenas.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br />ISRAEL’S prime minister and security chiefs are clearly troubled by the perceived danger of the jihadist networks based in EGYPTIAN Sinai and al Qaeda affiliates fighting in SYRIA joining up to attack ISRAEL from two directions, the north and the south. This would be in keeping with the multiple, multinational terrorist threats surfacing in AFRICA.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A ISRAELI OFFENSIVE AGAINST SYRIA WOULD BE TREATED AS A DIRECT CONFRONTATION WITH IRAN</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_hgO0wXbDpJb71rNL4sflHhF5Tbazf7UIUWAg-bxnEvyvhcpxXMdYXk3ykO30uOSbwHs26RjF87KzzZBeFXIK7QFiXFWJ8gCxbHhqLZuKHd1bzgu5GwzZXMt7PzHc5xcQKHIcqfYjDTh/s1600/israel-iran_flages1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_hgO0wXbDpJb71rNL4sflHhF5Tbazf7UIUWAg-bxnEvyvhcpxXMdYXk3ykO30uOSbwHs26RjF87KzzZBeFXIK7QFiXFWJ8gCxbHhqLZuKHd1bzgu5GwzZXMt7PzHc5xcQKHIcqfYjDTh/s200/israel-iran_flages1.png" width="175" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">With regard to SYRIA’S chemical weapons, after convening an expanded security-diplomatic cabinet meeting, Netanyahu remarked: “We have to look around us… What’s happening in IRAN and the lethal weapons in SYRIA, which is falling apart…”<br />He left the specifics to Deputy Prime Minister Sylvan Shalom, who said that if chemical weapons reached Hizballah or SYRIAN rebel hands, “Such a development would be a crossing of all red lines that would require a different approach, including even preventive operations.”</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But even Shalom did not specify where the red lines would be – the handover of SYRIAN chemical weapons to Hizballah? And against whom would ISRAEL take preventive action – SYRIA, Hizballah or both? And if they reached SYRIAN rebel hands, would ISRAEL hit them or go straight for the poison gas arsenals?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Neither Netanyahu nor Shalom responded to the IRANIAN warning issued by Ali Akbar Velayati, a close adviser to IRANIAN leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that an attack on SYRIA would be tantamount to an attack on IRAN.<br />This warning was intended to drive home to ISRAEL the message that an offensive against SYRIA would be treated as a direct confrontation with IRAN.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">WARNING AIMED AT HOLDING ISRAEL BACK FROM A MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST SYRIA - SYRIA, NOT THE ASSAD REGIME</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This is because an ISRAELI attack on SYRIAN rebels armed with chemical weapons would also serve Tehran’s purpose very well:  IRANIAN forces in SYRIA and LEBANON would use the opportunity to unite the SYRIAN army and the rebels against the common enemy, ISRAEL, and so start the process of winding down the anti-Assad revolt.<br />Velayati also avoided mentioning IRAN’S key ally in LEBANON, Hizballah. In his warning, he said: "SYRIA has a very basic and key role in the region for promoting firm policies of resistance [against ISRAEL]... For this reason an attack on SYRIA would be considered an attack on IRAN and IRAN'S allies."</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEX2Z0jiR5lo8tP1OGdgxp42GKpYMHPWodRkPSP73aP19hYVywZlETlnk5m9v9TZyaCCggZuG8FZN7P3ABPlOFw8fhgI3XVj7B5-UYLGfMHy5-9L5I4UhHgOHWdpNxtJ1VsCCPDSGNtsIY/s1600/Syria_Israel_flags_160910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEX2Z0jiR5lo8tP1OGdgxp42GKpYMHPWodRkPSP73aP19hYVywZlETlnk5m9v9TZyaCCggZuG8FZN7P3ABPlOFw8fhgI3XVj7B5-UYLGfMHy5-9L5I4UhHgOHWdpNxtJ1VsCCPDSGNtsIY/s320/Syria_Israel_flags_160910.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This high-ranking IRANIAN figure took care not to draw attention to Hizballah because, according to debkafile’s military sources, parts of the SYRIAN chemical arsenal have already reached Hizballah and are stashed away in fortified bunkers in the terrorist militia’s Beqaa Valey strongholds, along with a lethal array of long- and medium-range ground-to-ground rockets that too were smuggled secretly across the SYRIAN border.<br />Some western intelligence sources – especially AMERICAN – now believe SYRIAN chemical weapons were secreted to Hizballah during 2012. They were sent over in small packages to avoid attracting US or ISRAEL attention.  By now Hizballah is thought to have accumulated a substantial supply of poison weapons.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Our military sources report that ISRAEL’S military planners have long-range logistical plans ready for dealing with new situations such as this one. It has expanded its undercover penetration (<i>See: </i></span><i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">LONG-RANGE, LARGELY CLANDESTINE AND MULTI-SERVICE MISSIONS</span></b></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><i>:<a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/05/idf-israeli-defense-forces.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/05/idf-israeli-defense-forces.html</a></i>) of SYRIA and LEBANON and is making rapid progress in erecting a sophisticated 57-kilometer security force along the SYRIAN border. This project may take months to complete. But meanwhile, IRAN is working on its own plans for jumping the gun before it is finished with a military adventure.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: blue;">See related article:</span> <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/12/israels-overhaul-of-its-current.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/12/israels-overhaul-of-its-current.html</a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

IRAN ACTIVELY WEIGHS SYRIAN-ISRAELI CLASH.

IRON DOME POSTED IN N. ISRAEL IRAN: A ISRAELI OFFENSIVE AGAINST SYRIA WOULD BE TREATED AS A DIRECT CONFRONTATION WITH IRAN DEBKA file Te...

pig in a blanket

2:30 AM Anonymous 0

I had my sights set on a new secretary for my entry. Not the ‘here is your coffee and you have a call holding on line 2’ type of secretary (are they even called that anymore) but a nice little piece of furniture. It was old, but not too precious that I couldn’t paint or change it up in some way without feeling bad. Character and charm to spare and spots for all the entryway things one needs. Just what I had in mind.<br /><div class="p1"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gIGIAhslmn8kI25fwFp1FWacVQUtfpbwcUXXs-Diu5iDUwOWEsuZgF3VArWuy45snP1VZUsqPpLG8U3s9sjLDkjyAbu-46t-UOEDLtLxsa2GNC1hbgAJhhFTjcMgb03Vu_t2L8_3vQNZ/s1600/33241832243.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gIGIAhslmn8kI25fwFp1FWacVQUtfpbwcUXXs-Diu5iDUwOWEsuZgF3VArWuy45snP1VZUsqPpLG8U3s9sjLDkjyAbu-46t-UOEDLtLxsa2GNC1hbgAJhhFTjcMgb03Vu_t2L8_3vQNZ/s640/33241832243.jpeg" width="440" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://matchbookmag.tumblr.com/post/33241832243" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="p2"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-R0xQ1l4W9NM8WaAJS8sdqcaHoQyh0UqeexAduR4LsmRauhyphenhyphenedQ7H0XL-r_kScThVEeiFS2EZ58uKOUwn6IeRqZW5zSBCRwG-18EShejcIO_4rvUzLiJ23GTqWFpl33M2ZUoC7iR2K2B/s1600/Foyer-++with+Stunning+Antique+Secretary+-+perfect+for+a+small+desk+space+&+still+very+chic!.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-R0xQ1l4W9NM8WaAJS8sdqcaHoQyh0UqeexAduR4LsmRauhyphenhyphenedQ7H0XL-r_kScThVEeiFS2EZ58uKOUwn6IeRqZW5zSBCRwG-18EShejcIO_4rvUzLiJ23GTqWFpl33M2ZUoC7iR2K2B/s640/Foyer-++with+Stunning+Antique+Secretary+-+perfect+for+a+small+desk+space+&+still+very+chic!.jpeg" width="504" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mixandchic.com/" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="p1">Except, it was 2 inches too deep. Two. Damn. Inches. I could have stuffed it in and made it work. But it would have been like those tight jeans that you can’t wear sitting down; great for one night and then just a regret in your closet…or basement as the case may be. And really what sense would that make? </div><div class="p2"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4ZUMXpesnNWpvVJcNw0z5XG78rPEIgayvJh-ITFoRucc09LEe6GU7PMvsBvNmxMMz07j0GfrEkIX7opanDMZays3vmk7fp_GXoJX00wwBdQix11TKpaSqOyjfyUG1t16jwhkLUo8-Z-i/s1600/Secretary-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4ZUMXpesnNWpvVJcNw0z5XG78rPEIgayvJh-ITFoRucc09LEe6GU7PMvsBvNmxMMz07j0GfrEkIX7opanDMZays3vmk7fp_GXoJX00wwBdQix11TKpaSqOyjfyUG1t16jwhkLUo8-Z-i/s640/Secretary-1.jpeg" width="414" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nellhillsblog.com/" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYEy1h0OCa7wd8oM_n9UsUifAB1dzIleQVAtmhFm_jQTWrZzbGIYVGKP4VCGgN6-n6Z4aNXbdNOq4UfvrtsGjT2NMjVfe0hkWL5evFpLM-csOt4rLiDcZOfydrx4jvz4rg1ugKj2s66Hc/s1600/Secretary.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYEy1h0OCa7wd8oM_n9UsUifAB1dzIleQVAtmhFm_jQTWrZzbGIYVGKP4VCGgN6-n6Z4aNXbdNOq4UfvrtsGjT2NMjVfe0hkWL5evFpLM-csOt4rLiDcZOfydrx4jvz4rg1ugKj2s66Hc/s640/Secretary.jpeg" width="488" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://habituallychic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="p1">I had thought it was a take it or leave it piece and I was the tough cookie who would walk away if we couldn’t get it for the right price. But those extra two inches rejected me before I could reject it. And now that it is for sure not coming home with me, I feel a new obsession to find its replacement.<br /><br /></div><div class="p2"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6frVIf8D4ajkwmGfAEojJb6NvqzDcTs0sJIp2bgeGOK2gHscKI-UaXgdihUfuUAy1M7hyphenhyphen61lmbQ2hSiGYWFcLyscxDMLFy9FlJo6zmmA1I-TpyCJxIX2ESojRhyphenhyphenmkChkwivAs5yjUMDlx/s1600/Crush+Cul+de+Sac.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6frVIf8D4ajkwmGfAEojJb6NvqzDcTs0sJIp2bgeGOK2gHscKI-UaXgdihUfuUAy1M7hyphenhyphen61lmbQ2hSiGYWFcLyscxDMLFy9FlJo6zmmA1I-TpyCJxIX2ESojRhyphenhyphenmkChkwivAs5yjUMDlx/s640/Crush+Cul+de+Sac.jpeg" width="442" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://crushculdesac.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYomt8fNTCRHawEGv4MrnnW5bfEM_OdL8oD9z4B4dxm9VXKGyofgv2IbOsPAxG55Kq7naI8gejeHswCxYkxgG1pUvTbxkAQSJba7Y5gT_ovFNzDXoWvzh4333igF98BeFEl4cqWHOAunb/s1600/search.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYomt8fNTCRHawEGv4MrnnW5bfEM_OdL8oD9z4B4dxm9VXKGyofgv2IbOsPAxG55Kq7naI8gejeHswCxYkxgG1pUvTbxkAQSJba7Y5gT_ovFNzDXoWvzh4333igF98BeFEl4cqWHOAunb/s640/search.jpeg" width="510" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thedecorista.com/search?updated-max=2010-09-30T13%3A32%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=6" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtSKdFnTkALhDjCpSwub-okS45NB40UW1JI_yN9AYcmFtMJg60vJVLDNQdyRdWJPd2LsyJf4Og66AM_X0SG5-94-9GQarEXI3ZKsoOpafiUXl5fAhBqEl-ZTBNsbaHXhTnPGnPWcDFXXC/s1600/Old+secretary+desk,+updated+with+two-tone+paint.+Gorgeous!.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtSKdFnTkALhDjCpSwub-okS45NB40UW1JI_yN9AYcmFtMJg60vJVLDNQdyRdWJPd2LsyJf4Og66AM_X0SG5-94-9GQarEXI3ZKsoOpafiUXl5fAhBqEl-ZTBNsbaHXhTnPGnPWcDFXXC/s640/Old+secretary+desk,+updated+with+two-tone+paint.+Gorgeous!.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.peppermintbliss.com/" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="p1">Something even better. </div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">I’m going to show those two inches I can live a happy wonderful life without them. I will survive.</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">Do you have a piece that got away? Have you ever had a design idea that was perfect in your head but never worked out in real life? Do you know anyway to move a wall two inches without having to make structural changes?</div>

pig in a blanket

I had my sights set on a new secretary for my entry. Not the ‘here is your coffee and you have a call holding on line 2’ type of secretary (...

SWORD PLAY AND NOIR ON A MONDAY NIGHT

9:12 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBp6MukpGU7CRjcfEajDoWjHekbLZ6g-yvnHFCEs92_Xl2BrNXNQm7rhCaU3685QT4AWsDNXgKobIFeZoAsHHPwq8g24K6Z9TQcPpHSaeqkrnPDx7lPyncKWXvoQqwZn8X_YzF1FuVxas/s1600/pirates+sketch_opt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBp6MukpGU7CRjcfEajDoWjHekbLZ6g-yvnHFCEs92_Xl2BrNXNQm7rhCaU3685QT4AWsDNXgKobIFeZoAsHHPwq8g24K6Z9TQcPpHSaeqkrnPDx7lPyncKWXvoQqwZn8X_YzF1FuVxas/s1600/pirates+sketch_opt.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I wasn’t sure, exactly, what the word meant and was curious, so I went to the Internet in search of an answer. There I found the verb <i>swashbuckle</i> defined as “to engage in daring and romantic adventures with ostentatious bravado or flamboyance.” According to Merriam Webster, the word is a “back-formation” from the noun <i>swashbuckler</i> that came into use in around 1897. The Online Etymology Dictionary revealed more on the history of <i>swashbuckler</i>:</span><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span></i></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0c343d;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1550’s “fighting, swaggering fighting man” (earlier simply swash, 1540s), from swash “fall of a blow”…plus buckler “shield.” The original sense seems to have been “one who makes menacing noises by striking his or an opponent’s shield.”</span></span></i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Fascinating. Well, it is if you love words as I do.</span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On Monday, January 28, Turner Classic Movies treats viewers to many hours of swashbuckling with an evening devoted to “Sword Play.” Two of the genre’s great stars, Tyrone Power and Errol Flynn, will be in the spotlight, along with Oscar winner Jose Ferrer and a pair of 20<sup>th</sup> Century Fox’s lesser leading men, John Payne and Cornel Wilde.</span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaeJ4WPJPzUr5rqTB4xam4BsK5Q92SbSbENUlM8wmXhhL9R2m_4m89_-fa5MiAh-gKmT9BUivvZS2094_G1KbUlxKKBkTKM0Hbq6Tsigxg-NNe2eBZSQWCxac3kKc8aox__Ti9Ge1VtU/s1600/zorro+poster+1_opt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaeJ4WPJPzUr5rqTB4xam4BsK5Q92SbSbENUlM8wmXhhL9R2m_4m89_-fa5MiAh-gKmT9BUivvZS2094_G1KbUlxKKBkTKM0Hbq6Tsigxg-NNe2eBZSQWCxac3kKc8aox__Ti9Ge1VtU/s320/zorro+poster+1_opt.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The first film in the line-up (8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific) is the best of the night’s offerings. It is 20<sup>th</sup> Century Fox’s rollicking remake of a 1920 Douglas Fairbanks  classic, <i>The Mark of Zorro</i> (1940) starring <a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2012/08/remembering-tyrone-power.html"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Tyrone Power</span></b></a> in the title role, with Linda Darnell, Basil Rathbone, Gale Sondergaard and Eugene Pallette. Directed by Rouben Mamoulian, who would re-team with Power again for 1941’s <i>Blood and Sand</i>, the film was a blockbuster in its time that set the standard for the multitude of big and small screen remakes and sequels to come. Power’s performance as the fey-by-day/heroic-by-night Don Diego/Zorro is one of his signature roles - and <i>The Mark of Zorro</i> contains one of the all-time great swordfights on film. New York Times critic Bosley Crowther cited the “jim-dandy duel between Mr. Power and the villainous Basil Rathbone, which ends about as juicily as anyone could wish.” Rathbone, a skilled fencer, would recall, “Power was the most agile man with a sword I’ve ever faced before a camera. Tyrone could have fenced Errol Flynn into a cocked hat.” Rathbone, who dueled with both men onscreen, would surely have known. Alfred Newman’s memorable score was nominated for an Oscar and, more recently - in 2009, <i>The Mark of Zorro </i>was selected by the National Film Preservation Board to be added to the <a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2011/11/these-amazing-shadows.html"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">National Film Registry</span></b></a>’s list of <span lang="EN">“culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” films</span>.</span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdv2B67sGlvZsEp3rhOu3ei5x3seTzvjJkfvUnaPUa7EBArkLLgVSQSzunMRvzTmF_iRqs3kimJzg7BDSFWdz4ppaz6q1XmlekRPxErJ_2tRZZnSZqbuqAnXuy-oBoWBiQ8HoeY4wvHU/s1600/flynn+as+don+juan_opt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdv2B67sGlvZsEp3rhOu3ei5x3seTzvjJkfvUnaPUa7EBArkLLgVSQSzunMRvzTmF_iRqs3kimJzg7BDSFWdz4ppaz6q1XmlekRPxErJ_2tRZZnSZqbuqAnXuy-oBoWBiQ8HoeY4wvHU/s320/flynn+as+don+juan_opt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">N</span>ext up<span style="font-size: small;"> on</span> TCM’s Monday night schedule (10pm Eastern/7pm Pacific) is <i>Adventures of Don Juan </i>from Warner Bros. in 1948 starring the credibly cast <a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2011/05/memorial-day-weekend-giveaway-tcm.html"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Errol Flynn</span></b></a> in one of his later swashbuckling efforts. John Barrymore had starred with Mary Astor in a silent 1927 rendering of the infamous lover’s legend. In the Warner’s production, directed by Vincent Sherman, the great ‘swordsman’ is compelled to provide assistance to his queen (Viveca Lindfors) and country. With this film Flynn was returning to a familiar genre following the so-so reception of his most recent post-war films. Though <i>Adventures of Don Juan </i>was not a <span style="font-size: small;">great</span> box office success, it won an Oscar for costume design and a nomination for art and set design.</span></span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fW4j50y8KnAXF4RBLbhTR21CWH-xGh_w6wzn9uwAEILbkxR3IITe8KHz7vz7NXwYq5JTxODElkBobvKQ-sILjps5igdbX-p-x5KfJiB2-tm8qqXcEVJxoVO2yj_r8i27hVYQMhT8mK0/s1600/cyrano+de+bergerac+1_opt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fW4j50y8KnAXF4RBLbhTR21CWH-xGh_w6wzn9uwAEILbkxR3IITe8KHz7vz7NXwYq5JTxODElkBobvKQ-sILjps5igdbX-p-x5KfJiB2-tm8qqXcEVJxoVO2yj_r8i27hVYQMhT8mK0/s320/cyrano+de+bergerac+1_opt.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jose Ferrer won an Oscar for his portrayal of Cyrano</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Cyrano de Bergerac</i> (1950)<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>from Stanley Kramer Productions, <span style="font-size: small;">is set to air at midnight Eastern/9pm Pacific</span>. Jose Ferrer won a Best Actor Oscar for his colorful portrayal of the poetic swordsman with the preposterous proboscis. Mala Powers co-stars as the beloved Roxane.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Later (2am Eastern/11am Pacific), John Payne rides the waves in <i>Raiders of the Seven Seas</i> (1953) and finally (3:45am Eastern/12:45am Pacific), Cornel Wilde stars in <i>At Sword’s Point</i> (1951) as the offspring of one of the Three Musketeers. Maureen O’Hara co-stars.<i> </i></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>The Mark of Zorro </i>is a favorite of mine and I barely remember <i>Adventures of Don Juan</i> so, b<span style="font-size: small;">ecause I'<span style="font-size: small;">m going to be out Monday night,</span></span> I'll be recording both. Monday marks my first sojourn this year to San Francisco’s Noir City festival. The night's program is a “Pre-Code Proto-Noir Triple Bill” – William Wyler’s <i>A House Divided </i>(1931) <span style="font-size: small;">starring Walter Huston</span>, <i>The Kiss Before the Mirror </i>(1933) directed by James Whale starring Nancy Carroll, Frank Morgan and Gloria Stuart, and <i>Laughter in Hell </i>(1933), a film thought to be lost but recently rediscovered, starring Pat O’Brien. I’ll be back to the noir fest on Wednesday night for “San Francisco Noir,” a double-bill we couldn’t resist featuring Edward Dmytryk’s <i>The Sniper </i>(1952) and <i>Experiment in Terror </i>(1962), directed by Blake Edwards and starring Glenn Ford and Lee Remick.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It seems, when it comes to movie-wat<span style="font-size: small;">ching</span>, my life has become<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>the <span style="font-size: small;">d<span style="font-size: small;">efinition of the adjective <i>busy</i>...</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7vViJ9uK97NDxQVX0wA5GIDhEy3_FYz62g03L8j9nwTud4iZrVqmehckLtqrgM5qCOGzKQvnl-qbef6Jn4zEoeyedchPVsepkM4YQfbzxM4cOt6tbLQSb9-pbBjt5LOyD8-NMc9eOrI/s1600/sniper_opt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7vViJ9uK97NDxQVX0wA5GIDhEy3_FYz62g03L8j9nwTud4iZrVqmehckLtqrgM5qCOGzKQvnl-qbef6Jn4zEoeyedchPVsepkM4YQfbzxM4cOt6tbLQSb9-pbBjt5LOyD8-NMc9eOrI/s320/sniper_opt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOtjb7O5ygW8VNV_72rx_xikHvJd9X00luZiZBhN9MTzl2WpHoAddx7unGaMEdKBE-dePtZFz4a03Cq015PqQ7lEWseBtS-3Up3AWRlFyTqjjmcgaaZiq0Da0KEO80NouTi3QjE3dLvI/s1600/kiss+before+the+mirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOtjb7O5ygW8VNV_72rx_xikHvJd9X00luZiZBhN9MTzl2WpHoAddx7unGaMEdKBE-dePtZFz4a03Cq015PqQ7lEWseBtS-3Up3AWRlFyTqjjmcgaaZiq0Da0KEO80NouTi3QjE3dLvI/s320/kiss+before+the+mirror.jpg" width="164" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span> </span></span></div>

I wasn’t sure, exactly, what the word meant and was curious, so I went to the Internet in search of an answer. There I found the verb swashb...

Jay's Favorite Words

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />Hola y’all! I struggled all day trying to come up with a subject to write about tonight. Well, actually I struggled for about 30 minutes this evening after Matt-Man casually mentioned not having to write to night and realizing that it is my turn.<br /><br />It was then that Matt and I engaged in a brilliant and intense brainstorming session on Twitter to come up with something for me to write about. Well, being Matt he came up with something for HIM to write about and I could play along. Tonight I’ll list some of my favorite words and Matt will follow up tomorrow with his. We’re just so damn clever.<br /><br />So in no particular order are some of my favorite words that I can think of right off the top of my head without giving this a whole of thought cause I’m on a deadline…<br /><br /><b>Shindig:</b> Basically any event that includes more than two people is a Shindig. It can be a big, lavish party like a wedding or a Holiday Party or Bar Mitzvah. It can also be a group of friends gathering at the bar for some beer and nachos while watching the game. Can it be a family reunion? Sure! Hell, it doesn’t even have to be that formal. I could be three-way conversation on Skype. The thing they all have in common is people gathering to have a good time and maybe throw back a drink or two and have some food.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxN5EtkimL4xWvzAiyPdx69uN9Xho0f3SvQXTLbS1370Cr11hJfQZ1re5t647j41KemwgVlGt4eldYEPc1a-W6DmNMZRw2TaTb-DC1OJfCzCOFTD_Xk1mspJUdCGz7y2RQCgPI8psoSOc/s1600/Taylor+Momsen+Hot+Nude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxN5EtkimL4xWvzAiyPdx69uN9Xho0f3SvQXTLbS1370Cr11hJfQZ1re5t647j41KemwgVlGt4eldYEPc1a-W6DmNMZRw2TaTb-DC1OJfCzCOFTD_Xk1mspJUdCGz7y2RQCgPI8psoSOc/s400/Taylor+Momsen+Hot+Nude.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><b>Discombobulated: </b>Pretty much anytime anyone is even the slightest bit confused, I consider him or her to be discombobulated. One of the reasons I love the move version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is because sweet little Cindy Lu Who (who grew up to be a <i>Pretty Reckless</i> chick) describes herself as feeling all discombobulated. So cute!! It’s just a fun word to use.<br /><br /><b>Verklempt: </b>This word differs from “discombobulated” in that rather than just being out of sorts or confused, a person who is “verklempt” is very upset. It is possible to be both discombobulated AND verklempt though. Anyway, anyone who is even the slightest bit emotional over anything at all, even if it’s just a minor sadness, I consider to be “all verklempt.”<br /><br /><b>Loathe:</b> I don’t dislike people. I don’t even hate people. I looooooaaaaaaathe them.<br /><br /><b>Superfluous: </b>A great example of “superfluous” would be the extra “M” on Jon Hamm’s last name. I guess they thought they could make up for it by leaving the “H” out of his first name, but if you ask me that just compounded the problem.<br /><br /><b>Shenanigans:</b> One can either call shenanigans or get into shenanigans. It’s a very versatile word.<br /><br /><b>Nefarious: </b>Sometimes those shenanigans are nefarious.<br /><br /><b>Jocularity:</b> I’ve always been a big fan of Father Francis Mulcahy. And I’m a big fan of engaging in all kinds of jocular activities because people rarely get physically injured like they would if it was a hubbub or hullabaloo. <br /><br /><b>Badonkadonk:</b> Hey now! That’s totally a word. And, you guys all know that I’m an ass man.<br /><br /><b>Pithy:</b> I like to keep most of my blog posts rather pithy. I know how short your attention spans are.<br /><br /><b>Gallivanting: </b>Why would anyone want to just go about their daily activities like shopping, working, visiting friends or whatever when they could be GALLIVANTING ABOUT even if it’s something mundane.<br /><br />Okay, that’s enough for now. This post might get a bit long and I hate if I get too verbose.<br /><br />Jayman<br /><a href="mailto:Jayman3768@gmail.com">Jayman3768@gmail.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jayman_iws" target="_blank">@Jayman_IWS</a><br /><br />Also, if you are bored and have nothing else to do. You could always check out our "Internet Love and Friendship" show on I'm With Stupid. Jocularity abound!<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.adobe.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="270" id="143577" name="143577" width="210"><param name="movie" value="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fim-with-stupid%2Fplay_list.xml%3Fitemcount%3D5&autostart=true&bufferlength=5&volume=80&corner=rounded&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf" flashvars="file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fim-with-stupid%2fplay_list.xml%3Fitemcount%3D5&autostart=true&shuffle=false&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx&width=210&height=270&volume=80&corner=rounded" width="210" height="270" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality="high" wmode="transparent" menu="false" name="143577" id="143577" allowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object><br /><div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center; width: 220px;">Listen to <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/">internet radio</a> with <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid">Im With Stupid</a> on Blog Talk Radio<br /><br /><br /></div></div>

Jay's Favorite Words

Hola y’all! I struggled all day trying to come up with a subject to write about tonight. Well, actually I struggled for about 30 minutes thi...

Brain Aging Linked to Sleep-Related Memory Decline - NYTimes.com

7:21 PM Tukiyooo 0

Scientists have known for decades that the ability to remember newly learned information declines with age, but it was not clear why. A new study may provide part of the answer.<br /><br><br /><br>The report, posted online on Sunday by the journal Nature Neuroscience, suggests that structural brain changes occurring naturally over time interfere with sleep quality, which in turn blunts the ability to store memories for the long term.<br /><br><br /><br>Previous research had found that the prefrontal cortex, the brain region behind the forehead, tends to lose volume with age, and that part of this region helps sustain quality sleep, which is critical to consolidating new memories. But the new experiment, led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, is the first to directly link structural changes with sleep-related memory problems.<br /><br><br /><br>The findings suggest that one way to slow memory decline in aging adults is to improve sleep, specifically the so-called slow-wave phase, which constitutes about a quarter of a normal night's slumber.<br /><br><br /><br>Doctors cannot reverse structural changes that occur with age any more than they can turn back time. But at least two groups are experimenting with electrical stimulation as a way to improve deep sleep in older people. By placing electrodes on the scalp, scientists can run a low current across the prefrontal area, essentially mimicking the shape of clean, high-quality slow waves.<br /><br><br /><br>The result: improved memory, at least in some studies. "There are also a number of other ways you can improve sleep, including exercise," said Ken Paller, a professor of psychology and the director of the cognitive neuroscience program at Northwestern University, who was not involved in the research.<br /><br><br /><br>Dr. Paller said that a whole array of changes occurred across the brain during aging and that sleep was only one factor affecting memory function.<br /><br><br /><br>But he said the study told "a convincing story, I think: that atrophy is related to slow-wave sleep, which we know is related to memory performance. So it's a contributing factor."<br /><br><br /><br>In the study, the research team took brain images from 19 people of retirement age and from 18 people in their early 20s. It found that a brain area called the medial prefrontal cortex, roughly behind the middle of the forehead, was about one-third smaller on average in the older group than in the younger one — a difference due to natural atrophy over time, previous research suggests.<br /><br><br /><br>Before bedtime, the team had the two groups study a long list of words paired with nonsense syllables, like "action-siblis" and "arm-reconver." The team used the nonwords because one type of memory that declines with age is for new, previously unseen information.<br /><br><br /><br>After training on the pairs for half an hour or so, the participants took a test on some of them. The young group outscored the older group by about 25 percent.<br /><br><br /><br>Then everyone went to bed — and bigger differences emerged. For one, the older group got only about a quarter of the amount of high-quality slow-wave sleep that the younger group did, as measured by the shape and consistency of electrical waves on an electroencephalogram machine, or EEG. It is thought that the brain moves memories from temporary to longer-term storage during this deep sleep.<br /><br><br /><br>On a second test, given in the morning, the younger group outscored the older group by about 55 percent. The estimated amount of atrophy in each person roughly predicted the difference between his or her evening and morning scores, the study found. Even seniors who were very sharp at night showed declines after sleeping.<br /><br><br /><br>"The analysis showed that the differences were due not to changes in capacity for memories, but to differences in sleep quality," said Bryce A. Mander, a postdoctoral fellow at Berkeley and the lead author of the study. His co-authors included researchers from the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco; the University of California, San Diego; and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.<br /><br><br /><br>The findings do not imply that medial prefrontal atrophy is the only age-related change causing memory problems, said Matthew P. Walker, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Berkeley and a co-author of the study.<br /><br><br /><br>"Essentially, with age, you lose tissue in this prefrontal area," Dr. Walker said. "You get less quality deep sleep, and have less opportunity to consolidate new memories."<br /><br><br /><br><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/health/brain-aging-linked-to-sleep-related-memory-decline.html?_r=0">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/health/brain-aging-linked-to-sleep-related-memory-decline.html?_r=0</a>

Brain Aging Linked to Sleep-Related Memory Decline - NYTimes.com

Scientists have known for decades that the ability to remember newly learned information declines with age, but it was not clear why. A new ...

Pro Bowl might be hampered by rainy, windy weather

4:20 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img src="http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/photo/2013/01/27/0ap1000000131424.jpg" /><br /><table style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; color: #222221; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: left; width: 0px;"><tbody><tr><td style="color: #999999; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Andy Fenelon/NFL.com</td></tr><tr><td style="font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px;">Rain is in the forecast for the entire island of Oahu, meaning Sunday's <a href="http://www.nfl.com/probowl" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1359332306730_2405" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: none;">Pro Bowl</a> could be a soggy affair.<br /><span style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">HONOLULU -- The </span><a href="http://www.staradvertiser.com/multimedia/photo_galleries/viewer/?galID=188572391" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1359332306730_2406" style="color: #364c88; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="new">Honolulu Star Advertiser</a><span style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;"> on Sunday morning billed this year's </span><a href="http://www.nfl.com/probowl" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1359332306730_2407" style="color: #364c88; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Pro Bowl</a><span style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;"> as </span><a href="http://www.nfl.com/player/peytonmanning/2501863/profile" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1359332306730_2408" style="color: #364c88; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Peyton Manning</a><span style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;"> vs. </span><a href="http://www.nfl.com/player/elimanning/2505996/profile" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1359332306730_2409" style="color: #364c88; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Eli Manning</a><span style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">, a battle of the brothers, with the headline: "Footballs Will Fly."</span><div style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 18px !important; padding: 0px;">But hours away from kickoff of the NFL's all-star game -- a game that likely will determine if others are played in the future -- a weather system coming through Oahu could make footballs fly in all sorts of directions.</div><div id="yui_3_5_0_1_1359332306730_2842" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 18px !important; padding: 0px;">The National Weather Service has issued a flash-flood watch for the entire island of Oahu, which includes Honolulu where the game will be played. On Sunday morning, winds starting picking up, creating a choppy Pacific. A cold front is expected to bring showers with heavy rainfall to Oahu by the afternoon. Also, there's a chance of thunderstorms that could bring intense rain.</div><div style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 18px !important; padding: 0px;">The flash-flood watch remains in effect through Monday afternoon when most players and fans will depart for the continental United States.</div><div style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 18px !important; padding: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 18px !important; padding: 0px;">It will be interesting to see the effort level if the weather conditions don't improve. <a href="http://www.nfl.com/teams/denverbroncos/profile?team=DEN" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1359332306730_2412" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: none;">Denver Broncos</a> quarterback<a href="http://www.nfl.com/player/peytonmanning/2501863/profile" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1359332306730_2413" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: none;">Peyton Manning</a> and the two head coaches -- <a href="http://www.nfl.com/teams/denverbroncos/profile?team=DEN" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1359332306730_2414" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: none;">Broncos</a>coach <a href="http://www.nfl.com/player/johnfox/2514313/profile" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1359332306730_2415" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: none;">John Fox</a> of the AFC and <a href="http://www.nfl.com/teams/greenbaypackers/profile?team=GB" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1359332306730_2416" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: none;">Green Bay Packers</a> coach<a href="http://www.nfl.com/player/mikemccarthy/2520528/profile" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1359332306730_2417" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: none;">Mike McCarthy</a> of the NFC -- have <a href="http://www.nfl.com/probowl/story/0ap1000000130139/article/peyton-manning-implores-pro-bowl-participants-to-play-hard" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1359332306730_2418" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: none;">emphasized the importance</a> of this game. And NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has threatened to pull the plug on the <a href="http://www.nfl.com/probowl" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1359332306730_2419" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: none;">Pro Bowl</a> if it isn't played more seriously.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 18px !important; padding: 0px;">After Friday's practice, <a href="http://www.nfl.com/player/peytonmanning/2501863/profile" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1359332306730_2420" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: none;">Peyton Manning</a> said, "The guys will be ready to play. It will be a good, competitive game, I think. This is an important event for the NFL and for the players. The commissioner's made it clear that he's making considerations to cancel it. And I think it's important to have more of a quality game."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 18px !important; padding: 0px;">But injuries at this event always have been a concern for players and, with inclement weather, the risk of injury seemingly would increase. It might be unfair to get upset with players if they choose to hold back a little in a rain-drenched contest.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>

NFL Super Bowl Pro Bowl might be hampered by rainy, windy weather

Andy Fenelon/NFL.com Rain is in the forecast for the entire island of Oahu, meaning Sunday's Pro Bowl could be a soggy affair. HONOLUL...

Kendrick Lamar Brings 'Swimming Pools (Drank)' to 'SNL'

4:16 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px;">By</span><br /><div class="storyAbstract" style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;"><div class="video-player-author" style="float: left; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; margin: 4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/contributor/rolling-stone" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; float: left; margin: 1px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">ROLLING STONE</a></div></div><div>From: <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/">http://www.rollingstone.com</a></div><div class="video-player-video-description clearfix" itemprop="description" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #202020; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></div></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.nbc.com/assets/video/widget/widget.html?vid=n32027" width="560"></iframe><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">Kendrick Lamar hit </span><em style="font-family: georgia; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Saturday Night Live</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"> last night with a live band and two tracks from </span><em style="font-family: georgia; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Good Kid, m.A.A.d City</em><span style="font-family: georgia; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">. For the platinum-</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">certified "Swimming Pools (Drank)," the L.A. rapper appeared in a stage fittingly flooded with an aqueous blue light, though he was bundled up tight against New York's wintery chill. Warmer lighting and short sleeves accompanied "Poetic Justice." Lamar also excercised his comedy chops in a Digital Short alongside host Adam Levine and the Lonely Island crew, offering financial advice in "YOLO," an ode to safety and prudence. </span><span style="font-family: georgia; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></span></div>

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Brings 'Swimming Pools (Drank)' to 'SNL'

By ROLLING STONE From: http://www.rollingstone.com Kendrick Lamar hit Saturday Night Live last night with a live band and two tracks from...

Rajon Rondo out for season, leaving Celtics in hard spot

4:04 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px;">Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports From: </span><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/">http://www.usatoday.com</a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Rondo 1-27-13" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/gameon/2013/01/27/rondo-1-27-13-4_3_r536_c534.jpg?1b79b3da202957124496e3768cfb7b67cdb10c81" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will miss the rest of season, dealing the Celtics a serious blow to their playoff chances.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">The injury was announced Sunday during the Celtics' home game against the Miami Heat. No date has been set for Rondo's surgery.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">"Oh my God," Pierce told ABC's Doris Burke when she informed him of Rondo's injury after the Celtics defeated the Heat 100-98 in double overtime.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><b>WATCH: </b><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/01/27/paul-pierce-doris-burke-rajon-rondo-injury-acl-tear/1868437/" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/01/27/paul-pierce-doris-burke-rajon-rondo-injury-acl-tear/1868437/">See Pierce's face-twisting reaction</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Pierce sounded and looked like he was hearing the news for the first time.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">"We've just got to rally around each other," Pierce said. "I feel for him. He was having such a great season, making the All-Star team. It's disappointing news. Guys just have to step up."</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><b>MORE NBA: </b><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/allstar/2013/01/24/reserves-tim-duncan-russell-westbrook-kyrie-irving-james-harden/1862917/" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/allstar/2013/01/24/reserves-tim-duncan-russell-westbrook-kyrie-irving-james-harden/1862917/">All-Star teams announced</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Rondo was said to have hyperextended his right knee in Friday's 123-111 double-overtime loss at the Atlanta Hawks. Rondo played 45 minutes and recorded his second triple-double in a row.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Rondo, Boston's most important player, was a late scratch Sunday after gingerly working out before the game and left for New England Baptist for the MRI, which confirmed the injury. He told Burke that he was just bothered by soreness and never considered he had torn his ACL. The Celtics were concerned enough to send Rondo for the MRI.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Rondo's agent, Billy Duffy, said he expects Rondo to return to form just as Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson did from a similar injury – just as good and possibly even better than before the injury.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">"Of course, until there's surgery, we don't know the gravity of it," Duffy told USA TODAY Sports. "But under any circumstance, I expect him, with his work ethic and body, to come back stronger than ever."</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Rondo, who watched the final minutes of the Heat-Celtics game from courtside, is averaging 13.7 points, an NBA-high 11.1 assists and 5.6 rebounds in 38 games.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Celtics coach Doc Rivers received the news before the game but did not tell his players.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">"Obviously, the Rondo news is tough. … Obviously, it was pretty emotional," Rivers told news reporters after the game. "We'll find someone who's ready in our locker room who will step up. You can write the obituary (on this season), but I'm not."</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Rivers and Duffy are on the same page.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">"We've got a guy in the NFL, Adrian Peterson, who we can look at," Rivers said. "Whatever he did, we'll do."</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">The Celtics defeated the Eastern Conference-leading Heat by compensating for Rondo's absence with strong performances from forwards Kevin Garnett (24 points) and Paul Pierce (17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists).</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">It was the second double-overtime game in a row for the Celtics, who ended their six-game losing streak, the longest in the Garnett era.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Guard Courtney Lee started in Rondo's place but had just four points on 1-of-7 shooting. Heat forward LeBron James had 34 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">The Celtics began Sunday in eighth place in the Eastern Conference at 20-23. They had been just two games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers and four games ahead of the Detroit Pistons. Could the Celtics be in the draft lottery year?</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><b>PHOTOS: Injured NBA stars</b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2013/01/27/usp-nba_-boston-celtics-at-atlanta-hawks-4_3_rx512_c680x510.jpg?0f5c31de35bf4ef88a50c2e35ee3bc4da4bf3083" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="None" border="0" height="300" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2013/01/27/usp-nba_-boston-celtics-at-atlanta-hawks-4_3_rx512_c680x510.jpg?0f5c31de35bf4ef88a50c2e35ee3bc4da4bf3083" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">The Celtics have made the playoffs five consecutive seasons, winning the title in 2008, advancing to the Finals in 2010 and reaching the conference finals last season.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Without guard Ray Allen, who left in the offseason for the Heat, the Celtics have struggled as they added several players, including guard Jason Terry, Lee, forward Jeff Green (back after missing all of last season) and rookie big man Jared Sullinger.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Now that Rondo's injury impacts the rest of Boston's season, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge could make franchising-altering moves before the trade deadline expires Feb. 21.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Does this give Ainge more incentive to trade Pierce and end another strong era for the Celtics? Garnett has a no-trade clause in his contract. Ainge recently said he will not make a trade just for the sake of it, but Rondo's injury changes the dynamics.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">The season-ending injury will prevent Rondo from playing in the All-Star game Feb. 17 in Houston. He was voted a starter for the Eastern Conference.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">NBA Commissioner David Stern will select Rondo's replacement – possibly Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez, who was not selected by fans or the coaches. Either the Philadelphia 76ers' Jrue Holiday or Cleveland Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving likely will start in Rondo's place.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><b>PHOTOS: </b>Eastern Conference All-Stars</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><img alt="None" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2013/01/27/usp-nba_-boston-celtics-at-new-york-knicks-4_3_rx512_c680x510.jpg?0f5c31de35bf4ef88a50c2e35ee3bc4da4bf3083" /></div></div>

NBA Rajon Rondo Rajon Rondo out for season, leaving Celtics in hard spot

Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports From: http://www.usatoday.com Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo has a torn anterior cruciate ...

Quarterbacks struggle mightily in Senior Bowl, but defenders shine from start to finish

12:44 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #777777; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">By </span><span class="fn" style="color: #777777; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Doug Farrar</span><span style="color: #777777; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"> | </span><span class="provider org" style="color: #777777; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Shutdown Corner</span><span style="color: #777777; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"> – </span><abbr style="border: 0px; color: #777777; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;" title="2013-01-27T01:41:34Z">18 hours ago From: </abbr><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/" style="background-color: transparent;">http://sports.yahoo.com</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">MOBILE, Ala. -- Going into the week of the Senior Bowl practices and game, the primary narrative was the one you'll hear throughout the NFL draft: A year after seven different rookie quarterbacks found themselves in NFL starting positions, the follow-up talent at the position in the 2013 draft class is subpar in comparison, to say the least.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">The performances of all six quarterbacks during the game did little to dispel that notion, though there were good moments for some of the signal-callers. The real story of the South team's 21-16 victory over the North squad was the defenses for both teams, and no player better personified that better than game MVP Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah, the BYU sensation and former track star from Ghana who exploded off the snap over and over again.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Though he appeared to have issues maintaining leverage in practices this week, Ansah really showed up when it counted, grabbing six solo tackles, 1 1/2 sacks, and 3.5 tackles for loss. At his best (which he most certainly was on Saturday evening), Ansah validated the comparisons to current New York Giants and former South Florida end Jason Pierre-Paul. The Giants took Pierre-Paul with the 15th overall pick in the 2010 draft, and he's proved that freakish athleticism and hard work can overcome limited experience in the game. Ansah looks to be on that same high-drafted path.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><span class="yom-figure yom-fig-right" style="clear: both; display: block; float: right; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 6px; width: 630px;"><a href="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/xonBiaHoMH5RGzU2rNtNxw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnflexperts/yahooansahrobinson.jpg" style="color: #a1abb2; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-40797" height="420" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/txT.jgiGaZOjNpTnz56RCA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnflexperts/yahooansahrobinson.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block;" title="Exekiel Ansah shows Denard Robinson who's boss. (USAT Sports Images)" width="630" /></a><span class="legend" style="color: #414141; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">Exekiel Ansah shows Denard Robinson who's boss. (USAT Sports Images)</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">"It was a little bit crazy this week, with all the GMs and coaches all over the hotel getting hold of you," Ansah said after the game. "But when it was time to practice, kit was time to practice."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Ansah knows there's still a lot of work to be done -- as far as he's concerned, today's game is no more than an incentive to continue the journey.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">"Now, it's time to stay focused -- today will be gone, and tomorrow, I've just got to start training again. In life, no matter what you do, there's going to be something that will take your focus away. But I will stay focused. I came here to work hard with a bunch of great players -- everyone here is an MVP; that's why we all came together to play here. I came here to learn and to be better."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Of course, getting tutoring all week from NFL coaches for the first time in his young football career was a huge benefit, and Ansah took a lot away from his time with the Detroit Lions staff, which coached the South team.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">"Pro coaches have been around for a long time, and my job is to learn," Ansah said. "I just try to get what I can and add that to what I already know about the game. I'm still in the building process, but I've loved this week. I just love the competition. It was fun to make new friends, and just to move forward from here."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Ansah wasn't the only defensive star by a long shot -- just the most visible. Connecticut linebacker Sio Moore showed impressive closing speed on a sack, UCLA defensive lineman Datone Jones rounded off a very impressive week of practice with a half-sack, and Utah State cornerback Will Davis not only grabbed an interception and returned it 25 yards, but showed some nice hitting ability for his size (5-foot-11, 182 pounds).</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">"They wanted us to come out here and be physical," Davis said of the Oakland Raiders' staff, who coached the North team. "That's what they wanted to see, and you're never going to have this experience again."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Part of the experience that helped Davis was that the North cornerbacks were very strong all the way through the lineup. Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant and Florida International safety Jonathan Cyprien had especially strong weeks, and that made Davis and his comrades even more intent on keeping pace.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><span class="yom-figure yom-fig-right" style="clear: both; display: block; float: right; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 6px; width: 630px;"><a href="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/3Zrs6x_P.i6_IFQmm_PftQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnflexperts/landryjones.jpg" style="color: #a1abb2; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-40799" height="446" src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/5_xrXr.UMweUNcKj9AFqsw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnflexperts/landryjones.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block;" title="Landry Jones was under the gun on every throw. (USAT Sports Images)" width="630" /></a><span class="legend" style="color: #414141; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">Landry Jones was under the gun on every throw. (USAT Sports Images)</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">"Me and Trufant, we came from [training at] API in Arizona, and we're both from Washington. Seeing what he did this week -- he had a killer week, and that's his game and his confidence. I was really feeding off of him. I started off a little slow, but seeing my boy do what he did made me raise my level, because I wanted to be on that level, too."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">There wasn't much to talk about from the quarterback perspective -- many of the senior quarterbacks looked overwhelmed by the pressure brought from each defensive line, and there will be many questions in NFL front offices when teams break down the All-22 tape of this game and the practices. North Carolina State's Mike Glennon finished with a lot of reps and little to show -- just eight completions in 16 attempts for 82 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. Syracuse's Ryan Nassib threw a terrible pick to Georgia safety Bacarri Rambo, and completed just 4 of his 10 attempts.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><span class="yom-figure yom-fig-right" style="clear: both; display: block; float: right; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 6px; width: 310px;"><br /></span><span class="yom-figure yom-fig-right" style="clear: both; display: block; float: right; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 6px; width: 310px;"><a href="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Qr0.B5_2LgDqReyulCSATw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnflexperts/yahoo_mwilliams.jpg" style="color: #a1abb2; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-40798" height="435" src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Wc8x3gn0rDStAKv49bupOQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTMxMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnflexperts/yahoo_mwilliams.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block;" title="Michael Williams provided one of the game's few offensive highlights. (USAT Sports Images)" width="310" /></a><span class="legend" style="color: #414141; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">Michael Williams provided one of the game's few offensive highlights. (USAT Sports Images)</span></span>Arkansas' Tyler Wilson looked tentative for most of the day, throwing checkdown after checkdown, and he was nearly intercepted on one his few long passes. Oklahoma's Landry Jones may have had the worst day, completing 3 of 9 passes for 16 yards. Miami (OH)'s Zac Dysert, who was perhaps the most underwhelming quarterback through practice week, padded his stats late in the game with throw after throw to Oregon running back Kenjon Barner when the South team was playing not to lose and had basically vacated the middle zone.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">The only passing down that wasn't a screen from Dysert to Barner came halfway through the first quarter, when Florida State's E.J. Manuel connected with Alabama tight end <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player noplay" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/players/89448" id="yui_3_5_1_23_1359319293821_115" style="color: #a1abb2; text-decoration: none;">Michael Williams</a> for a 20-yard score. As Williams recalled after the game, it was the exact same play in which Manuel threw a nice touch pass during Wednesday practice.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">"It worked out much the same way," he said. "I had a corner route on that play, and if I see myself get even with the safety, I just take it to the backside pylon. I got even with the safety and headed toward that pylon, and E.J. threw a perfect pass. It fell right into my hands, so I had no choice but to catch it."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">Indeed, but that was the rare occurrence in which a quarterback and receiver hooked up on what might be called a "wow" play. Defense will rule the 2013 draft, and the Senior Bowl simply forwarded that narrative.</div></div>

Super Bowl Quarterbacks struggle mightily in Senior Bowl, but defenders shine from start to finish

By Doug Farrar | Shutdown Corner – 18 hours ago From: http://sports.yahoo.com MOBILE, Ala. -- Going into the week of the Senior Bowl p...

Victoria Azarenka overcomes Li Na, crowd to win again

12:26 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 15px;">By John Pye From: </span><a href="http://bostonglobe.com/">http://bostonglobe.com</a><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="The water works began soon after Victoria Azarenka defended her Australian Open title in three sets." src="http://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_371w/Boston/2011-2020/2013/01/27/BostonGlobe.com/Sports/Images/03556537.jpg" /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">MELBOURNE — Victoria Azarenka had the bulk of the crowd against her. The fireworks were fizzling out, and when she looked over the net, she saw Li Na crashing to the court and almost knocking herself out.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Considering the cascading criticism she'd encountered after her previous win, Azarenka didn’t need the focus of the Australian Open final to be on another medical timeout.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So after defending her title with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over the sixth-seeded Li in one of the most unusual finals ever at Melbourne Park, Azarenka understandably dropped her racket and cried tears of relief late Saturday night.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">She heaved as she sobbed into a towel beside the court, before regaining her composure to collect the trophy.</div><div class="ad aside" data-adname-complete="true" data-adname="CENTRAL" style="background-color: white; border-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px; clear: both; display: inline; float: right; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin: 0.5em -79px 1.5em 38.599998474121094px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; width: 311px;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="260" scrolling="no" src="http://rmedia.boston.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_sx.ads/www.bostonglobe.com/sports/other/article/@CENTRAL?rid=9469129655&status=loggedout" style="background-color: transparent; border-width: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 310px; min-height: 265px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="100%"></iframe></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">‘‘It isn’t easy, that’s for sure, but I knew what I had to do,’’ the 23-year-old Belarussian said. ‘‘I had to stay calm. I had to stay positive. I just had to deal with the things that came onto me.’’</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There were a lot of those things squeezed into the 2-hour-40-minute match. Li, who was playing her second Australian Open final in three years, twisted her ankle and tumbled to the court in the second and third sets.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The second time was on the point immediately after a 10-minute delay for the Australia Day fireworks — a fixture in downtown Melbourne every Jan. 26, but not usually coinciding with a final.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Li had been sitting in her chair during the break, while Azarenka jogged and swung her racket before leaving the court to rub some liniment into her legs.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The 30-year-old Chinese player had tumbled to the court after twisting her left ankle and had it taped after falling in the fifth game of the second set. Immediately after the fireworks ceased, and with smoke still in the air, she twisted the ankle again, fell and hit the back of her head on the hardcourt.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The 2011 French Open champion was treated immediately by a tournament doctor and assessed for a concussion in another medical timeout before resuming the match.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">‘‘I think I was a little bit worried when I was falling,’’ Li said, in her humorous, self-deprecating fashion. ‘‘Because two seconds I couldn’t really see anything. It was totally black.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">‘‘So when the physio come, she was like, ‘Focus on my finger.’ I was laughing. I was thinking, ‘This is tennis court, not like hospital.’ ’’</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Li’s injury attracted even more support for her from the 15,000-strong crowd.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Azarenka had generated some bad PR by taking a medical timeout after wasting five match points on her own serve in her semifinal win over American teenager Sloane Stephens Thursday. She came back after the break and finished off Stephens in the next game, later telling an on-court interviewer that she ‘‘almost did the choke of the year.’’</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">She was accused of gamesmanship and manipulating the rules to get time to regain her composure against Stephens, but defended herself by saying she actually was having difficulty breathing because of a rib injury that needed to be fixed.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">That explanation didn’t convince everybody. So when she walked onto Rod Laver Arena Saturday, there were some people who booed, and others who heckled her or mimicked the distinctive hooting sound she makes when she hits the ball.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">‘‘Unfortunately, you have to go through some rough patches to achieve great things,’’ she said. ‘‘That’s what makes it so special for me. I went through that, and I'm still able to kiss that beautiful trophy.’’</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">She didn’t hold a grudge.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">‘‘I was expecting way worse, to be honest,” she said. “What can you do? You just have to go out there and try to play tennis in the end of the day,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s a tennis match, tennis battle, final of the Australian Open. I was there to play that.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">‘‘The things what happened in the past, I did the best thing I could to explain, and it was left behind me already.’’</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The match contained plenty of nervy moments and tension, and 16 service breaks — nine for Li. But it also produced plenty of winners and bravery on big points.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Azarenka will retain the No. 1 ranking she has mostly held since her first Grand Slam win in Melbourne last year.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Li moved into the top five and is heartened by a recent trend of Australian runner-ups winning the French Open. She accomplished that in 2011, as did Ana Ivanovic (2008) and Maria Sharapova (2012).</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Later Saturday, Bob and Mike Bryan won their record 13th Grand Slam men’s doubles title, defeating the Dutch team of Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling, 6-3, 6-4.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sunday’s men’s final features two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic and US Open winner Andy Murray. Djokovic is seeking to become the first man in the Open era to win three titles in a row in Australia.</div></div>

Li Na Victoria Azarenka Victoria Azarenka overcomes Li Na, crowd to win again

By John Pye From: http://bostonglobe.com MELBOURNE — Victoria Azarenka had the bulk of the crowd against her. The fireworks were fizzling o...

Pro Bowl viewing guide: Five things to watch (you know you’re gonna watch it)

12:24 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white; color: #777777; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">By </span><span class="fn" style="background-color: white; color: #777777; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/author/frank-schwab/" rel="author" style="color: #a1abb2; text-decoration: none;">Frank Schwab</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #777777; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"> | </span><span class="provider org" style="background-color: white; color: #777777; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/" style="color: #a1abb2; text-decoration: none;">Shutdown Corner</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #777777; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;"> – </span><abbr style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #777777; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;" title="2013-01-27T04:36:34Z">15 hours ago From: </abbr><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/">http://sports.yahoo.com</a><br /><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ww6vQZrlNJRnvqKqYYPldw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnflexperts/uspw_6970500.jpg" /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20.383333206176758px;">(USA Today Sports Images)</span><br /><br /><div class="first" id="yui_3_5_1_1_1359318055738_1261" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; padding: 0px;">Ask around about the Pro Bowl, and you'll hear a lot of, "Who would watch that game? I never watch it." Many of the people who tell you that are lying.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">The Pro Bowl does monster ratings. Someone has to be watching the NFL's all-star game. The Pro Bowl got a 7.9 rating last year, which dwarfs the NBA All-Star Game's 5.4 rating last year and makes NHL Stanley Cup Finals' ratings look like a 2 a.m. infomercial.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">So, you don't have to admit you watch, but we're here for you. Here are five things to look for in the Pro Bowl, which could actually be the last Pro Bowl ever if the players don't care as much as those millions of viewers who will turn it on:</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><span id="more-40782"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><strong>The final game of Jeff Saturday's career:</strong> Wait, you're not excited to watch a center who didn't deserve to be in this Pro Bowl? Fine, we'll find some better reasons. But Saturday has had a great career, and he is retiring after the Pro Bowl.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><span class="yom-figure yom-fig-right" style="clear: both; display: block; float: right; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 6px; width: 190px;"><a href="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/3ZBWCc8Y6ArUykoAiPPzVQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnflexperts/uspw_6969520.jpg" style="color: #a1abb2; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-40785" height="272" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/PrQJLdAZtUleO.hPJOdIew--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTE5MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnflexperts/uspw_6969520.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block;" title="(USA Today Sports Images)" width="190" /></a><span class="legend" style="color: #414141; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">(USA Today Sports Images)</span></span><strong>Will the players play hard?:</strong> The game that nobody admits to watching but everyone tunes in to see might be going away. There have been threats this week that if the players don't play hard, this Pro Bowl could be the last one. Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning implored the players to play hard to save the game. Houston running back Arian Foster was honest: Football is a physical game and players aren't going to go 100 percent in an all-star exhibition.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">"This isn't basketball - you can't go play a pickup game of football," Foster said, according to the Associated Press. "I think it's an honor and a tradition, but for you to expect the best athletes in the NFL to come out and play a game 100 percent when you can't game plan, you can't blitz, you can't do all these things, it's not going to be competitive like everybody wants it to be."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">So it might be better than last year's debacle, but don't expect too much.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">The players might want to think about their annual free vacation to Hawaii when they decide how hard to play. The best guess is they play just hard enough for the NFL to justify bringing it back. Think of it this way, how many times has a television network wanted to get rid of a show with those kinds of ratings? The TV partners would likely try to convince the league to keep the game going.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><strong>Larry Fitzgerald gets to play with a real quarterback!</strong>: Everyone misses Larry Fitzgerald. Still in his prime at age 29, Fitzgerald had 798 yards and four touchdowns this season. Arizona's front office should be convicted for stealing Fitzgerald from us. He is one of the NFL's best players, but has become an afterthought because nobody can get him the ball. Fitzgerald spent a season catching passes from guys like Ryan Lindley, but for one afternoon he gets to play with Drew Brees, Eli Manning and Russell Wilson. You know Fitzgerald will be playing hard. He might sob with joy over the rediscovered feeling of trying to catch a pass that isn't thrown four yards behind him.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><strong><span class="yom-figure yom-fig-right" style="clear: both; display: block; float: right; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 6px; width: 190px;"><a href="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/rGPwrjGUWWxKMHbi4A3lGw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnflexperts/uspw_6967234.jpg" style="color: #a1abb2; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-40784" height="285" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/f6vzgNhp5yxo_djqfBWCZg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTE5MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnflexperts/uspw_6967234.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block;" title="(USA Today Sports Images)" width="190" /></a><span class="legend" style="color: #414141; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">(USA Today Sports Images)</span></span><em class="ywp-page-play-pause ywp-page-video" style="font-weight: normal; outline: none !important;">Peyton Manning</em>, J.J. Watt, and Adrian Peterson are there:</strong> Arguably the three best players in the NFL this season didn't drop out of the game, and they might be too competitive to take it easy. Manning already has implored the other players to play hard, so you know he'll be serious. Watt, the Texans' defensive end who had a dominant season and should be the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year, doesn't seem like the kind of guy who is capable of going half speed. And Peterson, the Vikings 2,000-yard back who is one of two legitimate MVP candidates along with Manning, already said he'll play hard.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">"When you play down, you put yourself in jeopardy of getting hurt going through the motions. So I won't be playing down," Peterson said earlier this month, according to Associated Press. "I'm going to play hard."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">The greatest players are wired with a certain competitive streak, and while they're not going to be playing at the same level as their playoff games this month, if they're playing to win, it's worth tuning in to see them.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><strong>It's football:</strong> The 2013 season is probably going to kick off on Sept. 5. Once the Super Bowl's final gun sounds next week, we have more than seven months before another game that counts. While most of the Pro Bowl players are going to play hard enough to fool us into thinking the outcome matters to them, you're going to miss football when it's gone after next Sunday. It's OK to tune in - we won't tell anyone you did.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.450000762939453px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div></div>

NFL Pro Bowl Pro Bowl viewing guide: Five things to watch (you know you’re gonna watch it)

By Frank Schwab | Shutdown Corner – 15 hours ago From: http://sports.yahoo.com (USA Today Sports Images) Ask around about the Pro Bowl...