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Patriots 21, Jets 28
Seems like the easiest path to the Super Bowl wasn't easy enough for the Patriots. The Jets flew into town and handed the Pats their second straight home playoff loss, a 28-21 final that frankly wasn't even that close (a late Patriots touchdown accounted for the 7-point margin). The defeat puts a period on the season and begins a period of self-reflection on what might have been after a 14-2 regular season. The Steelers awaited the winner of last night's contest, and the Patriots have never lost to Pittsburgh in the playoffs. So in essence, yesterday was the AFC Championship Game for the Pats, and they looked overwhelmed by the opportunity.
Look at the stat sheet, and you'll see each team had areas of advantage, and you might think it all evened out. The Patriots had more first downs (26 to 14), passing yards (259 to 194), and time of possession (34:56 to 25:04). The Jets had better starting field position (the 45 yard line versus the 28), got the game's only turnover, and had fewer penalties (3 to 6).
But the numbers do not tell the story of how the game got away. The game turned on five really bad plays by the Patriots, that added together were too much to overcome.
Really Bad Play #1: Tom Brady's interception.
Just like speed kills on the highway, turnovers kill in the playoffs. On their opening possession, the Patriots drove the ball 56 yards and deep into Jets territory. The Jets were on their heels at that point, and the Patriots moved the ball efficiently and easily. On first down from the Jets 28, Brady made two run-fakes and then threw a screen pass to BenJarvus Green-Ellis. But he got some light pressure and overthrew the pass, and the Jets picked it off and returned it to the Pats 10 yard line (saving tackle made by Alge Crumpler).
The pressure might have caused the high throw. But it was first down, and the team was already near field goal range, so protecting the ball was of the utmost importance in that situation. If Brady pulled the ball down and took the sack, it would have been second-and-17, and even if the Patriots didn't get the first down, they could try a long field goal.
Brady simply made a big mistake in a big spot. He faced heavy pressure all day, as the Jets 5 sacks for 40 yards, and 7 QB hits attest. But at that juncture in the game, a sack is better than an interception. And even though the Jets didn't score from the Pats 10, without the INT the Pats would have led 3-0 or 7-0. And the next Patriots drive would have made it 6-0, 10-0, or 14-0, except for...
Really Bad Play #2: Alge Crumpler's dropped touchdown.
After stopping the Jets at their own 10, the Patriots mounted another long drive, taking the ball 72 yards to the Jets 7. Brady's play-action fake was effective, and Alge Crumpler beat safety Dwight Lowery to the inside for an easy pitch-and-catch touchdown. Only one problem: Crumpler bobbled the ball and it fell to the ground, incomplete.
Alge was not hit on the play and the defender never got a hand on it either, and the throw was on target. Crumpler just dropped it. So at this point, the Patriots could have been leading 10-0 or 14-0, but because of two bad plays they kicked a field goal and led just 3-0.
Really Bad Play #3: The fake punt.
With 1:10 left in the first half, the Patriots had a fourth-and-4 at their own 38 yard line. Common sense tells you that the Jets offense hadn't done much, and that trailing 7-3 in the game, the smartest move was to kick it away and make the Jets drive a long field and *maybe* try a long field goal before the half. The Patriots were getting the kickoff to open the 3rd quarter, so punting away would just about guarantee they'd be within one score when they got the ball to start the second half.
But they called a fake punt, snapping it to Patrick Chung for a run around right end. Chung had a lane and it might have worked, but he fumbled the snap and the play blew up... no gain and turned over on downs at their 38 yard line. It took the Jets just three plays to score a touchdown and make it 14-3 at the half.
The fake punt looked like a panic move, and act of desperation that the Patriots almost never commit. At that point in the game, the Jets offense had one long pass play that led to a touchdown, and hadn't done much of anything else. The Pats were only down by 4 points, so there shouldn't have been any panic. But the team tried a risky move with a small upside if it succeeded and a huge downside if it failed. And when it failed, the ultimate downside came to fruition.
Really Bad Play #4: BenJarvus Green-Ellis stuffed at the line.
Trailing 14-3, the Patriots got the ball to start the second half. They called a nice play for a first down, and then two runs left them with third-and-1. The play call was BenJarvus Green-Ellis up the middle (or perhaps over left tackle). However, when the Patriots came to the line, the Jets stacked 10 men in the box to stop the run, leaving the Pats with 9 players to block 10, a mismatch. At the snap, Green-Ellis was met in the backfield and lost yards, forcing a Patriots punt.
However, the biggest mistake on the play wasn't made by the O-line or by Green-Ellis, it was Brady's failure to change the play or call a timeout. A 10-man front is the perfect defense to try a play-action pass. And in fact, when Aaron Hernandez motioned across the formation, he was single covered by a linebacker, a complete mismatch and an easy throw for a first down.
But this was typical of the day; the Patriots failed to take advantage of the opportunity again. No NFL team can regularly run against a 10-man front, the numbers just don't work. Brady had to change the play in that situation, and for the most part this season he has done that without fail. Not sure why he deviated from the plan yesterday; but his mental mistake led to a four-and-out "drive" to start the second half, when the team desperately needed to put points on the board.
Really Bad Play #5: The first onside kick.
Imagine you have totally botched your game plan, messed up multiple plays, mismanaged the clock badly, seen physical and mental breakdowns, and given your opponent every chance to blow you out. Yet somehow you kick a field goal to make it a one-score game, and there is a glimmer of hope. The situation: 2:00 left in the game, you have two timeouts, and the other team has one first-down in the quarter. Your choice: kick the ball away and get a defensive stop, or try an onside kick for all the marbles on one play.
The Patriots somehow convinced themselves that the onside kick was the right choice, even though Shane Graham appears to possess one of the worst onside kicks you'll ever see. And of course, like all their decisions on the day, this one blew up in their faces, resulting in a penalty and giving the Jets the ball at the Pats 23 yard line. The Jets scored a game-icing touchdown.
This was a closer call than the fake punt, whether to kick away or go for the onside. But the Jets were set up to stop the onside kick, so kicking it away would have given them lousy field position. And kicking away puts the pressure on the Jets to make a first down to end the game, which is what you want -- young Jets players under pressure to perform.
But the onside kick took all the pressure off, especially when the Jets returned it to the Patriots 23. Sure, if the Patriots recovered it the game would have been winnable (or at least tie-able). But to put it all on one play, when you kicker can't onside kick to save his life, that seems like a stretch of logic. And it is the kind of stretch of logic the Patriots almost never made in the past. During their heyday, they rarely talked themselves into bad choices, always forcing other teams to deal with pressure rather that put it on themselves. Seems like a loooooong time ago.
Certainly there were other mistakes. The non-hurry-up in their long fourth-quarter drive, very bad coverage on Jericho Cotchery over the middle, receivers not turning to catch balls they could have had, and problems blocking along the offensive line. But those five were the biggies on the day. If they'd avoided any of them, they might have tied at the end. Avoid two or more of them and the game very likely goes in favor of the Patriots.
So where does that leave us? A long cold winter that started too early and a post-season ended before it really got started. There is the looming threat of a lockout and no football in 2011, so it would have been nice to get another game or two in before that. Stay tuned for off-season updates, thoughts on where the Patriots need to go from here, some thoughts on how to improve the league, the rules, and perhaps even avoid the lockout.
Statistical Oddity of the Week: In Tom Brady's last 30 games in Foxborough, he is 28-0 in the regular season and 0-2 in the playoffs.
Weekly Water-cooler Wisdom: "Last week I saw a kid on Pee Wee football with a better onside kick than Shane Graham."
PS. 0-1!
14-3!
Labels: 2010 season, New England Patriots, New York Jets, NFL, NFL Playoffs
Preview of Patriots vs. Jets
Doesn't two weeks between games feel like too much? Unless of course your team has a playoff bye and a home playoff game -- then you'll accept it, I suppose. The Patriots face off with the Jets on Sunday, their third meeting of the season, and sure to be a barn-burner.
Naturally the big question is who will prevail, and to answer that question I usually look at the most recent game they played and consider whether or not enough has changed in the interim to alter the outcome. But that would be a foolish exercise in this case. The Patriots shellacked the Jets 45-3 last time, a blowout win that almost certainly won't be repeated this time.
So instead of the shortest entry in the history of this blog (e.g. "Patriots will win... tune in Monday for the recap."), I will consider the game a wash at this point and see how the teams are likely to perform, given the venue, the weather, the past history, and playoff experience.
1. Sunshine and Sunset
Mark Sanchez could be one of "The Sunshine Boys" -- because he plays so much better in good weather than bad, and he plays exceptionally poor games in Gillette Stadium. His mediocre 62.4 passer rating in the win over the Colts last week is typical for him at this time of year. And for anyone holding out hope of a great performance by Sanchez, consider how his stats compare from sunny September, to dark and scary December/January, to cold and windy Gillette Stadium:
95 of 162 (58.7%), 10 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 96.1 QB rating
December/January:
181 of 324 (55.9%), 7 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 68.0 QB rating
At Gillette Stadium:
25 of 54 (46.3%), 1 touchdown, 7 interceptions, 30.4 QB rating
Not a lot to hang your hat on there.
At running back for the Jets is LaDainian Tomlinson, who at age 31 might be nearing the sunset of his career, and who certainly performs worse as the season hits its sunset -- the playoffs. Here are the rushing numbers from Tomlinson's last seven playoff games:
16 carries for 82 yards
Even if you discard the 0-0, that averages to 10.5 carries for 34.3 yards a game and a 3.2 yard-per-carry average, not exactly the stuff of legends. And even though he reportedly is healthier for these playoffs than past years, his 82 yards last week were less impressive given that they came against a porous Indianapolis defense.
None of this is to say that Sanchez and Tomlinson can't do well on Sunday. Either or both could have breakout games and possibly decide things in the Jets favor. But history tells us they probably won't.
2. On the Defensive
For all the bluster coming out of the Jets and all the praise heaped on Rex Ryan and their defensive talent, the Jets don't have a distinct advantage in the most important defensive statistic, points allowed. New York gave up 304 points this year, New England gave up 313 -- less than 1 point difference per game.
But the biggest problem when the Jets play the Patriots stems from their basic defensive design. Rex Ryan built them to stop a more traditional passing attack, with height and speed on the outside, quickness at the slot, size at tight end, and one running back. Unfortunately for the Jets, they don't face a team like that on Sunday.
The Patriots quick-cut, possession passing game destroyed the Jets scheme last time they played, with multiple receivers beating press coverage at the snap and Tom Brady hitting them in stride for good gains, some with 20+ yards after the catch. The Jets concentrated on stopping Wes Welker and Deion Branch, but they still grabbed 10 catches for 144 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Jets will definitely come up with a different scheme to combat the Patriots short game, but they are limited by the type of talent they have. They need fast, active linebackers and advanced zone schemes to stop an inside/short/possession passing attack, neither of which play to the Jets strengths.
3. On the Defensive II
The Patriots might have some issues on defense, too. Last week New York punished the Colts with the running game to hang around and beat them at the end of the game. Most people think their best chance to win on Sunday is to do more of the same. And if the Jets can duplicate their 38 rushes for 169 yards 2 touchdowns and a 6:14 advantage in time of possession, they probably have a decent chance.
Their odds of pulling that off increased when Mike Wright and Ron Brace were placed on injured reserve, knocking them out of the playoffs. The Patriots D-line is mostly Vince Wilfork and a bunch of guys who rotate in and out -- and that usually isn't a good formula to stop the run. (Although they did finish #11 in the NFL with 4.2 yards given up per rush.)
There are two bits of good news for the Pats defense; Brandon Spikes returns from his suspension, and he is a much better run-stopper than his replacement, Gary Guyton. Also, with an extra week off, the Patriots defensive linemen should be well rested, making it tougher for the Jets to wear them down with the run.
Still, if the Jets keep the game close, they will continue running the ball. So perhaps the Patriots best defense would be a good offense -- one that scores a few touchdowns early and makes the Jets abandon the run.
4. Special of the Day
The impact of special teams could be significant because the level of play between the teams is different. The Patriots lost Stephen Gostkoswski early in the year, and Shane Graham's kickoffs are shorter and field goal attempts less certain. Add to that the Jets very good return game, and that could add up to a significant advantage in field position for New York, and also could be trouble if the Patriots need a late field goal. Graham will have to be very good with his directional kickoffs and the Pats might need to squib the kick if they face a significant wind.
The Patriots kickoff return game is very good, but teams have been kicking away from Brandon Tate, and aside from Dan Connolly's oddball return, the other players haven't picked up the slack very much. And the Jets are sure to pull out all the stops for the playoffs, so everyone on the kick return team needs to be aware of how to handle short kicks and also be on the alert for trick plays or unexpected onside kicks.
The teams are about equal in the punting game, both having potential game-breaking returners and punters who averaged about the same net yards on the year. Of course, the Patriots have a rookie punting, and you never know how young players will perform when you get to the playoffs. Which leads directly into the last major factor...
5. The Rookies
Much of the Patriots success can be traced to a very good rookie class, and there is no way to predict how the young players will perform in the playoffs. It is especially important to get good games out of the rookie tight ends, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, and rookie corner Devin McCourty. Here's a quick break-down of how they are likely to do.
There is evidence that Gronkowski might have trouble performing on the big stage. He had his worst game of the year at Cleveland, and the game plan clearly revolved around Gronkowski attacking the seam against the Browns. But being featured in the offense affected him negatively.
Gronk botched the opening kickoff, giving the Browns a short field and an early lead. And late in the half, he fumbled near the Cleveland goal line, taking potential points off the board that could have made it 17-14 or 17-10 at the half. He's been featured in the offense much of the rest of the year, showing no ill effects from that early failure. But you can't be sure how he'll respond in his first playoff game, and it could spell trouble if he plays like he did against Cleveland.
Hernandez played much better early in the year, though he hasn't had any bad games at all and faced tighter coverage once his skills became known throughout the league. He did miss the last two games with injuries, and with the playoff bye week he hasn't played any meaningful football in almost a month. Based on that, he could start slowly against the Jets; but given his performance this year he shouldn't have any trouble with playoff intensity.
Devin McCourty is another story entirely. His play improved just about every week this year, and he helped shut down Braylon Edwards in the second Jets game. He was their best corner by far this year, and should continue to shine. Probably won't shut anyone out, but playoffs or no playoffs he is a very good corner who can out-physical or out-technique just about any receiver.
It would be shocking if McCourty wilts in the playoffs. He played like a seasoned veteran all year, and has become a corner that teams throw away from.
A. Since Ryan and Sanchez arrived in New York, the teams have split their games 2-2. But the Patriots swept the games in Foxboro, outscoring the Jets 76-17.
B. In the regular season, Tom Brady is on a 28-game winning streak at home. In the post-season, he's on a 1-game losing streak.
C. For all the injuries on the defensive line, and despite facing 7 of the top 20 running backs in the league, the Patriots allowed only one 100-yard rusher this year (trivia question: can you name that player... answer below).
D. The Patriots are 16-3 after a bye week under Bill Belichick.
This game does not look like a repeat of the last one. The Jets won't come out as flat and the Patriots probably won't be as dominant. But even so, it's tough to come up with a scenario where the Jets win unless they either (a) win the turnover battle by a lot, or (b) get scores on defense and/or special teams. And the Patriots set the NFL record for fewest turnovers in a season (10), so neither scenario seem likely.
It is the NFL, so don't take anything for granted. But the Patriots should be able to handle the elements and anything the Jets defense throws at them. And if the offense scores in the high-20s or low-30s, that puts too much pressure on Mark Sanchez, who isn't quite ready to back up Rex Ryan's bold statements.
Post-season Water-cooler Wisdom: "Literally, all the Pats have to do to win is protect the football. In the end, if they win the turnover battle, they will win the game."
Cleveland's Peyton Hillis ran for 184 yards in the Patriots most recent loss -- 11/7/2010.
2010 opened with lowered expectations among the local and national media, but the Patriots outperformed those expectations, notching their third 14-2 record and eighth AFC East crown in the last ten years.
So before we move on to the real season, here is a look back at the best performers, best newcomers, and most improved players in the 2010 regular season.
The Offense
Most Valuable Offensive Player: Tom Brady
Two seasons removed from a season-ending knee injury, Brady re-established himself as the best quarterback in the NFL. His touchdown-to-interception ratio was an absolutely unfair 36-4, and his 111.0 QB rating was the fifth best in NFL history.
His numbers against the best competition, teams with winning records, were otherworldly: 159 of 241 (66%), 1,934 yards, 16 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and QB rating 105.7. He will be named the NFL MVP; not much argument against him being the Patriots offensive MVP.
Most Improved Offensive Player: BenJarvus Green-Ellis
Honorable Mention: Tom Brady, Matt Light
BenJarvus wins this award going away. From 2009 to 2010, Green-Ellis improved 880% in carries (26 to 229) and yards (114 to 1,008), and in the process became the first 1,000+ yard Patriots rusher since Corey Dillion in 2004. He started zero games last year and 11 games this year, and he shouldered the load when Laurence Maroney was traded, and Fred Taylor and Kevin Faulk were injured.
Brady's stats were better this year, but his biggest improvement came in managing crucial game situations much better. In 2009 he threw bad interceptions in losses to Miami and Indianapolis and did not perform well at the end of the Denver overtime loss. But he left all that behind this year.
Matt Light missed five games in 2009, and honestly rookie Sebastian Vollmer outperformed him -- not Light's best year. But he rebounded in 2010, starting all 16 games and did a great job protecting Brady's blind-side.
Offensive Newcomer of the Year: Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Alge Crumpler, Brian Ferentz
Honorable Mention: Danny Woodhead
The Patriots employed creative destruction at the tight end position. They released all of their 2009 tight ends and fired the tight ends coach. I wrote at the end of last season that the tight ends coach should go (link), but even I didn't foresee them turning over the entire position. The results were immediate, tangible, and vital to their success in 2010.
2009 tight ends: 43 catches for 546 yards and 7 touchdowns
2010 tight ends: 93 catches for 1,161 yards and 18 touchdowns
Quite simply, the productivity improvement at tight end is one of the five best position-improvements in the entire NFL (right up there with the Rams quarterbacks, Raiders running backs, and Chiefs quarterbacks). And the Patriots tight ends bring such different skills, it's difficult (if not foolhardy) to separate them -- so your winners are all three tight ends and their new coach. Kudos on a job well done, gentlemen.
Danny Woodhead's emergence was crucial to the Patriots success, especially given that he took the place of Kevin Faulk, long a dependable and underrated cog in the Patriots offense. But Woodhead, who signed as a free agent when the Jets released him, brought more speed and elusiveness to the position, and he learned the offense well enough to split out at wide receiver or pick up blitzers -- whatever was necessary.
Most Valuable Defensive Player: Vince Wilfork, Devin McCourty
Honorable Mention: Jerod Mayo
Wilfork was a more vocal leader in the locker room, was an absolute beast on the field, and showed amazing versatility throughout the season. He played all four positions on the defensive line, employing both 1-gap and 2-gap techniques to blow up running plays and pressure the passer, and he did it all with a revolving door of linemates due to injuries and new player rotations. Through it all Vince played at a Pro Bowl level and was the most important player on their defensive front seven.
The McCourty pick was widely panned by the media, but he ignored the naysayers, learned from early season mistakes, and was a legitimate Pro Bowler himself. He led NFL rookies with 7 interceptions, defended another 17 passes, forced 2 fumbles, and did a great job in run support on the edge. He led the team in INTs, and was *third* in tackles... not bad for a rookie who might not have started if not for the Leigh Bodden injury.
Jerod Mayo was far and away the leading tackler on the team, and like Wilfork, he played next to an array of linebackers, some of whom aren't even with the team any more.
Most Improved Defensive Player: Jerod Mayo
Honorable Mention: Patrick Chung
Mayo regained his speed and explosion this year, after suffering an early knee injury in 2009. But even more than that, he added his experience to the return of his physical prowess and simply dominated from the middle linebacker position. It helped that Brandon Spikes emerged, but Mayo went from leading his team in tackles in 2009 to leading the NFL in tackles in 2010.
And Chung has become the team's best safety -- the acknowledged "quarterback" of the secondary. He brought an attitude and consistency that made a real difference when he was in the game. Sort of the Bob Sanders of the Patriots -- except he seems to be more durable.
Defensive Newcomer of the Year: Devin McCourty
Honorable Mention: Brandon Spikes
Read above for information about McCourty -- and consider where the Patriots would be if McCourty hadn't been drafted and Darius Butler started opposite Kyle Arrington. Just don't think about it too long -- it's sort of scary.
Spikes' addition was critical to the team. Gary Guyton was a nice story in 2009, an undrafted free agent who played pretty well next to Jerod Mayo. But Spikes solidified the other inside linebacker spot, showing the toughness to stop the inside run and the speed and instincts to cover running backs out of the backfield and rush the passer. And he allowed the backup linebackers to do what they do best -- be backups.
The Special Teams
Most Valuable Special Teams Player: Brandon Tate
Honorable Mention: Matthew Slater
Tate returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and averaged 28 yards a return. And the threat Tate represented caused other teams to kick away from him or kick short, which helped the Patriots get good field position week after week. In fact, kicking away from Tate led directly to Dan Connolly's 71-yard kickoff return on a squib-kick against the Packers... a game they won by only 4 points.
Slater had 15 special teams tackles in 16 games, and he never missed his lane on kick coverage that I noticed. Not much of a receiver, but very good on special teams.
Most Improved Special Teams Player: Brandon Tate
Honorable Mention: Dan Connolly
Tate's 2009 stats: 4 kickoff returns for 106 yards
Tate's 2010 stats: 41 kickoff returns for 1,057 yards and 2 touchdowns
Connolly's 2009 stats: 1 kickoff return for 16 yards
Connolly's 2010 stats: 3 kickoff returns for 90 yards
(Note: mostly kidding about including Connolly.)
Special Teams Newcomer of the Year: Zoltan Mesko
Honorable Mention: Matt Katula
I said it before but it bears repeating: in 2009 the Patriots finished 36th in punting... and there are only 32 teams in the league! This year Mesko ranked 11th in net yards and did a great job as the holder on place kicks. Also, he handled all the bad snaps when Jake Ingram got the "yips" earlier in the year. There were a bunch of low snaps that he pick up on the fly and he still got good kicks away, and he handled several high snaps on place kicks.
Once Jake Ingram was let go, the Patriots signed Matt Katula to replace him at long snapper. He didn't mess up a single snap for the balance of the season -- nailing every single on on punts and kicks. Couldn't ask for more from a mid-season replacement.
That is it for the regular season awards. Keep an eye out for my Pats-Jets breakdown later this week, and enjoy the ride :)
0-0!
Labels: 2010 season, New England Patriots, NFL
Easiest Path to the Super Bowl
There are no real juggernauts in this year's NFL. Every team could potentially be undone by flaws on offense, defense, special teams, or even coaching. So as often happens, the road to the Super Bowl will largely come down to which team matches up best with the opponent it has to play.
Play teams you usually beat, teams with weaknesses that work to your strengths, teams that can't handle what your home field dishes out (weather, crowd noise, etc.) -- and your chances of reaching the big game increase. Play teams that frustrate your offense, skewer your defense, or that are built for January football, and your chances decrease.
Considering only the issue of matchups, here are the Patriots potential playoff foes, in order from the team they should most like to see to the team should least like to see. Note that nothing here is guaranteed; but given past results, injury status, and playoff experience, here are the AFC playoff teams, listed in the order you'd most like to see them in Foxboro, because they would give the Patriots the best shot at advancing another week.
(A quick spoiler, get ready to hold your nose and root for the Jets this weekend.)
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
You might be shocked to see the #2 AFC seed listed at the easiest win, but the Patriots simply own the Steelers, especially in the playoffs and especially when Tom Brady plays. The Steelers haven't beaten Brady since Ben Roethlisberger's sixth career start, way back in 2004. Tom Terrific is 4-1 against Pittsburgh in the regular season and 2-0 in the playoffs.
The Steelers like to do what they do best, and don't mix it up much from week to week. That makes them an easy mark for a Patriots team that always evolves and can win just about any way imaginable. One additional factor in New England's favor: for some reason they always have better special teams than Pittsburgh. Special teams won them the 2001 AFC Championship game, and the Steelers almost never get that aspect of the game to go in their favor against the Patriots.
Speaking of AFC Championships; the Pats and Steelers can't meet until that game this post-season. So if the Patriots win on January 16, keep your fingers crossed that the Big Bad Steelers come to town the next week. It's the surest bet on the table for a Patriots Super Bowl berth.
2. New York Jets
Not an easy game, but the Jets as currently constituted do not appear to be much of a threat to take out the Patriots in Foxboro. Their defense is better suited to stop traditional wide receivers; Randy Moss, Larry Johnson, or even Chad Ochocinco types. Their corners are physical at the line, slowing route development enough for the pass rush to get there.
But their stout cornerbacks and run-stopping linebackers got schooled by short, quick passes in the 45-3 drubbing they suffered in Foxboro. And there isn't much evidence that Darrelle Revis or Antonio Cromartie can suddenly change techniques to disrupt those routes. Besides, even if they do it would open up room for Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, or Danny Woodhead.
Besides, Rex Ryan should know by now that it's a game of inches, not a game of feet!
(Sorry, I couldn't help myself.)
3. Kansas City Chiefs
You hear it a lot, that Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel know the Patriots as well as the Pats know themselves, and those two coordinators can devise a new scheme to stop Tom Brady and attack the Patriots defense. Only one flaw in the plan: Bill Belichick knows those two pretty well, too, along with the tendencies and weaknesses of their quarterback, Matt Cassel.
Under different circumstances this would be a decent chess match -- like if the Chiefs had anywhere near the talent the Patriots do. But they do not, especially at the all-important quarterback position. Kansas City is slightly more likely than the Jets to pull off an upset, but only because they might surprise the Pats and get a quick lead. But how likely are they to do that to a guy who knows them as well as they know themselves?
4. Indianapolis Colts
Any team with Peyton Manning will always be a threat in a one-and-done situation, so the Colts are a dangerous opponent. And remember that in November the Pats had them down 31-14 with 8:00 left and had to hang on for a 31-28 win.
There are two main reasons the Colts are not as tough an out as the Ravens (ranked #5). First, they aren't as healthy, missing receiver Austin Collie, as well as Dallas Clark and safety Bob Sanders. Secondly the weather in November was actually pretty good. It was 37-degrees, sunny, and not windy at all (6 mph), and the January weather is sure to be worse.
The Colts can't play the Patriots until the AFC Championship game (if either team makes it), and I doubt Peyton and company will luck into such benign conditions on January 23. More likely they'll face snow, colder conditions, and almost certainly more wind. Hell, games in *August* usually have stronger winds than 6 mph!
5. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens are the team you least want to see in town this January. They had the Pats down by 10 points earlier this year in Foxboro, and since then they got all-world safety Ed Reed back and Joe Flacco is doing a better job at quarterback. And Flacco had his second best QB rating of the year against the Patriots (119.3); though admittedly that was when Devin McCourty was still developing and Brandon Meriweather was still starting.
The Ravens aren't what they used to be on defense, giving up late leads a few times (including the Pats game), and Flacco isn't the most dangerous quarterback in the league. But Baltimore put together a team in the same sense as the Patriots: they can beat you in many different ways, they don't turn the ball over much (just 20 all season), and they are sound on special teams.
If the Patriots have to play the Ravens, let's hope they meet on January 23, not January 16. A later meeting would mean Baltimore had to win two road games just to get to the AFC Championship game. And they play with so much emotion it is doubtful they could crank it up a third straight week. But if the Pats have to play Baltimore on January 16, watch out!
If you are looking for the easiest path to the Super Bowl for your Patriots, you should root for the Jets this weekend. That would knock out the second toughest AFC opponent (Colts), and would have the Patriots playing the second easiest AFC opponent (Jets) on January 16. And if the Pats took care of business on the 16th, it would leave either the easiest opponent (Steelers), the third easiest (Chiefs), or a team emotionally drained by two road wins (Ravens).
Again, take all this with about 100 grains of salt. Nothing is for sure in the NFL. But the path of least resistance to Dallas is Pats-Jets followed by Pats-Steelers.
PS. 14-2!
Posted by Scott at 8:00 AM 1 comments Links to this post
Labels: Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, New York Jets, NFL, NFL Playoffs, Pittsburgh Steelers
Patriots 38, Dolphins 7
Now that's finishing the things the right way. The Patriots won their eighth straight game (38-7 over division rival Miami), and in the process scored 30+ points every week and turned the ball over just once during that span. They ended the season at 14-2, Belichick's fourth regular season with at least 14 wins (an NFL record), outscored their opponents by 202 points for the year, and they have not only the first playoff seed in the AFC but serious momentum and an offense and defense playing at their highest levels of the year.
Miami looked decidedly disinterested, getting whacked in all three phases of the game. The Patriots defense completely shut down the Dolphins, allowing just a garbage-time touchdown. They tallied 5 sacks and 8 quarterback hits (excluding a Vince Wilfork sack that was disallowed on a bogus roughing-the-passer penalty), and overall Miami had a 62.9 cumulative QB rating and just 250 total yards.
The defensive line and linebackers worked extremely well in tandem. Wilfork and his no-name linemates stuffed everything that came their way and mixed in one-gap techniques to pressure the QB all game long. And the coaches brought linebacker blitzes right up the gut, with Jerod Mayo and Gary Guyton getting free runs at the QB and blowing up running plays. Mayo was a thorn in Miami's side all day, notching 6 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, and 2 QB hits.
Newcomer Eric Moore started in place of Tully Banta-Cain, and he played a very good game, not bad for a guy who arrived just five weeks ago. He forced a fumble and held up well against the run, making two terrific tackles. And Rob Ninkovich snapped out of his slump at the right time, collapsing the pocket for two sacks and stopping runs around the edge (and even throwing in two special teams tackles). In the playoffs you might expect to see a four-man rotation at OLB, and with two players peaking (Ninkovich and Moore) and the other two getting healthy (Jermaine Cunningham and Banta-Cain) it could work out well.
The story of the secondary (and maybe of the year) is Devin McCourty. He had another interception on a route undercut, and he completely solidified left cornerback all season, both against the pass and in run support. He won't be NFL defensive rookie of the year, but will probably finish second to Ndamukong Suh, and without him the Patriots wouldn't be 14-2 -- especially since their best DB from last year missed 2010 with an injury (remember Leigh Bodden?). The other difference-maker in the secondary is Patrick Chung, who intimidated receivers and always executes his assignments flawlessly. He appears to be healthy, and that important heading into the playoffs, because his backup, Brandon Meriweather, could cost the team dearly against complex and diversified offenses, although Meriweather can contribute on a limited basis.
Beyond McCourty, Kyle Arrington and Darius Butler got most of the snaps at corner. Arrington competes on every snap, and though his skills are limited he won't let receivers get free releases and just about always makes the sure tackle. Butler did not have a great game, and he's probably better covering the other team's third best receiver, but sometimes schemes have him covering better players and his limitations show through. Neither inspires confidence; but they probably won't get you beaten and do the best with what they have.
On offense just about everything worked for the Pats. With Aaron Hernandez, Wes Welker, and Deion Branch out of the game, the passing game focused on Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, and the combination of Brandon Tate and rookie Taylor Price. They targeted Gronk 10 times, and he caught 6 of them for 102 yards and a touchdown. Edelman seemingly returned from the dead; he had 3 catches for 72 yards after previously catching only 4 for 14 yards all *season*. Not sure what to make of Tate, who caught fire with 2 catches for 82 yards, or Price, who'd never gotten a single grab before and came up with 3 for 41 yards. Can you say "peaking at the right time!"
Dr. Brady was in fine form, putting up a 145.6 rating with 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions before being lifted for backup Brian Hoyer. Oh, and Hoyer wasn't too shabby either: 7 of 13 for 122 yards and 1 touchdown an a 111.7 rating. Both QBs stayed clean all day (zero sacks and just 4 QB hits), and there weren't really any scary moments when you wondered why Belichick kept Brady out there. Tom Terrific finished the year with 36 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, a record 335 passes without an interception, and a QB rating of 111.0. He should make arrangements to pick up his second NFL MVP award; it'll be coming soon.
The running game topped 100 yards for the eighth consecutive game, going for 181 and 4 yards a carry. BenJarvus Green-Ellis was the main main again, getting 80 yards on 20 carries and reaching 1,008 for the year (first Patriots running back to break 1,000 yards since 2004). Danny Woodhead fumbled on a hard hit early in the game, and they held him out with a head injury the rest of the afternoon. It didn't look like a major injury. And his speed and elusiveness in the short passing game are assets the team will need in the playoffs, so here's hoping the injury isn't severe.
Oh... and any O-line that gives up zero sacks and generates 4 yards a rush deserves priase. But it's especially impressive when they played mostly backups the second half -- and that was against the Dolphins starting defense. Kudos to line coach Dante Scarnecchia and the linemen for their ability to adjust to different schemes and injury-related lineup changes all year. This might well be Dante's finest coaching job since he arrived in New England -- and that was over 20 years ago!
Special teams lived up to the name this week. Julian Edelman set a Patriots record with a 94-yard punt return touchdown (trivia question: who's record did Edleman break?), though he needs to show some discipline and not try to return every punt from inside the 10 yard line. Shane Graham's kickoffs were deeper and the coverage was good so they must have had decent hang time. And Zoltan Mesko finished up his rookie campaign ranked 11th in net punting average, did a nice job holding for placekicks this year, and basically didn't screw up -- which was a vast improvement over last year, when the Pats had the worst punting unit in the NFL.
So where does that leave us? The Patriots don't play again until 4:30 on Sunday, January 16, and their possible opponents are the Jets, Ravens, or Chiefs. I'll post a breakdown of the playoff participants this week. So relax and enjoy the two weeks of hype and next weekend's action on the field.
Remember folks... these are indeed "the good old days."
Statistical Oddity of the Week: Aggregate score in the 2010 Patriots first three division games: 93-72. Aggregate score in the 2010 Patriots last three division games: 107-13.
Bonus Statistical Oddity: Since playing to a tie in the first half of the first Dolphins game, the Patriots outscored Miami 73-14 73-7.
Wacky Note of the Week: The 2010 Patriots scored seven different ways against Miami: rushing touchdown, passing touchdown, field goal, interception return touchdown, kickoff return touchdown, punt return touchdown, blocked field goal return touchdown.
Weekly Water-cooler Wisdom: "Remember when the Dolphins fired their special teams coach after the first Pats game? I wonder who will get the axe after yesterday's debacle!"
Mike Haynes returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown in November of 1976.
Posted by Scott at 12:05 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: 2010 season, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, NFL


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Baby and Me HikeTuesday, February 04 : 09:30 AM - 11:00 AMBaby and Me Hike
Historic Speedwell
Grades: Pre K, K, 1
Offered: Spring
People living a hundred years ago were more attuned to the changes of the seasons than we are. Spring was seen as a time of renewal; new farm animals were bring born and new crops were being planted. Spring also meant the end of the "lean times" of winter. Join us as we explore these aspects of Spring during this creative movement and craft program. We will celebrate the new season with a tour of some of our buildings, a dance around the Maypole, and a Spring craft! For program fees and availability, please call 973.285.6537 or email mmcfarlane@morrisparks.net
Steeped in History! Tea, Food, and Society in 19th Century America
Grades: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Cook on the fire just as people did 150 years ago! During this open hearth cooking program, students will follow period 'receipts' and prepare dishes using historical methods and tools. Following a discussion-based tour of the Vail House, students will enjoy a 'tea party' and enjoy the 'fruits' of their labor. For program fees and availability, please call 973.285.6537 or email mmcfarlane@morrisparks.net.
The Dream of Steam
Visit Historic Speedwell and learn how steam revolutionized power in the 19th century. Also learn how Stephen Vail, owner of the Speedwell Ironworks, was involved in this cutting edge technology. During this program, students will gain an understanding of how steam can be harnessed to do work and how many different parts of a system must work together for success. This program is also available for an in-school visit. For program fees and availability, please call 973.285.6537 or email mmcfarlane@morrisparks.net
DIG IT! ARCHAEOLOGY 101
Grades: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Duration: 2 hous
Historic Speedwell offers archaeologists-in-training the chance to learn the basic skills of this science and unearth some treasures to take home. Students will participate in a hands-on dig while learning archaeological techniques as well as the importance of archaeology in historic preservation. For program fees and availability, please call 973.285.6537 or email mmcfarlane@morrisparks.net
Hearth and Home: Life in the 19th Century
Grades: Pre K, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Duration: 1 ½ hours
Cook on the fire just as people did 150 years ago! During this open-hearth cooking program, students will follow a period "receipt," and prepare a dish using historical methods and tools.
For program fees and availability, please call 973.285.6537, or email mmcfarlane@morrisparks.net.
IRON, INVENTION, AND HOME: Discovering Historic Speedwell
Grades: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Explore Historic Speedwell through a guided tour of the various structures and exhibits located on site. This program encompasses original buildings from the Vail Homestead, including the Factory, where Alfred Vail and Samuel F.B. Morse held the first public demonstration of the telegraph in 1838. Also featured is the Vail Mansion, home of Stephen Vail and his family from 1844-1864. The exhibit 'The Speedwell Ironworks: A History of Workers and Work,' documents the history of the Vails, once prosperous business in Morristown. This program features interactive activities and discussion to bring the site to life. For program fees and availability, please call 973.285.6537 or email mmcfarlane@morrisparks.net.
MAKING THE CONNECTION: Speedwell and the Telegraph
Grades: 3, 4, 5, 6
Step into the shoes of Alfred Vail- Experiment with electricity, magnets, and wire to discover how a message can be sent over a distance. Build a basic telegraph, and send a message using 'the code.' After the workshop, tour the Factory where the telegraph was first demonstrated to the public in 1838. For program fees and availability, please call 973.285.6537 or email mmcfarlane@morrisparks.net.
CAST FROM THE PAST: Labor & Production at the Speedwell Ironworks
Grades: 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Work for the Speedwell Ironworks for a day! In this hands-on workshop, students learn the historic process of sand casting, make a mould, and create a casting (with a safe molten iron substitute) to take home. While the castings are drying, students complete a site-wide scavenger hunt. During the early American Industrial Revolution, the Speedwell Ironworks manufactured iron objects, employed skilled workers with specialized roles, and used tools and machines in a historic process. Although the Speedwell Ironworks no longer exists, its history is preserved and interpreted at Historic Speedwell. For program fees and availability, please call 973.285.6537 or email mmcfarlane@morrisparks.net.
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Over the last eleven years I have been privileged to serve initially as Treasurer and then for the last six as Chairman of CMA NSW. During this time I have seen members come and go, some areas blossom, and others fade, and I am constantly reminded of Ecclesiastes 3 – there is a season for everything, a time for everything . And whilst there are no constants in man's world, one thing that has remained unchanged is God – Jesus Christ – The Holy Spirit. We, as an organisation and as individuals have had our ups and downs during these years, yes I've rubbed a few people up the wrong way and only just kept my hands off a few throats but His grace has covered all of this and His love and His hope have been at the forefront of our existence.
CMA is moving in a new direction, there is more cooperation between the states, no longer is it just an annual catch up but a cohesive national force working for good. We are also cooperating with CMA organisations across the world and reaping the benefits of this. Part of what I see in the international groups is the need to re-think the way we do things, be more flexible in our approach but more rigid in our fundamental beliefs.


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reproduced in any form including without limitation, the extraction and/or storage in any retrieval system or inclusion in any other computer program or work (except as is incidental to viewing the SIAS website).
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Viscopy Limited is an agency that represents copyright holders within Australia. 'Viscopy Ltd, Sydney' listed below a work on this website denotes Viscopy as the agent for the copyright holder.


Power Eye is an anti-aging eye treatment. Vitamin A, Peptides and Cucumber create this delicious smelling, wrinkle reducing eye cream. Specially formulated for the delicate skin of the orbital area, this cream moisturizes the eye area while reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Ester of Vitamin A, has the ability to convert into active Vitamin A when applied to the skin. Vitamin A helps to speed up cell turnover reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
(Vitamin E) Antioxidant that protects from oxidative stress, soothes inflammation and boosts collagen production.
Palmitoyl oligopeptide helps to stimulate collagen production and the proliferation of fibroblasts. Palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 reduces inflammation by suppressing production of interleukins, restores healing and tissue regeneration.
Apply to ring finger and tap gently over entire eye area.
Purified Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Cyclopentasilo- xane, Dimethicone, Hyaluronic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Soluble Collagen, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate-20, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Melia Aazadirachta Leaf extract.


where e is the unit of electrical charge, h is the reduced Planck's constant, mp is the rest mass of a proton and c is the speed of light. Thus the magneton has different dimensions in the different systems of units. In the SI system it has the dimensions of energy per unit time (Joules per second).
Thus, this indicatess that the number of degrees of freedom of the charged spherical proton is 1.
The first step toward a solution for a proton is the evaluation of the parameter σ. The radius of a proton; i.e. 0.84 fermi.
This is an increditably high rate but it is what it would have to be to generate its measured magnetic moment. It is comparable to the high rates found for nuclei in general; i.e., 4.74x1021 rotations per second. See Nuclear Rotation.
The rate of rotation found using classical physics and quantum theory was 4.962x1022 times per second with βmax=0.873. The relativistic value of βmax found above was 0.7563.
The relativistic method of computing the rotation rate handled the problem that it might imply the matter of the material of the proton could be traveling faster than the speed of light. The general problem of the determination of rotation rates taking into account Special Relativity is dealt with in Relativistic Angular Momentum.
For material on the spin of a neutron see Neutron Spin. For an electron see Electron Spin and Relativistic Electron Spin.


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2020 has been a shocker, but music has provided light relief from the doom & Gloom. Here's some music to sign off 2020 with.
Kid Loco – The rare Birds Remixes, Pt.3 & more
Let's start off with a bunch of Kid Loco remixes, in the third instalment of The Rare Birds remixes. This can get a bit dark and hectic, but it seems to be a pretty good reflection of the year so far, so perhaps it will resonate with you too.
Sola Rosa – Chasing the Sun
Kiwi Funkster Sola Rosa brings a hefty dose of uplifting funk and beats in his new album. Crammed full of guest vocals including Kiko Bun, Thandi Phoenix and Eva Lazarus, there's a lot of talent bursting out on this album. The stand out track for me is 'You Don't Know' with Josh Barry.
Kylie Auldist – This is What Happiness Looks Like
Aussie ray of sunshine Kylie Auldist is back with another dose of 80's electro goodness in her new album This is what happiness looks like. We caught up with Kylie to chat about this new album, and it's truly a delight to hear someone having so much fun making the music they love. That passion ooses out of every track, and while it might be a long way away from the collaborations with The Bamboos, and Cookin on three burners, it's just what the doctor ordered after the year we've just had!
Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez
Damon and his pals are back with some huge names and some unexpected collaborations including Elton John, The Cure's Robert Smith and St. Vincent. I can't totally get on with this Album, as despite the undeniable creativity and craftsmanship I can't get over the sound of Damon Albarn's voice which has the same effect as nails down a chalkboard for me, so I'm perhaps not going to measure this one subjectively. If I had to choose a track it would have to be Friday 13th with Octavian.
BOSQ – Y su Descarga Internacional
Originally from Boston Mass, Bosq now calls Medellin, Columbia his home, and once you get into this album you'll understand why. This album is sure to transport you into the colour, chaos, and culture of Columbia. With carefully crafted cuts of Afrobeat, Salsa and Calypso, it's a tropical delight! If this doesn't re-engage your head back into craving travel after all these restrictions, I don't think you're going to travel much further than the end of your own nose in 2021. As Kaleta says in track four, 'Wake up from your slumber' and let's look forward to a better year ahead.
Previous Boozy Christmas Guide 2020


This is our new Supra/2jzgte manifold design. Made 800hp @ 26psi with a Precision 6870 gen 2 .81 a/r with room for a lot more hp.
Products can be up to a 1-3 week turn around time if product is not In stock at time of order.
All parts sold are for OFF-Road use only. All sales are final. No returns. Any accepted return is subject to a 20% restocking fee.


Sherriff Amenity host first ever myTurfClub. Sherriff Amenity recently hosted the very first myTurfClub event at Syngenta UK's Jealott's Hill Research Centre in Bracknell – and by all accounts it was a huge success.
"I'm absolutely delighted with the turn out today, considering the pressure everyone is under at the moment with the weather. Plus a lot of people are trying to get greens renovations done and get their courses up to scratch for spring.


Two friends wandering out on a walk in the fields.
We can paint you a unique portrait of your beloved pet in the Impressionist style of Robert Hagan. We can also paint figurative landscapes that include you and your family or friends.
Commissioning a portrait painting of a pet, or someone special, is a demonstration of your love for them. It could be a gift for them, or for someone else, it might even be an act of remembrance for someone or something now gone.
We will discuss together the subject that you want painting, and the photographs that you want to use. It might be necessary to take more photographs to get the right "look". We will consider the subject, the setting and the photographs we can use.
The table below gives a rough guide for pricing purposes. We would need to have a discussion about your requirements, as the cost of your painting will depend on a number of factors. These factors include size, background, and the number of subjects.


Demolish the existing collection of pools and the Kiwi House and replace them with a lap pool, two leisure pools, three spa pools, a café, plant room building and a main entry building containing a gym, three private spa pools, offices, massage rooms and amenities.
The laying of the instant lawn as it transformed a barren concrete landscape into the oasis it has now become. We also found the design consultants, LHT and Andrew Scott Cotton a pleasure to deal with. Practical and realistic design solutions created an excellent facility for the city.
The project ran into budget constraints and we were engaged to take control of the costs to ensure that the city had no more cost overruns. This also allowed the construction on site to accelerate to meet the summer demand, following a period of slow progress.


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EthicsPerspectives
4 Lessons in Ethics
Ethics are integral to every decision, design, and service performed by civil engineers.
A recent ASCE video series, sponsored by a United Engineering Foundation grant, explored four case studies in engineering ethics. Here are four engineering ethics lessons from those videos:
1. Never put an engineer in a position to prove something will fail
On Jan. 28, 1986, the weather forecast in Orlando, FL, predicted a cold front that might drop temperatures to as low as 18 degrees the morning the Challenger Space Shuttle was set to launch. These temperatures were far outside the qualified temperature range, but the excitement and pressures surrounding the launch mistakenly pushed deadlines ahead of safety protocol.
Allan J. McDonald, former director of the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motor Project for Morton Thiokol, stood up for what he believed in and served his moral obligation to inform his superiors, as well as NASA, that he thought that it was too dangerous to launch.
"Never put an engineer in a position to prove that something would fail. Engineers have the moral obligation to prove something is safe," said McDonald, whose advice was overruled that day to tragic consequences.
2. Safety is a showstopper
The pressures of returning on investment can weigh heavily on the engineers in charge of a project. Deborah Grubbe, P.E., CEng., a former safety director for BP and DuPont, insists that no appeasement to shareholders and management should ever be made if it conflicts with the safety and integrity of a project.
Grubbe believes that if management doesn't spend time listening to technical advisors, businesses could spend time and large sums of money fixing avoidable disasters like the Piper Alpha oil rig explosion. She believes executives sometimes lose sight of the fact that they still may have more things to learn. Those who believe they are beyond learning set themselves up for mistakes down the road.
"Every person should be able to shut down production in the name of safety," said Grubbe.
For companies to improve safety, Grubbe believes that it is essential that all engineers, managers, and the public think differently.
"Are you willing to change your thought patterns?" asked Grubbe in Ethics Case Study 2.
3. Sometimes group-think is not the 'right think'
"Even if everyone is doing it, if it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't right," said Terry Neimeyer, P.E., F.ASCE, CEO of KCI Technologies.
An ideal work culture is guided by best practice, but too often it is instead guided by tradition. Neimeyer describes how group-think and workplace traditions can lead one down the wrong moral path. He looks at the types of financial and environmental pressures that can drive engineers to skirt their ethical obligation in the drive to compete for work.
4. Communication is vital
For engineers, a lack of communication can have devastating consequences. Engineers are responsible for the lives of the public and must ensure that all safety protocols are taken and communicated with all members of the engineering process – from design to delivery.
In the case of the Kansas City Hyatt Regency walkway collapse in 1980, the expectation of the professional engineer was not fulfilled. The design plans were finalized without any established qualifications or restrictions as to the engineer's assumption of responsibility. Just one year after the walkway's opening, the second and fourth stories collapsed under the weight of dancing partygoers, killing 114.
Check out ASCE's all new ethics page on asce.org.
Marius J. Mes September 21, 2016 At 12:19 pm
These presentations were fascinating as well as enjoyable to watch.
Registered engineers have to abide by the ethics laws of their state. It is useless for the ASCE to add their own set of ethics rules as they cannot be made mandatory and thus are of no practical consequence for the practicing engineer.
But I do think it is great for us (the ASCE as an organization) to provide members with presentations such as these, as a "voice of experience" speaks a lot louder than a document that reads "you must comply"
Please keep up these kinds of presentations which ultimately point in the direction of how we can serve better as engineers.
Marius J. Mes


Collect first voided urine- do not clean prior to collection.
Collect "dirty" urine. First voided.
Do not use swabs other than collection kit.
Special instructions for urine specimen collection.
GC/CT Specimens should be first voided "dirty" urine.
Urine Culture and UA specimens should be midstream clean catch.
Excessive lubricants or vaginal cream, foams may affect results.


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Dennis Jerome Coleman
Coleman, circa 2010
Missing From Flint, Michigan
Race Black
Height and Weight 5'6 - 5'9, 175 - 200 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A dark gray sweatshirt, blue jeans and white Nike sneakers.
Distinguishing Characteristics African-American male. Black hair, brown eyes. Coleman has scars on his face.
Coleman was last seen in Flint, Michigan on November 8, 2010. His roommate stated he left their apartment complex on Carpenter Road near Dort Highway and got into a black 2003 Cadillac Escalade. His family was able to identify the car's owner, who said he gave Coleman a ride to a nearby store. He has never been heard from again.
Coleman's family stated it's uncharacteristic of him to leave without warning. Few details are available in his case.
Flint Police Department 810-237-6800
Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004. Last updated July 20, 2018; casefile added.


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Casualties on the Home Front: Japanese-American hot-rodders and Executive Order 9066
by Press Release	 February 25, 2017 0	16 Views
Lacking materials to build a garage, Yoshihiro Okamuro — known to dry-lakes racers as Yam Oka — set up his engine rebuilding shop in the backyard of his rented home in Glendale, California, following his release from the Manzanar relocation camp. This image was taken in May 1945; Okamuro is at the far left.PHOTO BY ONLINE ARCHIVE OF CALIFORNIA/UC BERKELY BANCROFT LIBRARY; CHARLES E. MACE, PHOTOGRAPHER (IDENTIFIER NUMBER: WRA NO. H-699)
FROM CHICKIE HIRASHIMA TO LARRY SHINODA, NISEI AUTOMOTIVE TRAILBLAZERS SPENT WWII IMPRISONED IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY
BY: NORMAN MAYERSOHN
Editor's Note: Feb. 19 marked the 75th anniversary of Executive Order 9066. Signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt 10 weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, it authorized the removal of persons from prescribed military areas in the western United States. A forced relocation of people of Japanese ancestry followed, sweeping up some of the most influential mechanics, racers and customizers of the newborn automotive culture that flourished in California.
Driver Rex Mays and mechanic Takeo "Chickie" Hirashima (misspelled "Takio Harishima" in the photo caption) in the No. 33 Gilmore Special ahead of the 1935 Indianapolis 500.PHOTO BY /COURTESY OF INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
From the grandstands, fans at the Indianapolis 500 in 1935 would have strained to see the slight figure crouched alongside pole winner Rex Mays each time the Miller-powered No. 33 Gilmore Special bellowed past. Mays led the field for 89 laps, but No. 33's run ended on lap 123, the victim of a broken spring shackle.
By then, however, Mays' riding mechanic, barely over 5 feet tall and 100 pounds, was on his way to becoming a giant of the Speedway. In 1936, this California-born wrenchman was again at Mays' side, and again they qualified on the pole. The next year he rode with Jimmy Snyder, setting an Indy qualifying record in a last hurrah for onboard mechanics. Successes piled up; a promising career as an engine builder and crew chief at America's premier auto race seemed assured.
Instead, the spring of 1942 found Takeo Hirashima behind barbed wire, incarcerated at a U.S. government facility known opaquely as the Manzanar War Relocation Center. His offense: being born to Japanese parents.
Set in the arid Owens Valley of eastern California, Manzanar was one of 10 so-called internment camps established under Executive Order 9066, issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, as a reaction to Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The strike had inflamed fears of disloyalty — and potentially sabotage — by people of Japanese ancestry, particularly in the event of an enemy invasion force landing on the West Coast.
The government's pre-emptive move was to herd, without due process or a declaration of martial law, some 120,000 men, women and children living in California, Oregon, Washington and Arizona into remote concentration camps. Two-thirds of them, official accounts explain, were Nisei — a generation of citizens like Hirashima, born in America to immigrant parents, labeled as enemy aliens, assigned identification numbers and, essentially, deported within the borders of their own country.
An exclusion order directing the removal of Japanese-Americans from San Francisco, posted following the issuance of Executive Order 9066.PHOTO BY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS & PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION, DORTHEA LANGE, PHOTOGRAPHER (REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-USZ62-34565)
Pearl Harbor may be 75 sepia-toned years in our past, but distrust of those with an immigrant heritage remains a powerful force. The reminders come as the passage of time shrinks the ranks of those who bore witness to the injustices of places like Manzanar, much as the years have taken away combat veterans of World War II and Holocaust survivors.
Yet within the record of a country's unfounded fear of immigrants — and the stain of racial intolerance left by imprisoning an innocent population — lies a history worth honoring: Among the Nisei were some of the most influential pioneers of a developing American car culture that claimed California as its spiritual epicenter.
Hirashima, a married man of 30, was one of about 10,000 people, mainly from Southern California, held at Manzanar. Among those he might have encountered there were a youngster named Lawrence Kiyoshi Shinoda, whose artistic talent would take him to General Motors' design studio and the creation of a Detroit icon, the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray; Yoshihiro Okamuro, known among the racers as Yam Oka, a formidable competitor on the dry lakebeds northeast of Los Angeles; Garry Koike, a crew member and resident intellectual of Carroll Shelby's team, seen in pit lane photos from the 1967 Le Mans win; and Sush Matsubara, a record-setting drag racer who earned renown at the wheel of Funny Cars.
All five were natural born American citizens, natives of California.
High school recess period, Manzanar War Relocation Center, California.PHOTO BY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS & PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION, ANSEL ADAMS, PHOTOGRAPHER (REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-DIG-PPPRS-00338)
By the time war broke out, a West Coast population with roots tracing to Japan was well established. Immigrants had begun arriving in the 1890s, drawn by the available farm work. Even with restrictions on citizenship, land ownership and immigration in place, there were more than 100,000 Japanese-Americans living in the U.S. by 1920.
Among those early arrivals from Japan, the generation known as Issei, were strivers who saw opportunity in the rapidly developing American West. A passion for performance machines arrived with them.
Jiro Fujioka landed in California in 1903, buckling down to study engineering at the university now known as Caltech. He would open repair businesses in Wichita, Kansas — Japanese Fred's Garage — and later in Los Angeles; preside over the Japanese Automobile Club of Southern California; and develop a car to be produced in Japan. That manufacturing plan was upended by the 1923 earthquake that devastated Yokohama. Still, Fujioka prospered as an Oldsmobile dealer in the Little Tokyo enclave of Los Angeles and found further success selling trucks to Japanese market farmers.
It's no stretch to consider Fujioka, who adopted the Americanized first name of Fred, as something of an early day Roger Penske — including the attraction to motorsports. In 1915, Fujioka arranged for a pair of Mercer Raceabouts to be shipped to Tokyo for a series of promotional races by Japanese drivers.
An advertisement for Jiro 'Fred' Fujioka's Wichita, Kansas garage. A mechanic, dealer and entrepreneur, Fujioka was arrested on suspicions of espionage soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor; subsequent internment cost him his businesses.PHOTO BY /COURTESY OF THE AACA LIBRARY
Fujioka's community involvement, both locally and in earthquake relief work, brought him to the attention of watchful authorities in the months before Pearl Harbor. That, according to his daughter-in-law, Linda Fujioka, a docent at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, is why the FBI wasted no time in arresting him as a spy just hours after the Dec. 7 attack. Fujioka was released for transfer to the Heart Mountain, Wyoming, camp after a temporary stay at the Pomona Assembly Center east of Los Angeles; his son William left pre-med studies and enlisted in the Army, serving in an all-Nisei unit in Europe.
The businesses Fujioka lost were valued at $18 million in 1942, the family says. Disheartened, he did not rebuild them after the war. "He couldn't become a citizen until 1952, but when he did, he was so proud to vote," Linda Fujioka said. Still, she noted, the shame of the war years persisted until his death at 84. "He never told us about the camps," she said, signaling a generation's shame.
In the prewar years, California was the incubator for America's nascent car culture, the Rift Valley of hot-rodding. A vibrant customizing movement was birthed in the body shops where street rods were personalized to owners' tastes. Racers wrung ever-more power from Ford's popular flathead V8, testing the modifications both in illicit face-offs on public roads and, in more organized competitions, for timed speed runs on the barren expanses of Mojave Desert dry lakebeds. Performance engine parts — cylinder heads, intake manifolds, fuel-injection systems — appeared from single-bay garages, the ambitious start-ups of the time.
Nisei mechanics and drivers engaged in every facet of this movement. On dry lakes like Harper, El Mirage and Muroc (which became Edwards Air Force Base and an alternate landing strip for Space Shuttles), they also found respite from the racial tensions that shadowed everyday life in the cities. The longstanding prejudice against all Asians simply didn't concern those who came to race their cars.
Yam Oka, shown here post-WWII and internment, was a dry-lakes contender before the war.PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES
The speed-questers from the Los Angeles Basin trekking over the tortuous mountain passes included hardscrabble weekend amateurs like Danny Sakai, Tsuneo Shigekuni and the Morimoto brothers. The list of their fellow competitors reads like a roll call of pioneers who would go on to create the postwar performance industry: Vic Edelbrock, Ed Iskenderian, Wally Parks, Phil Remington. The nicknames used to define each group's identity—Buddhaheads and round-eyes—were tossed around playfully, even among the Nisei, and vacant of malice.
Actions backed up the words: With the departure for internment at the Amache camp in Colorado looming, Shigekuni and his teammate brother scrambled to stash away whatever racing equipment they could. The racing historian Tom Madigan relates that their '41 Mercury's V8 was stored by Edelbrock—both their toughest competitor and a fellow member of the Road Runners car club. Edelbrock checked in on them at the Santa Anita assembly center where they were held before the train trip east, and kept the engine intact until the brothers returned.
The concentration camps — a characterization that's as accurate as it is disturbing, even if these barbed-wire-and-watchtower detention centers were not the death camps of Nazi Germany — were intended to be as self-sustaining as possible. The daily activities included farming and maintenance chores; period images by leading photographers like Dorothea Lange, working for the War Relocation Authority, and Ansel Adams portrayed a community where schoolchildren pledged allegiance to the flag and baseball teams scrambled for a winning run. The barracks-style housing — hastily built, uninsulated and primarily tar paper — was crude and crowded, with common bathrooms and scant privacy. People were paid for their work ($19 a month for professionals, $16 skilled, $12 unskilled) in the fields, mess halls or for producing war supplies, and doctors were compensated, if meagerly, for tending to the population. Camp newsletters were published in English, and chapels were established.
Creativity flourished, as well. For a booklet about Manzanar compiled by the National Park Service, Larry Shinoda, the future Corvette designer, related his experiences.
"We had one week to get ready," he recalled. "We could only take what we could carry. What would you take? We each crammed a duffel bag with necessities. I added a picture of our dog Spotty, a small tool box I received for Christmas, and because I loved to draw cars and hot-rods, I brought my notebooks and pencils."
The camps were designed to be as self-sufficient as possible. In this photo, taken at Manzanar, mechanic Harry Hanawa repairs a tractor for driver Benji Iguchi.PHOTO BY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS & PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION, ANSEL ADAMS, PHOTOGRAPHER, [REPRODUCTION NUMBER LC-DIG-PPPRS-00376]
Twelve years old when he arrived at the camp, Shinoda quickly showed a knack for mechanical innovation. The families had arrived without furniture, so he designed reclining chairs for his mother and grandmother, using wood scavenged from the shipping crates that the camp's toilets came in. It was a preview of the genius that would lead him to a career of creating Packards, Corvettes, Boss Mustangs, Indy 500 race cars and even RVs.
Shinoda also witnessed one of the rare incidents of violence in the camps. In an interview just weeks before his 1997 death, he told of a riot at Manzanar in 1942. "One Army guy got hit with an apple and he opened up with a machine gun," he explained. Two people died and 10 were wounded. Prejudice, which he would encounter as an adult in Detroit, came in other forms at Manzanar. "I got sandwiched both ways," he said. "I didn't speak Japanese and yet was among Japanese."
Those in the camps worked to maintain a semblance of normalcy. Here, students attend a science lecture at the Manzanar Relocation Center, where Larry Shinoda and other future automotive stars were interned.PHOTO BY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS & PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION, ANSEL ADAMS, PHOTOGRAPHER (REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-DIG-PPPRS-00351)
Remembering the Leadslinger: Famed customizer Bill Hines, 1923-2016
The youngest Japanese-Americans may have been more resilient in the face of financial loss — their parents' homes, businesses and possessions were liquidated with as little as a few days' notice — but the memories are indelible. Kenny Hirata, 89 years old and still active in drag racing as a car owner, recalls the surprise of his parents when they first heard about Pearl Harbor. "My mother and father were shocked that a small country like Japan would strike the United States," he said.
Hirata was an eighth-grader when he arrived by train — window shades drawn, guarded by armed soldiers — at the Gila River camp in Arizona, carrying all his remaining worldly possessions, after reporting to the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds in California. Such facilities, especially those with horse tracks, were pressed into service as human marshaling yards, often with the camp-bound families cleaning out the stables for use as temporary shelters.
The family farm, which was looked after by white neighbors, had grown tomatoes around Stockton, California. It was there that Kenny (Kinya was his given name) developed an attraction for the cars and companionship of the local gas station. Arizona was a stark change of landscape, a parched contrast to his home in the San Joaquin Valley. Even harsher conditions greeted those wrenched from temperate coastal areas and herded to the seasonal extremes of Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Arkansas and Wyoming.
Still, for Hirata life in the sand-and-cactus landscape was relatively carefree, with a wealth of nearby playmates, and life in the crude barracks freed him from weed-trimming and other chores of home upkeep. For all the hardship imposed by confinement and close quarters — 16 feet square for the family of four — his parents never complained and did not show bitterness. "The U.S. is looking out for the safety of the country," he recalled them insisting.
Soldiers in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team line up for inspection shortly after arriving at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, in June 1943. Military service offered Japanese-Americans (including dry-lakes racers Mino Kamimura and Frank Morimoto) a path out of the camps, even if it placed them in the line of fire.PHOTO BY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS & PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION, BUREAU OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, U.S. WAR DEPARTMENT (REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-USZ62-127108)
Some of the dry-lakes racers were gone from the camps long before the end of the war, though gaining release meant putting themselves more directly in harm's way. A path had been created in 1943, when the U.S. Army began recruiting volunteers for an all-Nisei unit, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. This option not only freed the interned men from their confinement, it also offered a way for American-born volunteers like Hirashima, the Indy-car mechanic, to prove his loyalty.
Mino Kamimura and Frank Morimoto, dry-lakes racers, served in this unit; each had enlisted before Pearl Harbor and transferred to the 442nd and each earned a Bronze Star. Fred Fujioka's son William fought with the 442nd, as well.
The unit fought valiantly, taking part in the rescue of the Lost Battalion in the Vosges Forest in France, as well as campaigns in Italy and Germany, earning the nickname of Purple Heart Battalion and the distinction of being the most decorated Army unit for its size and length of service. One of the regiment's achievements was liberating a unit of Dachau, a Nazi death camp, by the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion—an action not officially acknowledged for years afterward. At the same, there were Nisei soldiers in the 442nd whose own families were still held in concentration camps in the U.S., just as there were parents in the camps who were notified that their sons had died in combat.
Not surprisingly, legal challenges to the incarceration came as early as 1942, with several cases eventually reaching the U.S. Supreme Court. Under the wartime powers in place, the decisions initially supported FDR's executive order on narrow rulings dealing with technicalities like curfew violations. Finally, in December 1944, the court directly addressed the order detaining people of Japanese ancestry in the concentration camps, ruling in favor of Mitsuye Endo, a woman fired from her job with the California Highway Commission job and sent to the Tule Lake center, on the northern border of the state.
Officially, the detentions ended before victory was declared in either front of the war, though the camps were not entirely shut down until 1946. People left to attend college, care for family or do farm work; still, the confinement was inside barbed-wire fencing interrupted by towers with armed guards. Those released typically got a train ticket and a small amount of cash — $25 or $50 — to restart their lives. Homes, businesses and cars had been stolen or vandalized, but they persevered.
Victory celebrations following the 1956 Indianapolis 500. Larry Shinoda, who designed the bodywork for the No. 8 John Zink Special, stands to the right of winning driver Pat Flaherty in the light green shirt.PHOTO BY INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
For Shinoda, life after the camp — and after serving in the National Guard during the Korean War — offered an opening to pursue racing. He built Ardun-equipped drag-race cars — lettered Chopsticks Special on the side — and won his category at the NHRA Nationals in 1955. Shinoda could be found in the pits at Indianapolis, too, where he was involved in designing a race car.
But the struggles imposed by his ancestry had not stopped with the return to civilian life. Diversity was not yet a priority in the 1950s when Shinoda joined General Motors, and there were tense incidents despite his recognized talent. Yet the respect for him grew to the point that John Cafaro, today the head of Chevrolet global design and a former chief designer for Corvette, sought Shinoda's blessing when he took over the Corvette design studio in 1986. The two developed a close relationship, in no small part as a result of the exposure to Japanese culture for Cafaro's father, an RCA executive who had helped rebuild the country after the surrender.
This Corvette rendering, sketched by Larry Shinoda in 1960, previewed the Sting Ray.
Drag racing was a natural offshoot of the hot-rod culture, shifting the emphasis from top speed to peak acceleration. Kenny Hirata had lost none of his urge for acceleration when he was released in 1944, bound for Cleveland where his parents found work in a storm window factory, never returning to their farm in California. Aside from becoming the only non-Catholic kid in a Catholic high school, he began something of a normalized American existence, including building a series of souped-up street cars.
Until 1950, that is, when Hirata, confined just few years earlier in a camp guarded by soldiers, was drafted into a soldier's life for the Korean War. Ever resilient, that proved a temporary detour for him. He earned the rank of sergeant by the time of his discharge, and to better settle into a Midwest life where there were few Japanese-Americans, he joined the VFW and American Legion. Before long he was on a racing team, working up to the ownership of a AA/Fuel Dragster, taking the Top Eliminator title at the 1963 NHRA Nationals in Indianapolis and earning his way into the NHRA Hall of Fame in 2003.
The Hirohata Merc, one of the most influential (and best-known) custom cars of all time.
To some of the Nisei enthusiasts, style was of greater interest than speed. Those who would reach driving age after war, when the Great Depression had been banished and the country was getting back to work, would become part of the vanguard of the customizing movement. Magazines splashed cars like Tadashi Hirai's '55 Buick on their covers, and painters like Dick Katayanagi would gain a following in the universe that also spawned giants like George Barris, Gene Winfield and Dean Jeffries.
Masato Hirohata, known as Bob, was not yet a teenager when he was sent to the camp at Heart Mountain, Wyoming. After the war, the thriving family insurance business in Los Angeles enabled him to have George Barris customize a 1951 Mercury. The Hirohata Merc became perhaps the best known custom of the era, an instant trophy winner, cover subject and inspiration for the craze of chopped roofs that swept through the 1950s. Its status as an icon was locked down when it took the class win at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2015. Hirohata's trip to Heart Mountain, ironically, began at the assembly center in Pomona, at the same Los Angeles County Fairgrounds site that is home to the annual Grand National Roadster Show and has hosted the NHRA Winternationals drag races since 1961.
Other Nisei picked up largely where they'd left off. Hirashima, known in the pits as Chickie and possessed of a surprisingly deep voice despite his size, raced with the Oka brothers and their track roadsters. He returned to Indianapolis as a top mechanic, winning the race with George Robson in 1946. Hirashima's engine-building expertise led to him working with the top drivers. In 1959 and '60, he oversaw the Offy engines that took first and second at each race, notably Jim Rathmann's epic — and winning — duel with Rodger Ward in 1960.
From mechanic's seat to the Victory Circle: Hirashima, crew chief for the winning No. 16 car at the 1946 Indianapolis 500, stands to the right of milk-drinking driver George Robson.PHOTO BY INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Seventy years since the end of the internments, there are few living veterans of the prewar hot-rod scene. One record-setting racer still here to tell his tales is Alex Xydias, now 94, founder of the influential So-Cal Speed Shop. He recalls the racers' deep sense of community. Among his competitor-friends was Mino Kamimura, a young gardener in Hollywood whose weekday yardwork was offset by weekends of speed trials, where he made 100-mph runs in his mower-hauling '32 Ford powered by a Model A engine with the four-port Riley head.
The unthinkable reality set in when Xydias, also an eyewitness reporter of the racing developments, drove to Kamimura's house as Mino's family packed for the trip to internment. Even today, the pain is still evident in his voice: "It was so tragic." Such were the times in the early days of the war, Xydias said, when the fear of spying and an invasion was rampant. "We were all so jumpy."
For the most part, memories were taken to the grave, typical of the war generation and especially the Japanese culture, where an unwarranted sense of shame was sometimes seen. FDR's executive order was rescinded in 1976. In 1988, the U.S. Civil Liberties Act provided apologies and some measure of financial settlement for the injustices, and later laws provided for preservation of some internment camp sites as memorials. In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded the Medal of Honor to 20 members of the 442nd.
Alex Xydias on Wally Parks, the Greatest Generation and the American Century
The treatment of Japanese-Americans remains a national disgrace 75 years later, but perhaps the greater shame would be in ignoring the perennial — and very current — relevance of those actions. It's hard to imagine what in 1942 might have been more authentically American than a hot-rodder working over a Ford Flathead, a kid sketching sports cars or a mechanic turning the wrenches in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway pits, yet a distrust based on heritage and national origin nearly squandered those important contributions.
The Japanese influence, by way of immigrants and the natural-born Nisei, on the American auto scene is by now indelible. The tradition established by hot-rodders is expressed, roughly, in the JDM sport compact movement. Honda claimed its first Indy 500 win in 2004. Toyota nailed its first NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2015.
Yet it may have been just this past August that the impact of all those individuals finally came full circle, when Kyle Miyata Larson won his first Cup race, the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Larson earned his way into the series with a winning record, and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program provided an opportunity to step up.
Larson was eligible for the diversity program because his mother is Japanese-American. His maternal grandparents, Manjo and Betty Miyata, spent the war years as prisoners at Tule Lake.
Kyle Larson celebrates his victory at the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Pure Michigan 400.PHOTO BY LAT PHOTO


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Max Stafford-Clark to direct play in the dark for 2015 Enniskillen International Beckett Festival
John Cage and Merce Cunningham's Roaratio performed in limestone caves at last year's festival. Photo: Cordula Treml
by David Hutchison - Apr 15, 2015
Out of Joint founder Max Stafford-Clark will stage Samuel Beckett's All That Fall in complete darkness as part of a the fourth annual Enniskillen International Beckett Festival.
Rosaleen Linehan will star in the play – originally scripted for radio – which will run for the entire duration of the festival from July 23 to August 3.
The festival is known for its site-specific work, with locations this year including four churches, a remote island, underground caves and Portora School – which Beckett attended as a child.
Although not all the announced productions currently have confirmed spaces, in previous years the festival has staged work in secret locations.
The festival's artistic director Sean Doran explained that as Enniskillen only has one theatre, the notion of an ordinary venue-based festival is "turned on its head".
He added: "It's a destination arts festival, so it's very much about creating work within about 20 to 30 different spaces in the countryside and island town of Enniskillen that underpin Beckett's work."
This year's line-up will see the Berliner Ensemble revive its German language production of Waiting for Godot, which was directed by George Tabori before his death in 2007. It will run from July 31 to August 2.
Sophie Hunter will also direct a new production of Benjamin Britten's Phaedra, as the Greek tragedy is known to have inspired Beckett when writing his monologues. The short cantata for mezzo-soprano and orchestra will star Ruby Philogene.
Elsewhere, festival associate Adrian Dunbar is to direct a production of Ohio Impromptu at a sixth century monastery on Devenish Island, which is a short boat ride away from Enniskillen. The play will be staged at sunset each day.
French choreographer Maguy Marin's dance company will present May B, a piece inspired by Beckett's writing, which will mark its first performance in the UK.
Jack MacGowran's Beginning to End – which dramatises Beckett extracts – is to be restaged by Conall Morrison, with a cast fronted by Denis Conway. Morrison will also direct The Old Tune: the playwright's translation of Robert Pinget's La Manivelle.
The International Beckett Festival – founded in 2011 – is held every year in Enniskillen to celebrate the author's writing and inspirations.
This year's programme includes a focus on T S Eliot, with performances planned of his poems The Waste Land and The Four Quarters.
Enniskillen International Beckett Festival
Max Stafford-Clark
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David Hutchison
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Q: DEP Enrollment with Virtual Machines I have a company-provided 2019 MacBook Pro that is enrolled in Apple DEP and has Jamf as the MDM provider. (OS Version is Big Sur, 11.6.2)
For a side project I created several virtual machines with Parallels and VirtualBox and it quickly turned into another kind of endeavour:
With VirtualBox, the OS setup never gets to the "remote management" step, just goes on like a generic Mac. But with Parallels, no matter what I do (in terms of configuration), it is always stuck at the "remote management" step. (Which I don't want.) I mean, I can opt into it with my VM but the setup won't let me go without it. This is never the case with VirtualBox.
This ingrigued me and I have been experimenting and researching about it. Because I am kind of new to the Apple world and want to learn more about it.
Question: How is this even possible? How does the VM (in Parallels) get aware of its outside world and is able to introduce itself (specifically) to my company's MDM server and more importantly how come there is no way to isolate the VM from the company?
Details:

*

*I tried the OS installations with (what I believe to be) a clean ISO. Grabbed it from App Store and extracted the ISO using createinstallmedia utility through CLI.

*In Parallels, actually, the VM is not readily able to grab the MDM profiles from the server. To obtain them, the machine must have a registered serial number and a correct device id, both of which are configurable within Parallels. During my research, I also verified this is really the case with Apple DEP. But this also means the virtual machine, by default, just has a generic serial number, yet it still able to identify itself with my company. (i.e. Requires the remote management step to be fulfilled.)

A: ANSWER
The reason is that Parallels VMs, by default, use the serial number of the physical machine they are running on, even if they are created on a different machine. Therefore, during OS installation, the installer contacts Apple with a real-world DEP-enrolled serial number. (While in VirtualBox the serial number is 0.) This results in DEP enforcement!
There is another parameter involved during installation, though, and it is the "model identifier" and Parallels do not copy it. Therefore, despite being DEP enrolled and enforced at this stage of the installation, the setup cannot continue because the MDM provider (Jamf, here) refuses to serve the machine with the profile because of the model identifier mismatch.
SOLUTION
Solution is to set those two parameters manually for your desired outcome. If you want DEP enrollment, you need a real, registered serial number and a corresponding model identifier. If you DO NOT want to enroll with DEP but want a clean, generic MacOS installation (which was my original goal), then you need to change your serial number to a non-registered one.
Detailed Instructions for Manipulating Serial Number in Parallels
Instructions for Enrollment with a Parallels VM
IMPORTANT NOTE
Interestingly, staying offline during setup also gets you out of DEP enrollment. But that was not what I wanted.
Appendix
If you want to check for the parameters, for yourself:

Serial Number
ioreg -l | grep IOPlatformSerialNumber

Model Identifier
sysctl hw.model

System information utility shows the two fields in hardware overview tab under their exact names.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Wednesday, October 11, 2017 Michael Moliterno
Warren Ghost Walk
After Hours Youngstown
The Life of Vincent Van Gogh on Stage
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The Update | Lawrence Visitors Guide Arrives; Polish Vodka, Cookie Table Fundraisers; YSO in Concert
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Youngstown Symphony Orchestra will present "Classical Exploration," a masterworks series concert, at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, at Stambaugh Auditorium. The guest conductor will be maestro Alberto Bade, who is the director of orchestral studies at…
Diderot Quartet in Free Concert at St. Patrick's
YOUNGSTOWN – The Diderot Quartet will give a free concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, at St. Patrick's Church, 1420 Oak Hill Ave. The performance is part of the Pipino Performing Arts Series at Youngstown State University. The Diderot…