Happy New Year!!!

Redskins Beat Giants 35-20

Kicker John Hall walked into the Washington Redskins locker room in a complete outfit of red and white, including the full beard and tall black boots. Santa Claus? No. "Santana Claus," Hall said. Want a better Santana Moss story? Clinton Portis said Moss became a good receiver by playing Frisbee with a dog at the University of Miami. "He used to catch that Frisbee all the time," Portis said. "He'd outrun the dog, jump up and catch the Frisbee."

Whatever the joke, whatever the game, whoever the quarterback, Moss-going-deep has the Redskins on pace for their first playoff berth in six years. Moss added three touchdowns and 160 yards Saturday in a 35-20 victory over the New York Giants, including a 72-yard touchdown grab from Patrick Ramsey after Mark Brunell left with an injury.

The Redskins were leading 21-17 when Brunell left the game with a sprained knee after being sacked by Nick Griesen on the first series of the second half. Ramsey, who was benched after getting hurt in the season opener, entered on the next series and had a sputtering start -- using two timeouts after four plays -- until he unloaded the long one for Moss.

Peaking at the right time, the Redskins (9-6) won their fourth straight and will clinch at least a wild card berth if they win at Philadelphia in next week's regular-season finale. They will win the NFC East with a win and a Giants loss at Oakland next week. Gibbs is 4-0 this December, improving the Hall of Fame coach's record to 56-18 after Dec. 1.

The victory also avenged one of the worst losses of his career, a 36-0 shutout at the Meadowlands on Oct. 30. ...Read more here...

Merry Christmas!!!

Baseball Blues in Washington

D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams pauses during a press conference on baseball Tuesday.

The D.C. Council is unlikely to vote on the critical Washington Nationals stadium lease agreement before January, putting the team's future in jeopardy even as city leaders struggle to win more concessions from tightfisted Major League Baseball.

When it became apparent Monday that the votes were clearly not on his side, Williams asked Council Chairman Linda Cropp to delay council consideration of the lease deal. The council leaves for its winter break at the end of business Thursday, not to return until Jan. 3, and a vote is unlikely before then.

At a press conference Tuesday, the mayor tried to put an optimistic face on a deteriorating situation. "We need to make a few more changes to assure wavering council members that this lease is in the best interests of the city," said Williams, who is postponing his holiday vacation to shore up support.

What's the problem?

- Price tag for the stadium complex now $667 million

- District agreed to publicly finance $535 million, plus cover cost overruns and infrastructure

- League agreed to pay $20 million, give up some parking revenue and donate tickets to needy children

- MLB, critics say, hasn't conceded nearly enough

- Now at least seven council members are prepared to vote "no" ..Read more here...

align=right> D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams pauses during a press conference on baseball Tuesday.

The D.C. Council is unlikely to vote on the critical Washington Nationals stadium lease agreement before January, putting the team's future in jeopardy even as city leaders struggle to win more concessions from tightfisted Major League Baseball.

When it became apparent Monday that the votes were clearly not on his side, Williams asked Council Chairman Linda Cropp to delay council consideration of the lease deal. The council leaves for its winter break at the end of business Thursday, not to return until Jan. 3, and a vote is unlikely before then.

At a press conference Tuesday, the mayor tried to put an optimistic face on a deteriorating situation. "We need to make a few more changes to assure wavering council members that this lease is in the best interests of the city," said Williams, who is postponing his holiday vacation to shore up support.

What's the problem?

- Price tag for the stadium complex now $667 million

- District agreed to publicly finance $535 million, plus cover cost overruns and infrastructure

- League agreed to pay $20 million, give up some parking revenue and donate tickets to needy children

- MLB, critics say, hasn't conceded nearly enough

- Now at least seven council members are prepared to vote "no" ..Read more here...

Redskins Dominate Cowboys 35-7

A perfect day for the Washington Redskins would include a complete, start-to-finish, no-let-up humiliation of tht Dallas Cowboys. Make it a game that puts the playoffs within serious reach, and you've got sheer nirvana.

From the raucous pregame chants of "We Want Dallas" to the seven sacks, four turnovers and four touchdown passes, the celebration never stopped in Sunday's 35-7 blowout, Washington's most one-sided victory in the 45-year history of the rivalry.

The score was 28-0 at halftime, with the Redskins scoring on drives of four, eight, two and two plays. They capitalized off two interceptions, a bad punt and a long pass to Santana Moss that brought back memories of his two fourth-quarter touchdown catches in the stunning 14-13 win over the Cowboys on a Monday night in Week 2.

Washington's third straight victory left the Redskins (8-6) and Cowboys (8-6) two games behind the New York Giants in the NFC East, but the Redskins hold the tiebreaker because of their first Dallas sweep in 10 years.

Washington's 8-2 conference record also puts it in position for a wild-card berth and its first postseason appearance since 1999. ...Read more here...

Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia

Wikipedia, the encyclopedia that relies on volunteers to pen nearly 4 million articles, is about as accurate in covering scientific topics as Encyclopedia Britannica, the journal Nature wrote in an online article published Wednesday.

Unlike Britannica, which charges for its content and pays a staff of experts to research and write its articles, Wikipedia gives away its content for free and allows anyone — amateur or professional, expert or novice — to submit and edit entries.

Wikipedia, which boasts 3.7 million articles in 200 languages, is the 37th most visited Web site on the Internet, according to the research service Alexa. ...To try Wikipedia go here...

Top 10 NFL Rivalries of All Time

Top 10 NFL Rivalries

No. 1 - Cowboys-Redskins The Cowboys and Redskins have hated each other since the series began in 1960 and the rivalry has blossomed into one of the greatest in sports. The two franchises have won eight Super Bowls combined and even in the rare down years, each has given the other trouble. There are too many great games to list, but this year's Monday Night thriller, in which Washington shocked Dallas with a come-from-behind 14-13 victory, has to be among them. ...For full story read here...

Maryland Wins Soccer National Championship

Marc Burch scored in the 31st minute and the goal stood up the rest of the way as the Maryland Terrapins claimed the 2005 NCAA championship, 1-0, Sunday afternoon over New Mexico.

The Terps claimed their first national championship since 1968 and overcame loses in three of the last four National semi-finals.

Jason Garey was named the tournament's offensive MVP, and Chris Seitz was the defensive MVP. Maryland is the first team since 1992 to win the tournament as the No. 1 seed and Seitz is the first freshman goalkeeper to lead his team to the championship since 1990.

"I was proud of the way we played," head coach Sascho Cirovski said. "The national championship game is not always going to be the most artistic game, and yet we tried to attack, we tried to get chances, we tried to play the right way. I'm really proud of that."

Redskins Win 17-13

Clinton Portis ran for 39 of his 105 yards and a touchdown in seven carries during Washington's first drive of the third quarter, helping the Redskins rally to beat the Arizona Cardinals 17-13 and keep their slim playoff hopes alive Sunday.

"We got our backs against the wall in the first half committing all those turnovers," said Portis, who had his sixth 100-yard game this season and second straight. "Once we got down to it, we knew what our bread and butter was." He ran 15 yards to tie the game at 10, sweeping right and tiptoeing along the sideline for a dive over the pylon.

Antonio Brown gave the Redskins the lead for good 17-13 with a 91-yard kickoff return later in the third period.

The Redskins (7-6) needed both shots in the arm after Mark Brunell's horrendous first half. Coming in with five interceptions and a strong passer rating, Brunell had three picked off in the first 30 minutes, going 10-for-18 for 59 yards. He finished 18-of-28 for 122 yards.

Maryland in College Cup Final

Three years in a row, Maryland's path to a national title was halted by a one-goal loss in the College Cup semifinals. The route headed south this year, and for 43 scoreless minutes Friday evening, the possibility of another disappointment hung over SAS Soccer Stadium.

Then Jason Garey and the nation's second-ranked offense unleashed one of the most impressive scoring displays in College Cup history, and the hurdle fell. Maryland's 4-1 victory over Southern Methodist sent the top-seeded Terps into Sunday's final against New Mexico.

Maryland last appeared in an NCAA final in 1968, when the Terps(18-4-2) earned a share of their only national title. After losing in the national semifinals three years in a row, players said they entered this year's College Cup with a more relaxed attitude, paying less attention to the hoopla that surrounds college soccer's final weekend.

The Terps are also used to the competition; this season alone, Maryland faced 14 nationally-ranked opponents. And, of course, they are used to the stage, thanks to three consecutive trips to the final four.

Love is in the Air?

First it was the Jessica and Nick breakup. Now it's Nicole Richie and "DJ" and Valerie and Eddie Van Halen break-ups. And just heard Christina is breaking off her two-year marriage. I guess it's just that Jolly time of year. Who's next? Place your bets here. Can Britney be getting any ideas?

Redskins Finally Win, 24-9

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- In what amounted to a playoff elimination game, the Washington Redskin's defense refused to let their season go down the drain.
Clinton Portis and Rock Cartwright both topped 100 yards rushing and the defense made Ryan Fitzpatrick , the St. Louis Rams' rookie from Harvard, run for his life in a 24-9 victory Sunday that snapped Washington's three-game losing streak.
"You hate to say fight scared, play scared," linebacker LaVar Arrington said. "But at this point I think our guys are scared of missing the playoffs and scared of not having the chance to play for more than your pride and your dignity."
The Redskins(6-6) rushed for a season-best 257 yards, getting 136 yards on 27 carries from Portis, to keep alive faint playoff hopes after losing the previous three games by a total of 10 points. ...Read more here

Green Day Does it Again

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - With the No. 37 debut of "Jesus of Suburbia" on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart, punk rock trio Green Day becomes the third act to pull five singles from the same album more than once on this airplay-based chart. The title track from its current album, "American Idiot," peaked at No. 1, as did "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Holiday." "Wake Me Up When September Ends" went to No. 2.
Green Day last performed this feat with its 1994 major-label debut, "Dookie," which yielded the singles "Longview" (No. 1), "Basket Case" (No. 1), "Welcome to Paradise" (No. 7), "When I Come Around (No. 1) and "She" (No. 5).
The other two acts that have scored with five singles from the same album more than once are R.E.M. with "Automatic for the People" and "Monster," and Linkin Park with "Hybrid Theory" and "Meteora." One big difference: those two groups culled their sets of five hits from consecutive albums.

Madonna Ties Elvis for Most Top-10

Madonna ties with Elvis for singles chart record As Madonna's "Hung Up" jumps seven places to No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, the pop icon matches Elvis Presley's tally for top-10 hits(36), the most for any artist in the rock era.
Madonna racked up that tally in about 21 and a half years, starting with "Borderline." Presley scored his 36 top 10 hits in 16 and a half years, from 1956 with "Heartbreak Hotel" until 1972 with "Burning Love."
"Hung Up" is Madonna's highest-charting single in almost five years, since "Don't Tell Me" reached No. 4 in February 2001. It is her first top 10 hit since her James Bond theme song "Die Another Day" hit No. 8 in 2002.
Madonna already held the record for the most top 40 hits by a solo female artist; she continues in first place as "Hung Up" becomes her 45th top 40 hit, out of 51 chart entries.

Redskins Lose to Chargers, 23-17

The Redskins (5-6) were distraught, their playoff hopes all but erased after losing a late fourth-quarter lead for the third straight week. The critical play this time was an obvious tackle-from-behind holding penalty on center Casey Rabach that forced kicker John Hall to try a 52-yard field goal. The attempt was wide right and a little short, Hall's first miss of the season after a 9-for-9 start.
Coach Joe Gibbs was somber after the loss. "That's about three of the toughest losses I've been through," Gibbs said. "This is going to be a real test for us. We'll see what we're made of here." The Redskins lost despite winning the turnover battle 3-0.
They were tied for last in the league with a minus-13 differential entering the game, but three interceptions for the team's first by cornerbacks this season. Springs' pick put the ball at San Diego's 31 with 1:04 left, before Rabach's holding penalty.

Maryland Loses Again, Finishes 5-6

North Carolina State(6-5) beat Maryland 20-14 Saturday to become bowl eligible. The Terrapins (5-6, 3-5) are staying home for the second year in a row, done in by repeated turnovers and other mistakes down the stretch. A week ago, quarterback Sam Hollenbach was responsible for three turnovers - two were turned into TDs by Boston College - and he continued to give away the ball against N.C. State.
With Maryland trailing 10-7 in the fourth quarter, Hollenbach tried to connect with Danny Melendez, but Williams forced him to throw early. Hudson stepped in front of Melendez and ripped the ball out of his hands, then sprinted up the sideline with his first interception of the season. That made it 17-7, and on the next possession, Williams sacked Hollenbach and forced a fumble, with defensive tackle DeMario Pressley recovering for the Wolfpack. When the Terps held, John Deraney came on for a 29-yard field goal to increase the margin to 20-7.
Maryland completely controlled the first half, yet led only 7-3 after Dan Ennis hooked two field goals wide left. The Terrapins completed their schedule losing four of the final five. Hollenbach was 20-for-35 for 235 yards.

Redskins lose again 16-13

Norv Turner was victorious Sunday in his return to FedEx Field, leading his Oakland Raiders to a 16-13 victory over the Washington Redskins, coming out on the winning side of the type of cliffhanger that never seemed to go his way when he was the head coach in the nation's capital for seven years.
The Raiders' defense held Washington to 28 yards in the fourth quarter as Redskin quarterback Mark Brunell went 2-11. The defense scored the only touchdown by the Redskins as the offense could not get much going all game.
The Redskins (5-5) have had six games decided by three points or fewer. They have lost five of their last seven and fell two games behind the Dallas and the Giants in the NFC East. They also dropped to 4-1 at home and - after losing three more fumbles - have an terrible minus-13 turnover differential

Maryland Loses to Boston College 31-16

Boston College scored on both a 94-yard fumble return and a 35 yard interception as the No. 23 Eagles overcame four turnovers in a 31-16 victory over Maryland Saturday. Boston College got two touchdowns apiece from its offense and defense. Both turnovers were committed by Sam Hollenbach, who was intercepted twice and lost a fumble.
The Terrapins trailed 14-10 at halftime, but could do nothing in the third quarter and entered the fourth quarter still trailing 14-10. But the Terps could not capitalize on the Boston College mistakes whereas the Eagles took advantage of the Terps turnovers. "The defense got turnovers, but we just didn't do anything with the opportunities," coach Ralph Friedgen said.
Terps quarterback Hollenbach went 25-for-45 for 230 yards and a touchdown. "Today wasn't his best day," Friedgen said. "Anytime you have as many turnovers as we did, it's almost impossible to win."
Lance Ball ran for 135 yards and a touchdown for Maryland (5-5, 3-4), which still needs one win to become eligible to receive a bowl bid. The Terrapins, who conclude the regular season next week at North Carolina State, went 1-4 at home but did set a new attendance record by averaging close to 52,000.

Google This

Google's stock price closed above $400 a share for the first time yesterday, a move that analysts called a "milestone" in the torrid growth and extraordinary success of the Internet's most profitable public company.
At a closing price of $403.45, up $5.30, Google has a market value of more than $117 billion, putting it in a league of its own for a business that has been public for little more than a year.
As Google stock has skyrocketed, co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Chief Executive Eric Schmidt and hundreds of other Google employees have sold billions of dollars of the company's stock. The sales by Brin, Page and Schmidt alone have put hundreds of millions of dollars of cash into their pockets, as the rise in Google's stock price has vaulted the trio into the ranks of the wealthiest Americans.

Washington Loses to Tampa Bay, 36-35

The Wahington Redskins lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 36-35 on several contoversial calls. But the last and most damaging was a point-point conversion try by Tampa Bay in the last minute of the game with the Redskins leading 35-34. Tampa Bay had just scored to pull within one point of tying the game and were prepared to kick the extra point and most likely send the game into overtime.
But the Redskins jumped off-side on the try and after the penallty, the Bucaneers decided to go for the win instead of the sure tie. Everybody in the stadium knew who would get the ball, but the Redskins (5-4) could not stop the 248-pound fullback Mike Alstoff, who scored earlier on touchdown runs of 2 and 1 yards. Alstott was hit at the line and looked like he might fall short before twisting and keeping his legs moving to barely get into the end zone The Redskins signaled the conversion failed, but the ruling stood after the replay official's review. Several replays appeared to show that Alstoff was stopped short of the goal-line.
"Any time you lose, it's tough. There are always 50 plays where you could have won and 50 plays where you could have lost," Washington coach Joe Gibbs said. "All of our guys thought he was on the ground. That's what everybody told me. I didn't see it, but that's what instant replay is for."
Clinton Portis ran for 144 yards and put Washington ahead with an 8-yard scoring run midway through the fourth quarter. Mark Brunell threw for 226 yards and two TDs, but also threw two interceptions and fumbled once. The three turnovers helped the Bucs build a 21-13 halftime lead. LaDell Betts scored on a 94-yard kickoff return for the Redskins that was also reviewed.

Maryland 33 North Carolina 30

Dan Ennis, who had missed two field goals and an extra point in regulation, kicked a 28-yard field goal in overtime to give Maryland a 33-30 victory North Carolina on Saturday. The Terrapins (5-4, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) bolstered their bowl hopes by rallying from a 10-point deficit with 9 minutes to play.
The Terps were down 27-17 when quarterback Sam Hollenbach led the Terps to a quick response. Facing a third-and-long, the quarterback sidestepped an oncoming rusher and hit Jo Jo Walker deep for a 67-yard touchdown. Then, after a North Carolina punt, Hollenbach again went deep, this time to Melendez for 80 yards down the right sideline and a 30-27 lead.
But the Tar Heels responded, moving 76 yards in the 2-minute drill to set up Barth's 24-yard field goal with 9 seconds left in the game and a 30-30 tie at the end of regulation. After Ennis' kick to start the overtime, the Tar Heels had a chance to win the game when Holley headed alone for the end zone. But Baker's throw was late, and Gerrick McPhearson got there just in time to tip the ball away. Barth than missed badly to the right on a 38-yard field goal that would have tied the game in overtime.
Lance Ball ran for 161 yards and a touchdown, while Vernon Davis had seven catches for 139 yards and a score.

Maria Beats Lindsay in WTA

Scolding herself to "fight, fight, fight" in the third set, Maria Sharapova outlasted top-ranked Lindsay Davenport 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 at the WTA Championships on Thursday night, with both players advancing to the semifinals. Amelie Mauresmo of France defeated Russian Elena Dementieva 6-2, 6-3 to ensure a spot in the semifinals, along with Frenchwoman Mary Pierce, who was idle Thursday.
Sharapova, the defending champion, needed three match points before closing out the 2-hour, 8-minute match with a 107-mph ace. The 18-year-old Russian dropped her racket, raised her arms and soaked in the crowd's applause. "I played smart tennis," she said. "I took out her strengths. It was exciting to beat someone who's been playing such amazing tennis. I'm very, very happy about it."
Davenport walked off the court, shook the umpire's hand and had her back turned by the time Sharapova caught up to her on the sideline for a halfhearted handshake. "I wasn't mad," Davenport said. "She is a little dramatic when she wins and it takes her a while to get to the net."

Sharapova Seeded Third at WTA

Defending champion and World third seed Maria Sharapova showed signs of rust but emerged with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Patty Schnyder in round robin play at the three million-dollar WTA Tour Championships.
Sharapova, who has battled injuries in the latter stages of her 2005 campaign, has played just two tournaments since the US Open, reaching the semi-finals Beijing and crashing out of the quarters in Moscow in mid-October.
Sharapova has the day off on Wednesday, before finishing round-robin play against world number one Lindsay Davenport and Russian Nadia Petrova.

Redskins Beat Eagles, 17-10

The Washington Redskins beat the Philadelphia Eagles 17-10 in the Sunday night game of the week. The Eagles who have lost three of four and are in danger of slipping out of the playoff race, played the game without their star all-pro receiver, Terrell Owens, who was suspended by the Eagles ealier this weekend for fighting with a teammate. The controversy did not seem to hurt the Eagles on the field, as the game was well played by both teams and remained in doubt until the last minutes of the game. Washington safety Ryan Clark made the final big play of the game, intercepting Eagle's quarterback McNabb's pass with 1:25 remaining.
The Eagles had threatened overtime by moving the ball from their own 15-yard line before Clark snagged the ball on fourth-and-4 at Washington's 7. Redskin quarterback Mark Brunell completed 21 of 29 passes for 224 yards and Tight end Chris Cooley caught seven passes for a career-high 85 yards. Clinton Portis ran 21 times for 67 yards and a touchdown and Mark Sellers had a 1-yard TD run, only the second carry of his six-year career. While those numbers aren't spectacular, they sure were a change of pace after last week's 36-0 blowout against the New York Giants.
``It seemed like it was a guy here, guy there that made plays,'' said coach Joe Gibbs, who gave game balls to the whole team and added a special game ball for lineman Derrick Dockery for falling on a Cooley fumble inside the Eagles 10-yard line that kept the winning drive alive in the third quarter. ``It wasn't any one person - everyone contributed. I'm really proud of our players to bounce back after what happened last week,'' Gibbs said.
Even Washington's contoversial linebacker Lavarr Arrington was a more humble presence, having conceded last week that the coaches were right to bring him along slowly back from his knee injury. Arrington's benching earlier this season was a team distraction, but he completed his return from exile Sunday by starting the game and serving as a team captain. His six tackles tied for the team lead with Phillip Daniels, who played on a sore ankle.

Solomon Key???

You'd have to be insane to do a spinoff of a book that doesn't even have a publication date yet - wouldn't you? Not if it's the sequel to "The Da Vinci Code," Dan Burstein says. Burstein, a publishing entrepreneur, has been on the road promoting "Secrets of the Widow's Son," which promises to prep readers for "Da Vinci" author Dan Brown's next venture into the world of secret societies, conspiracy theories, myths and alternative history.
All that's known about the still-unscheduled Brown book is that when it's finally published (perhaps in late 2006 or 2007), it will involve the Freemasons, will be set at least partly in Washington and will be called "The Solomon Key." That was enough for Burstein. And why not? He'd already made a killing with last year's "Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind the Da Vinci Code". Burstein says he got hooked on "Da Vinci" in June 2003, three months after Brown's religio-historical thriller was published. (Thirty-six million hardback copies are now in print worldwide, according to Brown's publisher, Doubleday.) Ah, but those books exist!
How can you do a guide to a book that isn't written ? Check a rumor that there was a code embedded in the dust jacket flaps of "The Da Vinci Code." Sure enough, some letters on the flaps were in a slightly bolder face and spelled out "Is there no hope for the widow's son?" Researching that phrase led to the history of the Mormon church and eventually to a predicted Washington/Freemason backdrop for Brown's next book. Brown later confirmed as much in a rare public appearance.
So if you're truly Brown-obsessed (or if you're just dying to read about the conjunction of Freemasonry, the Founding Fathers and the nation's capital), "Secrets of the Widow's Son," which Burstein commissioned reporter David Shugarts to write, is there for you.
He's far from the only one piggybacking on Dan Brown. By now there are a couple dozen books with such titles as "Da Vinci Decoded" and "The Da Vinci Hoax" that serve as guides to or refutations of Brown's megahit. And there's even another preview title - "The Guide to Dan Brown's 'The Solomon Key,' " by Greg Taylor -though it lags behind "Widow's Son" in Amazon sales rank. Burstein isn't losing sleep about competition. "People are so interested," he says.

Embarrassing Losses

Redskins shutout 36-0

The first place New York Giants(5-2) embarrased the Washington Redskins with a 36-0 win on Sunday, playing an emotional game after the death of their owner Wellington Mara. Washington (4-3), a 52-17 winner over San Francisco a week earlier, managed just 34 yards in the first half and finished with 125. The Redskins didn't cross midfield until the last minute of the third quarter. It was the first time a Joe Gibbs coached team had been shut-out.

``I think we all realized what was at stake,'' said head coach Joe Gibbs. ``We had talked about it all week, the big ballgame for us and for them there was a lot at stake. There was a lot riding on it and we didn't play well. I think we take a long hard look at ourselves, and it certainly starts with me.''

Redskin quarterback Mark Brunell entered the game with the fourth-highest quarterback rating in the NFL, but finished 11-for-28 for 65 yards and could not solve a secondary that entered the game having given up the second-most yards in the NFL. Running back Clinton Portis had a career low of only 6 yards rushing.

D.C. United shutout 4-0

By the time Freddy Adu got in the game, D. C. United was already well on their way to the most embarrassing playoff loss in the franchise's 10-year history.

The defending MLS champions were eliminated 4-0 Sunday by the Chicago Fire, a game in which United's best player was ejected for spitting at someone's face and the post-game talk centered as much on 16-year-old Adu's future as the poor effort shown by the team that has won four league titles.

Adu has been openly critical of his limited playing time this season and may have played his last game with Washington. D.C. United was the defending MLS champions and the timing of Adu's comments during the playoffs the past two weeks certainly created problems for the team.

Maryland Loses to FSU, 35-27

The Maryland Terapins lost to the 10th-ranked Florida as the Seminoles came away with a 35-27 come-from-behind win over Maryland on Saturday. Maryland's final bid for a tie ended with 52 seconds left when Joel Statham was sacked by A.J. Nicholson at the Florida State 40. The Seminoles lost 20-17 in College Park, Md., last season. ``We were a couple of plays from winning,'' Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. ``I'm not into playing close. Either you win or you don't. We didn't and we could have.''
Maryland (4-4, 2-3) scored 24 straight points midway through the game, building a 24-14 lead on Dan Ennis' 40-yard field goal three minutes into the second half. After Ennis kicked a 35-yard field goal to start the fourth quarter and give the Terrapins a 27-21 lead, the Seminoles took over and wore the young Terps down with their depth. A pair of pass interference calls against Maryland's best cornerback, Gerrick McPhearson, who was trying to defend receiver Carr one-on-one, set up Florida quarterback Weatherford's go-head score.
Maryland scored three touchdowns in a span of nine minutes to take a 21-14 halftime lead. Quarterback Joel Statham, playing for the injured starter Sam Hollenbach, ran for a score and added touchdown passes covering 29 yards to Derrick Fenner and 20 yards to Jo Jo Walker. ``It's frustrating,'' Fenner said afterward. ``We've just got to put these games away.''
With road games at North Carolina and North Carolina State sandwiched around a Nov. 19 home date against Boston College, the Terps are scrambling to qualify for bowl eligibility. ``We have our work cut out for us,'' Friedgen said. Statham, who sparked Maryland's victory over Florida State a year ago, completed 15 of 29 passes for 177 yards while sophomore tailback Lance Ball ran for 120 yards on 21 carries.

Brain Food

1. Blueberries
Sweet wild blueberries are bursting with antioxidants, which mop up nasty free radicals. Studies of rats show that a blueberry-rich diet improves memory and motor skills and reverses age-related declines in balance and coordination. Chemicals in blueberries affect the contractile machinery of arteries, and therefore have a good affect on blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure can damage delicate blood vessels in the brain and can lead to strokes.
2. Dark Leafy Greens 3. Salmon, Sardines, and Herring 4. Spinach 5. Red Wine, or, better yet, Grape Juice 6. Whole Grains and Brown Rice 7. Hot Cocoa 8. Nuts, Notably Almonds and Walnuts 9. Olive Oil 10. Garlic

...Read more here

Redskins 52 - San Francisco 17

Running back Clinton Portis did cartwheels and linebacker LaVar Arrington finally got to play as the Washington Redskins beat the San Francisco 49ers, 52-17 on Sunday. After five nail-biting games to start the season, the Redskins unloaded on the 49ers, scoring the most points in a game since their Super Bowl season in '91.
The Redskins (4-2) led 35-7 at halftime, piled up 448 yards and scored on seven of their first nine possessions to snap a two-game losing streak. Mark Brunell completed 13 of 20 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns. Mike Sellers caught scoring passes of 2 and 19 yards. Santana Moss had a 32-yard TD reception and maintained his torrid start with five passes for 112 yards, his fourth 100-yard game in five weeks.
Portis ran 19 times for 101 yards and scored his first three touchdowns of the season, a huge relief to a player who put some self-effacing humor into a scoreless season at practice last week by donning a wig and glasses that made him resemble Doc Brown from ``Back to the Future.'' Portis did little jigs after his first and third TDs and performed two cartwheels after his 1-yard score that made it 21-7 late in the second quarter. Arrington playing most of the game lead the team in tackles with 9(with 7 solo tackles) and got huge cheers from the crowd every time he made a play.

Virginia Tech Beats Maryland, 28-9

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - They raced to the locker room at halftime, their helmets held high and spirits soaring after a solid performance against No. 3 Virginia Tech. Despite trailing 7-3, the Maryland Terrapins sensed an upset was in the making. Marcus Vick wouldn't let it happen. The redshirt junior quarterback accounted for 344 yards of offense, including a career-high 133 rushing, and the unbeaten Hokies pulled away in the second half to a 28-9 victory Thursday night.
The Terrapins (4-3, 2-2) came in with a three-game winning streak and designs of avenging a 55-6 defeat to the Hokies last November. It seemed possible until Maryland finally got tired of chasing the elusive Vick. ``Our defense was on the field too long, and they began to wear down as the game went on,'' Terrapins coach Ralph Friedgen said.
Terp quarterback Sam Hollenbach was 14-of-30 for 158 yards and two interceptions, and Lance Ball had 75 yards rushing on 15 attempts. The Terrapins wore their alternate black jerseys for the second time this season, hoping for the same result as the last time: a 45-33 victory over Virginia on Oct. 1. The ploy didn't work, yet Maryland could take solace in putting forth a decent performance in front of a national television audience and a crowd of 54,838, the second-largest in school history ``I think we played hard and had the opportunities, but we didn't take advantage of them,'' Friedgen said.

Watching What You Print

The Electronic Frontier Foundation(EEF) said that currently only the U.S. Secret Service and now itself had the ability to decrypt the imprint. It said that although the Secret Service claims to use this information only for cornering counterfeit crimes, there is no legal framework to prevent the information from being put to other uses. A secret code embedded in many color laser jet printers allows the U.S. government and any other organization capable of reading the cipher to identify when the copies were made and on which particular machine, according to research conducted by the EFF.
The San Francisco-based privacy organization said Tuesday it had detected almost invisible patterns of yellow dots on every document printed on the affected machines. The dots could indicate when and where the print was made. Among the copiers found to include the secret yellow dots are ones made by Brother, Canon , Dell, Epson, HP, Konica/Minolta, Kyocera , Lexmark, Ricoh, Tektronix/Toshiba and Xerox.
The foundation cautioned that although it had deciphered the code on Xerox machines, it had not done the same for the yellow dots found on other copiers, but that it was likely that they too represented a sophisticated document tracking system. "So far, we've only broken the code for Xerox DocuColor printers, but we believe that other models from other manufacturers include the same personally identifiable information in their tracking dots," said EFF Staff Technologist Seth David Schoen.
The dots are yellow, less than one millimeter in diameter, and are typically repeated over each page of a document. The pattern can be seen using a blue light, a magnifying glass, or a microscope. The group said that currently only the U.S. Secret Service and now itself had the ability to decrypt the imprint. It said that although the Secret Service claims to use this information only for cornering counterfeit crimes, there is no legal framework to prevent the information from being put to other uses.

Redskins Lose to Chiefs, 28-21

The Washington Redskins defense gave-up a Priest Holmes' 60-yard short pass and run touchdown early in the fourth quarter that ended up being the difference in a 28-21 Kansas City victory.
The Redskins had a chance to force overtime, but after driving to the Chiefs' 33 in the final minute, four straight incompletions ended their chances and dropped them to 3-2, a half-game behind 4-2 Dallas in the NFC East and tied with the Giants and Philadelphia. The good news for the Redskins is they next play host to 1-4 San Francisco.
On a day that saw receiver Santana Moss continue to build his No. 1 receiver portfolio (a career-high 173 yards and a 78-yard touchdown), Mark Brunell throw for 331 yards and three scores, the defense holding Holmes to18 rushing yards and the special teams keeping Dante Hall in check, the turnovers were the story. Brunell fumbled at the 7-yard line on the Redskins opening drive, which Kansas City turned into a field goal. A second-quarter Brunell fumble happened at the Redskins 40. And running back Rock Cartwright's third-quarter fumble was returned by Sammy Knight for an 80-yard touchdown
Through five games, the Redskins are a combined minus-8 in turnover ratio. They haven't forced a turnover since a pair of takeaways against Chicago in Week 1. "On the road against really good teams, you can't afford mistakes," coach Joe Gibbs said. "We made a bunch of good plays, but it wasn't enough." "We've dug ourselves into a little bit of a hole, but we'll fight back," quarterback Mark Brunell said. "We'll find out what kind of character we have, but I'm confident this team will clean up the mistakes."
The Redskins took possession with no timeouts and 1:46 left at their own 22 and used Brunell completions of 11, 19 and 15 yards to get to the Chiefs 33 with 39 seconds left. Brunell overshot Cooley on first down, missed an open James Thrash over the middle on second down, threw it away under pressure on third down and, on fourth down, had Moss momentarily open down the left sideline, but the pass was deflected by Knight.

Quill Book Awards

Book of the Year - presented by Brian Williams Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince J.K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré (Illustrator) Arthur Levine/Scholastic Debut Author of the Year - presented by Kim Cattrall The Historian Elizabeth Kostova Little Brown & Company General Fiction - presented by Erica Jong The Mermaid Chair Sue Monk Kidd Viking Press Mystery/Suspense/Thriller - presented by Stephen J. Cannell and Annie Parisse Eleven on Top Janet Evanovich St. Martin's Press Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror - presented by Tamara Tunie The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror Christopher Moore William Morrow & Company Biography/Memoir - presented by Nick Hornby Chronicles: Volume One Bob Dylan Simon & Schuster History/Current Events/Politics - presented by Tony LoBianco 1776 David McCullough Simon & Schuster Humor - presented by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction Jon Stewart and the Writers of the Daily Show Warner Books Sports - presented by Len Berman Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season Stewart O'Nan and Stephen King Scribner

Washington Nationals - Recap

In their first season in Washington, the Nationals were the feel-good story of the first half of 2005. They were 52-36 and in first place in the National League East. They were getting solid pitching and timely hitting on a regular basis.

A couple of days before the All-Star break, manager Frank Robinson warned his team not to relax because teams in the East would be gunning for them.

Robinson was proven right. Not only did they lose their division and Wild Card leads, the Nationals went 28-45 after the break and were eliminated from playoff contention on Sept. 26. Still, Washington finished with a .500 record.

Record: 81-81, fifth in NL East.

Defining moment: The Nationals can look at their game against the Padres on Sept.17 as the turning point of the season. Washington blew a 5-0 lead in the ninth before losing, 8-5, in 12 innings.

It was a game that left people second-guessing Robinson for a while. He made too many pitching changes in the ninth inning, and the Padres took advantage of the situation to put five runs on the board.

Robinson would later apologize to the team and admit that he should have started the inning by using closer Chad Cordero. The Nationals would lose seven of their next eight games before being eliminated from the Wild Card race.

What went right: The Nationals' pitching staff was consistent all season, even though Robinson was forced to use a four-man rotation because of injuries by September. Washington ended up fourth in the National League in ERA.

What went wrong: The poor offense was overlooked in the first half of the season because the Nationals had one of the best records in baseball. But the bats were the main reason they fell out of the race after the All-Star break. The Nats finished last in the Major Leagues in almost every offensive category.

Biggest surprise: At the All-Star break, right-hander Hector Carrasco was 3-2 with a 2.43 ERA, and he said he was going to be even better. In September, Robinson put Carrasco in the rotation, where he gave up six runs in 26 2/3 innings and posted a 2-1 record. Carrasco credited his success to pitching coach Randy St. Claire, who taught him how to command a deadly changeup.

STATISTICAL LEADERS
Batting
Average: Nick Johnson, .289
Doubles: Brad Wilkerson, 42
Triples: Brad Wilkerson, 7
Home runs: Preston Wilson, 25
Runs: Jose Guillen, 81
RBIs: Preston Wilson, 90
Stolen bases: Junior Spivey, 9

Pitching
Wins: Livan Hernandez, 15
Losses: Esteban Loaiza, Livan Hernandez, 10
ERA (starter): John Patterson, 3.13
ERA (reliever): Hector Carrasco, 2.04
Saves: Chad Cordero, 47

FORECAST FOR 2006
Lineup: The Nationals need to make a lot of improvements, and the starting eight is expected to be overhauled. Third baseman Vinny Castilla and Preston Wilson likely won't be back and the club has to determine if players such as Brad Wilkerson, Cristian Guzman, Marlon Byrd and Ryan Church will ever reach their potential.

Rotation: As good as the rotation was, they need two more starters because Tony Armas Jr. isn't likely to return, and Ryan Drese and Jon Rauch will be coming off shoulder problems. When September began, the Nationals had only three starters in the rotation because of injuries. Washington was then forced to put Carrasco in the rotation.

Bullpen: The bright spot of the team, led by closer Cordero and setup men Gary Majewski and Luis Ayala. The big question is, can they afford to keep Carrasco and Joey Eischen, who are free agents? Robinson said he would love to see the Nationals get a powerful left-handed reliever. If they can't get one in the free agent market, Washington might have to promote Bill Bray, the franchise's No 1 pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft.

Biggest need: The Nationals need a leadoff hitter with speed and at least two impact sluggers. They thought they had at least one slugger in Wilson, but he was too inconsistent. Whether they acquire those players will depend on new ownership, which was not determined at the end of the season.

Prospect to watch: If the month of September was any indication, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is going to be a star in the years to come. He hit over .400 with six RBIs. On defense, Zimmerman has shown why interim general manager Jim Bowden has compared him to Scott Rolen, Brooks Robinson and Mike Schmidt at third base. Zimmerman was flawless at the position.

Bye Bye Yankees!!!

Monday Morning Quarterback

Linebacker Jan Gold knocked away Mark Brunells's 2-point conversion pass with 1:09 left Sunday to help Denver hang onto a 21-19 victory and keep the Washington Redskins from adding yet another fantastic finish to their charmed season. Mark Brunell went 30-for-53 for 322 yards and drove the Redskins 94 yards for the touchdown on an 11-yard pass to Chris Cooley that pulled Washington (3-1) within two. But on the conversion try, Brunell spotted David Patten open in the back of the end zone for a moment, but Gold came over and batted down the pass to prevent a possible overtime. The Redskins won their first three games by a total of six points, including a grinding 20-17 overtime win last week that came only after Seattle kicker hit the upright on the last play of regulation. This time, though there was no great finish. ``This one is going to hurt, it's supposed to hurt,'' Brunell said. Washington also had a safety taken away courtesy of the famous ``tuck rule.'' Plummer lost the ball near his goal line and recovered in the end zone where he was tackled, but officials overruled the play, saying Plummer's arm had been moving forward when the ball slipped from his grasp, making it an incomplete pass. Clinton Portis, a flamboyant and temperamental playmaker in Denver before being traded to the Redskins two years ago, ran for 103 yards on 20 carries for the Redskins and was booed pretty much every time he touched the ball. ``We had enough mistakes to actually go out and lose this game,'' Portis said. ``We hurt ourselves.'' ...For more on the Redskins Mario Merrills ran for three touchdowns, leading Maryland to a 38-7 victory over winless Temple on Saturday. Sam Hollenbach passed for 228 yards(19-29) and ran for a score as the Terrapins (4-2) overcame a sluggish start and handed Temple (0-6) its fifth loss of more than 25 points. Maryland hardly started out like the same team that beat then-No. 19 Virginia 45-33 last week. The Terrapins trailed 7-3 after the first quarter; turned the ball over on downs once; lost one fumble; and had an interception in the end zone one play after a touchdown was nullified by a holding penalty. But Maryland ran off 35 straight points, starting with Merrills' 6-yard TD run in the second quarter. Merrills scored from the 1 to make it 17-7 right before halftime, and ran in from the 2 on the Terrapins' first possession in the third quarter for a 24-7 lead. Hollenbach scored on a quarterback sneak to put Maryland ahead 31-7. Merrills, seeking his fourth TD run, was stopped at the 1 for no gain on the previous play. Merrills gained 66 yards on 12 carries and Lance Ball had 54 yards on 11 carries for the Terps. ...For more on the Terps

Washington Nationals Love Affair

WASHINGTON (AP) -- So there they stood, gathered in the stands near the home dugout, clapping and whooping it up for their last-place Washington Nationals. And there on the dirt near third base were manager Frank Robinson, his coaches and the players, hugging each other, then pointing to the crowd and applauding right back, before offering up balls, caps and bats. For more than five minutes after Sunday's season finale, the Nationals and their fans saluted and celebrated each other, heartfelt thanks exchanged between a city that yearned for a major league team for 34 years, and a team that yearned for this kind of reception.
Thanks, the fans were saying, for bringing the national pastime back to the nation's capital. Thanks, too, for all of those one-run wins in June, for that 50-31 start and NL East lead in July, and for playing meaningful games right into the middle of September. The 31-50 swoon that left the club at .500? That can be forgiven. Thanks, the Nationals were saying, for being there every step of the way, scooping up more than 2.7 million tickets for creaky, dingy RFK Stadium, cheering sacrifice bunts and booing when opponents issued intentional walks. ``They know the game of baseball. They've been in every game,'' outfielder Brad Wilkerson said. ``It's been a great love affair for us so far.''
And yet, in what must feel like a cruel twist to Wilkerson and others who were part of the Montreal Expos' latter years, Washington heads into the offseason with perhaps more uncertainty than any other team. It's not known which of eight bidders will buy the Nationals from the other 29 clubs for what's expected to be about $450 million. Robinson, general manager Jim Bowden and president Tony Tavares can't be sure they'll be back.
The same applies, of course, to players. ``That'll just give us headaches if we worry about that,'' catcher Brian Schneider said. Second baseman Jose Vidro, the franchise's longest-tenured player, is ready for some news. ``We've been hearing since the beginning of the season, 'Oh, next month. Oh, next month. Oh, next month.' Here we are, and we still don't have an owner,'' Vidro said. ``It could hurt a lot because a lot of guys have their hands tied again.'' Bowden doesn't have a 2006 budget to work with and will hold off as long as he can on making big moves.
The GM wouldn't say whether he would keep Robinson, who used every motivational ploy he could dream up this season. ``When the new owner comes in and makes the decision on me, then I'll answer questions after that. At this point, it would be inappropriate,'' Bowden said. ``I can tell you this: I have really enjoyed working with Tony Tavares and Frank Robinson.'' Said Robinson: ``That's the only thing I'm concerned about right now -- getting an answer as soon as possible.''
The roster needs upgrading. Two starters, preferably one a lefty, and two big hitters are musts. A hard-throwing left-hander in the bullpen and a true leadoff hitter, too. The second-half drop from NL East leader to a fifth-place finish -- albeit with 14 more wins than in 2004 -- can largely be traced to injuries, clubhouse tension and a lack of offense. ``It was a magical-type season, the first half. Things went right for us,'' Robinson said.
``And the second half has been kind of like a nightmare.'' While the pitching staff ranked fourth in the NL with a 3.87 ERA, and Chad Codero led the majors with 47 saves, the offense dragged. Washington finished last in the majors in batting average (.252), slugging percentage (.386), runs (3.94 per game) and homers (117). They also had the NL's fewest steals (45) and were caught stealing the most (45). But, oh, what fun they had for a while. At one point, the Nationals were 23-7 in one-run games, winning 12 straight. Later, they lost 13 in a row and finished 30-31 in such contests.
And those D.C. residents who pined for baseball got plenty of chances to remember why: Robinson jawing with Angels manager Mike Scioscia as both benches emptied and Jose Guillen had to be restrained in a game Washington later rallied to win; Robinson persuading an umpire to wipe out an apparent tying homer by Atlanta's Brian Jordan; shortstop Cristian Guzman, who flirted with batting below .200 before finishing at .219, making an error when forced to throw a ball caked with mud because the infield was filled with puddles; 32-year-old Rick Short making his major league debut after more than 1,000 hits in the minors and homering off Dontrelle Willis and John Smoltz; Ryan Zimmerman, just out of college, hitting .397 with 10 doubles over the final month.
``We've always said that we were just missing a real small part, and that small part was moving to a new city and having a home. And we got that this year,'' Schneider said. ``You could see in the first half how we responded to that. We were in this race.''

Redskins Start Season 3-0

The Washington Redskins were inches from defeat when Josh Brown's ``perfect'' kick somehow hit the left upright on the last play of regulation. ``Honestly, the kick was perfect,'' Brown said. ``I hit a great ball and unfortunately the upright got right in the way.''
The fates are truly shining on the Redskins so far this season. They are 3-0 for the first time since 1991 with victories by two points, one point and three points. They won with Nick Novak, who had never attempted an NFL field goal until Sunday, yet had the cool to nail a 39-yard winner in overtime for a 20-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
The Redskins are cornering the market on late-game mood swings after their 14-point fourth-quarter comeback win over Dallas two weeks ago. This time, they blew a late lead and tempted fate by committing a turnover that gave Brown his 47-yard attempt. He was so sure it was good he raised his hands in victory before it clanked off the goalpost. Instead, Novak got to celebrate, running toward the bench and pumping his fist after his kick 5:31 into overtime.
Novak, a rookie from Maryland, was playing his second NFL game -- he didn't get to attempt a field goal against the Cowboys. His first attempt Sunday was blocked in the first quarter, and he had to kick the winner twice because the Redskins were called for delay of game. ...For more on the Redskins

Maryland Beats Virginia, 45-33

Desperate for a victory at home, Maryland rendered No. 19 Virginia defenseless with a multifaceted offense that caught the Cavaliers completely by surprise. Lance Ball ran for 163 yards on 17 carries and scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, and Maryland amassed 570 yards in offense to hand Virginia its first defeat, 45-33 Saturday.
Sam Hollenbach went 25-for-33 for 320 yards and two touchdowns, and Danny Melendez had nine catches for 125 yards for the Terrapins, who had 33 first downs and punted only twice. The 570 yards was the most allowed by the Cavaliers since Georgia Tech got 627 in 2000.
Throwing or running, going inside or outside, virtually everything worked for Maryland (3-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference). ``I think we had an excellent game plan and our kids executed it well,'' Terrapins coach Ralph Friedgen said. ``I thought we were very unpredictable.'' Seeking to reverse their fortunes at home after losses to Clemson and West Virginia, the Terps wore their alternate black jerseys for homecoming.
Maryland's offense was more of a factor than the uniform switch, but whatever the reason, the Terrapins avoided their first 0-3 start at home since 1993. ``When they came in from warming up and they saw the black jerseys hanging in their lockers, they went nuts,'' Friedgen said. ``But it's not the jerseys that win football games.''
The Terrapins yielded a total of 38 fourth-quarter points to Clemson and West Virginia, but they outscored Virginia 21-7 over the final 15 minutes. ``I'm hoping this gives us the confidence we need to get better,'' Friedgen said. ...Read more here

Virginia Senator Ben Affleck???

From: Washington Post
If you liked him as Bennifer . . . you'll love him as Benator!
That's the hot new idea being tossed around by Virginia Democrats, who are desperately searching for a big name to challenge the reelection bid of rising GOP star Sen. George Allen next year, now that outgoing Gov. Mark Warner has ducked out.
Why, who should happen to be pondering a move to Thomas Jefferson country but a certain square-jawed media magnet with a taste for liberal politics and millions to spend on it . . . Ben Affleck ! Star of "Gigli" and the J.Lo tab romance, now happily settled with "Alias" star Jennifer Garner .
The couple, expecting their first child, have been shopping for real estate around Charlottesville. British tabloids claim it's a done deal; we will only go so far as to report that they checked out at least one country estate a few weeks ago. ...Read more here

Monday Morning Quarterback

Josh Wilson returned a fumble 20 yards for a touchdown to lead Maryland's solid defensive effort in a 22-12 win over Wake Forest on Saturday. Keon Lattimore ran for 76 yards (on 15 carries) and the only offensive touchdown for the Terrapins (2-2, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who continued their recent dominance against the Demon Deacons (1-3, 0-1). Maryland has won seven straight in the series, including all five matchups since Jim Grobe took over here.
Maryland allowed Wake Forest 111 yards rushing and 244 total yards, while recovering two fumbles and holding the Demon Deacons to 5-for-19 on third-down conversions. And except for Barclay's 4-yard scoring run late in the third, Wake Forest's offense seemed out of rhythm just about all day.
Terp quarterback Sam Hollenbach was 12-22 for 169 yards with one interception and kicker Dan Ennis was a perfect 3-3 on field goals. Freshman Lance Ball added 51 yards on 17 carries.
The Washington Redskins have a bye this week.
The Washington Nationals got swept in all three games by the New York Mets this weekend and are officiially out of the playoffs. With six games left to play, the Nationals need to spit the six games to finish with a winning record for the season. But is has still been a great year for the Nationals first season in Washington.

"J.D." Wins Rockstar INXS

After a 13-week public audition, a former homeless musician has been named the new frontman of Australian rock group INXS, filling the shoes of late singer Michael Hutchence.
Canadian J.D. Fortune was selected by the band from a field of 15 that had been whittled to three for Tuesday night's finale of the ratings-challenged reality show CBS' "Rock Star: INXS."
"J.D. has a slightly dangerous edge and will bring a sense of spontaneity to our live show," INXS guitarist Tim Farriss said in a statement released Wednesday. "In addition, he has both the star quality we were looking for and is an inspired lyricist. I think he'll grow with us on all levels."
The single "Pretty Vegas," recorded before the final show's taping, was released to U.S. radio outlets Wednesday via the band's new label, Sony BMG's Epic Records.

Washington Redskins 14 Dallas Cowboys 13

From: The Washington Post
There was no indication the Washington Redskins were capable of scoring a touchdown, much less staging a miracle comeback and ending the curse of the Dallas Cowboys, 14-13.
Trailing by 13 points, still looking for the first trip to the end zone this season and facing an offensive crisis, quarterback Mark Brunell heaved a pretty pass on fourth and 15 from the Dallas 39-yard line, hitting Santana Moss in stride with less than four minutes to play. It was just the beginning.
Suddenly, Dallas's lead was six, and when a holding penalty negated the Cowboys' apparent first down a minute later, it became clear the Redskins would get the ball back at least one more time.
Their final drive began with 2 minutes 52 seconds left, and no timeouts, and on the second play Brunell put everything he had into the ball, unleashing a 70-yard bomb over the middle. Moss outraced cornerback Aaron Glenn and safety Roy Williams and did not stop running until he hit the wall behind the end zone. ...Read more here

Monday Morning Quarterback

Another bad sports weekend. The Maryland Terps lost their second home game in a row to West Virginia, 31-19. Maryland, like the two previous weeks, was in good shape going into the fourth quarter. But backup quarterback Pat White directed three fourth-quarter touchdown drives, and West Virginia ripped Maryland's defense for 301 yards rushing to win easily.
Freshman Jason Gwaltney scored two touchdowns for the Mountaineers (3-0), who had lost three straight at Maryland (1-2) since 1997. West Virginia let a 15-point lead dwindle to 21-19 before Gwaltney scored on a 15-yard run with 4:56 left in the game.
The Terrapins began their comeback with a 73-yard touchdown throw from Hollenbach to tight end Vernon Davis with 10:22 left. Davis caught the medium-length pass at the right sideline and easily outran the Mountaineers to the end zone. Then Antonio Lewis fumbled away the following kickoff, and Hollenbach converted the mistake into a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jo Jo Walker. But the Terps never got closer.
Hollenbach went 20-for-31 for 291 yards. Davis caught five passes for 158 yards, but the Terrapins could muster only 50 yards rushing against a defense that entered the game ranked No. 1 in the nation in yards allowed (128.5). ...Read more here
The Washington Nationals even had a worse weekend, losing two games in San Diego that they should have won and instead of being 2 1/2 games out of the wildcard playoff , they are now 4 1/2 games behind the leader with only 12 games left to play. The Nationals had won four straight on the road trip including a three game sweep of the New York Mets.
In the Saturday game with San Diego the Nationals had a 5-0 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning when San Diego scored 5 runs to tie and force overtime. The Padres then scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 12th to win 8-5. ...Read more here
In the Sunday game, Washington behind the strong pitching of Esteban Loiaza held a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the eight inning, when San Diego scored to tie the game 1-1. The Padres then won the game 2-1 in the ninth inning by scoring a run on a Nationals throwing error.
Two heart-breaking losses and a chance at the playoffs slipping further away. ...Read more here

Washington Nationals Still in the Hunt

The Washington Nationals swept a 3 game series with The Mets in New York and are now 2 1/2 games from a wild-card spot in the playoffs with 15 games left to play. They have been written off several times the past month but keep coming back. They will need to win 10-11 of the 15 games to have a good chance at winning the wild-card.
From: The Washington Post
Quote
Somebody tell these guys they're dead. Display the Nationals' headstone in their locker room. Hand out "Washington R.I.P" T-shirts. But what good would it do? Somehow, the undead Nats never get the memo. Or the autopsy. Yes, they're alive -- alive again. How many times is that, and what exactly is the record?
Time after time for 11 weeks, the Nats have had their heads handed to them, their hearts kicked around and their spirits dragged through the infield dirt. They've come back from 0-8 to 8-8, and 1-7 to 7-7, only to lose in 10 innings both times. They came back from 0-6 to lead 7-6 with two outs in the ninth Sunday, only to lose 9-7. Their best efforts invariably led to their worst kick-in-the-gut defeats.
Games like this one at Shea were exactly the kind they usually found a way to lose or have taken. At one point, the Nationals lost 13 one-run games in a row, the major league record for such exasperation. They've lost on the road on a "balk-off" and a "walk-off." Twice since July 1, they've lost 1-0.
"A lot of people don't actually think we can win" the wild card, he(manager Frank Robinson) said after his office had cleared... "But we can. We need some help. But if we take care of our own business and keep winning, we'll be all right. Because everybody is playing everybody else, and, every night, somebody is going to lose." Quote...Read more here

Monday Morning Quarterback

Not the best weekend for sports. First, Maria Sharapova losses in the semi-finals of the US Open and Andre Agassi losses in the Mens final to Roger Federer, 6-3 2-6 7-6 6-1.
On the fourth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on New York, 35-year-old Agassi graced the city with a display that was in equal part stubborn and inspired before bowing to the superiority of the superlative Swiss. And I was hoping the "old man" could win one more big title. ...Read more on the US Open here
Then my Maryland Terps lose to Clemson, 24-20 after leading 20-10 late in the fourth quarter. Terps quarterback Sam Hollenbach went 18-for-28 for 288 yards and two touchdowns for Maryland. Receiver Vernon Davis had six catches for 140 yards and a touchdown, but the running game was held to 56 yards on 40 carries.
The Terps are 1-1 (they beat Navy last weekend 23-20 when Hollenbach went 19-for-30 for 217 yards, and Mario Merrills ran for 149 yards on 30 carries to help Maryland recover from an early 11-point deficit in the opener for both teams)....Read more on the Terps loss here
Then the Washington Nationals lose 2 out of 3 to the Atlanta Braves, losing the Sunday game 9-7 after coming back to take the lead in the eigth inning (7-6 ). Chad Cordero gives up the lead on Chipper Jones homerun after 2 out in the ninth.
This leaves the Nationals 4 games back in the wild-card play-offs with just 18 games left to play. Time is ruuning out on the Nationals great innaugral season in DC. ...Read more on the Nationls loss here
But the Washington Redskins did save the weekend by winning their opening football game 9-7. But it was hardly a big win against a Chicago Bears team that is not suspose to be very good this year. The Redskins allowed only 166 total yards, overcame three turnovers, several untimely penalties and the loss of starter Patrick Ramsey, who had his neck wrung in the second quarter by blitzing linebacker Lance Brigs.
Mark Brunell, booed mercilessly last year by the home fans, entered and led three scoring drives, all ending in field goals by John Hall and powered in part by the running of Clinton Portis, who rushed for 121 yards on 21 carries. Looks like it may be a long season for the Redskins with an 8-8 record at best. ..Read more about the Redskins win here

Maria Fails to Make US Open Finals

Maria Sharapova lost to Kim Clijsters in the semi-finals of the US Open, but will still regain the number 1 ranking in the world from Lindsay Davenport. Clijsters, the athletic Belgian fourth seed needed six match points to kill off the stubborn Siberian Sharapova 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 on Friday, setting up a final against French 12th seed Mary Pierce.

Maria Heads Final Four at US Open

Maria Sharapova, the tournament's #1 seed, advanced to the semi-finals of the US Open and will face Kim Clijsters. The other semi-finals places Mary Pierce against Elena Dementieva. Dementieva defeated Lindsay Davenport, the #2 seed.

Maria into Round of 8 at US Open

Having cruised through the first three rounds, Maria Sharapova needed her best tennis to contain the hard-hitting Indian Sania Miraz, before eventually overwhelming her 6-2 6-1, to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open for the first time

Sharapova into US Open Sweet 16

Maria Sharapova won her third round match in the US Open defeating German Julia Schruff 6-2, 6-4 in a match lasting over an hour on Arthur Ashe Court.
Maria had lost only three games in the first two rounds combined as she heads into the round of 16 against Indian Sania Miraz who is ranked 47th in the world.

Maria into Third at US Open

Maria Sharapova of Russia waves after her win over Dally Randriantefy of Madagascar in their second round match at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, New York August 31, 2005. Sharapova defeated Randriantefy 6-1 6-0.

VHS - Going, Going, Gone

VHS -- the beloved videotape format that bravely won the war against Betamax and charmed millions of Americans by allowing them to enjoy mindless Hollywood entertainment without leaving their homes -- has died at the age of 29. It passed away peacefully after a long illness caused by chronic technological insignificance and a lack of director's commentary tracks.
No one knows exactly when this once-valued objet de home entertainment began its journey toward that previously-viewed-video bin in the sky. Some say it was March 1997, when the slimmer, sexier DVD was introduced to American consumers. Others pin the time of death to the week of June 15, 2003, when DVD rentals first topped those of VHS.
And there are some -- technophobic, time-warped souls who still keep their Erol's Video membership cards in their wallets -- who argue that VHS isn't deceased at all. It's just, well, resting its eyes. Many of the major studios, including Buena Vista Home Entertainment (which issues Disney titles), Fox and Warner Bros., are phasing out VHS releases.
Circuit City and Best Buy stopped selling them online earlier this year, having removed the bulky cartridges from their store shelves in 2002 and 2003, respectively. (Wal-Mart and Amazon.com, on the other hand, have not announced plans to stop carrying the tapes.) Read more here...

Death of CDs???

When Ohio-based rock band the Sun releases its first full-length album next month, it will be available on DVD, online and on vinyl record. But not on the medium that's still the biggest seller in the music industry today: the compact disc. "It's a tip of the hat to the past and the tip of the hat to the future," said Perry Watts-Russell, a senior vice president at Warner Bros. Records Inc., which signed the band.
The full-length CD format, which debuted in 1981, last year sold 766.9 million copies, down from a high of 942.5 million in 2000, according to statistics from the Recording Industry Association of America. At the same time, online sales -- championed by the popular Apple Computer Inc. iTunes Web site -- is picking up part of the slack: 139.4 million tracks were sold online in 2004.
The Sun's 14-song album, "Blame It on the Youth," will be released Sept. 27 and will come with one disc option -- a DVD of music videos that can be manipulated through a computer to download the songs onto an MP3 player or burn them onto a CD. Actually, there is a second disc, but it's made of vinyl -- a nod to a burgeoning subculture that is reviving the old long-play format. ...Read more here

Maria #1 in the World!!!

Maria Sharapova is officially at the top of the WTA rankings and goes into the final Grand Slam of the year at the US Open as the #1 seed. The WTA will announce today that

Maria is the world's #1 player. Maria is the 15th number 1 since the rankings were introduced in 1975. Maria is also the first ever player from Russia to reach the top spot and is also the 5th youngest #1.

Virginia schools among best

The University of Virginia(UVA) held its ground as the No. 2 public university in the nation while Virginia Tech fell two spots to No. 34 in the U.S. News & World Report undergraduate rankings released today.
The College of William and Mary remained sixth nationally among public universities.
Among national universities, which offer a broad undergraduate curricula but also doctoral programs, UVa was once again edged out by the University of California at Berkeley for the top spot among public schools. UVa ranked 23rd among all national universities, both public and private.
Virginia Tech tied for 34th in the public list - down from 32nd last year. Virginia Tech was tied at No. 78 among all national universities.
Virginia Military Institute(VMI) ranked as the top public liberal arts college in the nation for the fifth consecutive year.
James Madison University(JMU) took top honors from the magazine among public master's universities in the South, and No. 2 among all master's universities. ...Read more here

Natasha

Natasha Bedingfield may not yet be a household name on these shores, but that will change very soon. Already a big star in Britain where she grew up, Natasha's new album is climbing the charts here in America, and her first single "These Words" is all over the radio. Bedingfield is a phenomenally talented singer and songwriter whose funky pop sounds are catchy and fun, but also very clever; she is indeed the "real deal." Read more here...

August in Washington

Nothing like summer in Washington, D.C.(or the metro area where I live). Temperature is 95 with high humidity making the heat index around 105. Wilson Bridge is shut-down and Interstate 95 is all backed-up.
Gas prices are rising fast at $2.50 a gallon and the baseball team is falling fast from the first place they were in on July 4th.
All Redskins fans are optimistic of a Super Bowl soon as pre-season football begins tonight. The Maryland Terps are optimistic about returning to a major bowl game this season with their first game just three weeks away.
Yes, the joys of August in Washington.

Rock Star INXS - not bad

Even though it has not gotten the ratings of "American Idol" , Rock Star INXS has been a good summer TV show. I really liked INXS as a rock band and the concept of replacing their lead singer with a contest did not excite me. But as I have watched about half of the shows this summer, I have become intrigued with the show.
The contestents have been equal to (or better) than those on American Idol. Ty Taylor's rendition of the Bob Marley hit "No Woman No Cry" and Marty Casey's acoustic version of the Killer's "Mr. Brightside" this week were both excellent. ...Go here to see these videos and more on Rock Star INXS

David Gray at Washington's 930 Club

David Gray appeared at the 930 Club in Washington DC this past week and gave a preview of his new Album "Slow Motion" which is due out in September 2005.
National Public Radio(NPR) recorded the entire concert as part of their "All Songs Considered" show. You can listen to the entire concert and an interview with David Gray at their web site. The album sounds great!!!
Go here for NPR and to listen

Russian MIGs at Air Show

From AP



A cool picture of five MIG-29s from the Russian Air Show this past July.

Go Terps!!! Hail to the Redskins!!!

Now that the Washington Nationals have fallen out of first place in the NL East and are behind in the Wild Card race, I can forget about baseball. It was fun to be in first place at the All Star break.

Don't get me wrong, I am so happy we have a baseball team in Washington and will continue to support the Nationals - just not expecting any post-season play this Fall.

Well, football season is here so I again will be optimistic about both the Washington Redskins and Maryland Terps. Hope they both don't disappoint me like last year.

Assateague Ponies Swim

Ponies make their way across the Assateague Channel in Chincoteague, Va., Wednesday morning July 27, 2005, during the annual pony swim. The pony swim is part of the Chincoteague Volunteer Firemen's Carnival. The ponies were then herded through town to a corral on the carnival grounds, where they are sold at auction
Ponies make their way across the Assateague Channel in Chincoteague, Va., Wednesday morning July 27, 2005, during the annual pony swim. The pony swim is part of the Chincoteague Volunteer Firemen's Carnival. The ponies were then herded through town to a corral on the carnival grounds, where they are sold at auction.

Old Rolling Stones to Tour

 
The Rolling Stones announced that their upcoming tour and album will bear the alliterative title, which they came up with last year, "reflecting their fascination with the scientific theory about the origin of the universe," according to a statement. "
A Bigger Bang" will be released in the United States on Sept. 6 via Virgin Records. The North American leg of their trek, which had provisionally been dubbed the "Onstage" tour, begins on Aug. 21 at Boston's Fenway Park.
The album marks the band's first since 1997's "Bridges to Babylon," ending the longest recording break of their 43-year career. It boasts 16 tracks, two less then their expansive 1972 tour de force "Exile on Main Street."

Lance Goes Out on Top

Lance Armstrong closed out his amazing career with a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory Sunday, and did it a little earlier than expected. Because of wet conditions, race organizers stopped the clock as Armstrong and the main pack entered Paris.
Although riders were still racing, with eight laps of the Champs-Elysees to complete, organizers said that Armstrong had officially won. The stage started as it has done for the past six years, with Armstrong celebrating and wearing the race leader's yellow jersey.
One hand on his handlebars, the other holding a flute of champagne, Armstrong toasted his teammates as he pedaled into Paris to collect his crown. He held up seven fingers, one for each win, and a piece of paper with the number 7 on it.
In retiring, the 33-year-old will manage a rare feat in sports--going out on the top of his game. Armstrong has said that his decision was final and that he was walking away with "absolutely no regrets."

Maria Sharapova at ESPY Awards

Russian professional tennis player Maria Sharapova poses as she arrives at the 13th annual ESPY Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood July 13, 2005.

The taped program which honors excellence in sports performance will air on ESPN on July 17, 2005.

Michelangelo Code?

SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - Two Brazilian doctors and amateur art lovers believe they have uncovered a secret lesson on human anatomy hidden by Renaissance artist Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel's ceiling. Completed nearly 500 years ago, the brightly colored frescoes painted on the Vatican's famous sanctuary are considered some of the world's greatest works of art.

They depict Biblical scenes such as the "Creation of Adam" in which God reaches out to touch Adam's finger.
But Gilson Barreto and Marcelo de Oliveira believe Michelangelo also scattered his detailed knowledge of internal anatomy across 34 of the ceiling's 38 panels. The way they see it, a tree trunk is not just a tree trunk, but also a bronchial tube. And a green bag in one scene is really a human heart.

The key to finding the numerous organs, bones and other human insides is to first crack a "code" they believe was left behind by the Florentine artist. Essentially, it is a set of sometimes subtle, sometimes overt clues, like the way a figure is pointing. "Why wasn't this ever seen before? First, because very few people have the sufficient anatomical knowledge to see these pieces like this. I do because that's my profession," said Barreto, who is a surgeon in the Brazilian city of Campinas.

Eventually Barreto and Oliveira came to believe Michelangelo had left behind coded messages in each panel to help viewers find the hidden body part.

Their proposals, he said, "stretch the visual evidence far beyond Michelangelo's own specific vocabulary of poses, gestures and symbolic relationships."

Indeed, why would Michelangelo hide drawings of human organs in the Sistine Chapel? Barreto and Oliveira say they aren't sure, but it is well known that Michelangelo and other Renaissance artists were obsessed with human anatomy and the human body. There are also other examples of artists "hiding" objects in their paintings, images that can only be seen from a certain perspective.

Still, the two doctors have sent their book to art historians and anatomical specialists in Portugal to get their opinion, and plan to eventually get the Vatican's opinion too.

"We're not here to play around. We believe this is a great discovery for the arts," Barreto said. "The only thing we want to do is spread this knowledge."

Washington Nats in First on July 4th

The Washington Nationals did not let Chad Cordero's blown save affect them. Brian Schneider hit a solo homer in the 12th inning, and the Nationals overcame Cordero's first blown save in more than two months to complete a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs with a 5-4 victory Sunday.
The Nationals have won six straight to reach 50 wins faster than any season in franchise history. It was the first three-game sweep at Wrigley Field for the club since the Montreal Expos did it June 3-5, 1994.
At the halfway point of the season, the Nationals(50-31) are in first place with a six game lead over the Atlanta Braves. Cordero's blown save was one of two by in the late innings by Washington pitchers, who also could not hold a two-run lead in the 11th. ``Nobody gets down. The only cry was 'Let's pick Chief up,''' said Nationals manager Frank Robinson, referring to Cordero.
Brad Wilkerson hit a two-run double in the 11th inning, and after the Cubs tied it again, Schneider hit his sixth homer with two outs in the 12th and pitcher ``You've got to give credit to our team,'' Schneider said. ``Chad gave up the save but he's picked us up all year long, so it was our turn to pick him up.'' Joey Eischen held the Cubs in the bottom of the 12th to get the win.
Washington led 2-0 in the ninth before Aramis Ramirez hit his 18th homer, a two-run shot off Cordero that ended the closer's streak of 26 consecutive saves. It was Cordero's first blown save since April 21 at Atlanta, and third of the season. ``It was a little weird, but it was bound to happen sometime. It's better that it happens now rather than later,'' Cordero said.

Happy Birthday America

Live 8 Concert was Rock at it's Best

From AP Twenty years after a scruffy one-hit wonder first demonstrated his gift for lofty dreams and grandiose statements, hundreds of the world’s top performers and more than 1 million fans united for 10 free concerts across the globe aimed at fighting African poverty. Bob Geldof claimed Saturday’s shows would be “the greatest concert ever,” and it was hard to argue with him after the unprecedented gathering drew everyone from Snoop Dogg to Bill Gates, Mandela to Madonna.
But the ultimate success of the Live 8 extravaganza will be judged by whether the world’s most powerful leaders, gathering next week for the Group of Eight summit meeting, listen to Geldof’s demands for debt forgiveness, trade concessions and $25 billion in aid for Africa.
In Philadelphia, on the Independence Day weekend, actor Will Smith called the festivities a worldwide “declaration of interdependence.” Neil Young performed rousing renditions of “Keep on Rockin’ In The Free world” and “O Canada” before 35,000 roaring fans at Canada’s event in Barrie, Ontario.
Dave Gilmour and Pink Floyd reunited to play together for the first time since 1981 at Saturday's Live 8 concert in London. Paul McCartney and U2 opened the flagship show of the free 10-concert festival with a rousing performance of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” A thunderous roar erupted from the crowd of about 200,000 as icons McCartney and Bono belted out the first line: “It was 20 years ago today...” — a nod to Geldof’s mammoth Live Aid benefit that raised millions for African famine relief in 1985.
Bono, dressed in black and wearing his trademark wraparound shades, wrapped the crowd around his finger, enticing tens of thousands to sing along to the anthemic “One” and “Beautiful Day.” The crowd cheered when a flock of white doves was released overhead.
The first concert kicked off in Japan, where Bjork and Good Charlotte joined local bands for a show that failed to generate much interest in Asia’s only G-8 nation. Despite Bjork making her first live performance in two years, the crowd of 10,000 people was only half of what the hall in the Tokyo suburb of Makuhari could hold. For whole story read here...

Maria loses to Venus at Wimbledon

Venus Williams ended Maria Sharapova's bid to repeat as Wimbledon champion with a 7-6 6-1 win. Maria, last year's Wimbledon winner over Serena Williams, had several chances to take charge in the match but never did. Maria had a good chance to break Serena in the first game of the first set but Serena responded and held serve. 
Venus was up 5-2 in the first set but Maria stormed back to tie at 6-6 and force a tie-breaker. With momentum on her side, Maria seemed poised to take control of the first set and the match, but lost her composure and the tie-breaker 7-2. Maria was never in the second set as Venus moves to the finals against Lindsay Davenport in an all American final.

Maria vs. Venus in Wimbledon Semis

Maria Sharapova moved into the semi-finals of Wimbledon with a 7-6, 6-3 win over compatriot Nadia Petrova. The two Russians battled through a close first set before Maria took charge in the second set. Last year Maria beat Serena Williams in the finals to win Wimbledon.

This year Maria will have to beat Serena's sister Venus, to reach the finals at Wimbledon. Lindsay Davenport, the number one seed, plays in the other semi-finals and will probally win and meet the winner of Maria vs. Venus.

Rockin' at Old RFK

WASHINGTON — RFK Stadium is shaking again. Oh, the interior corridors are still dim and cramped. Exposed wires and pipes run along the ceilings. Going out for a hot dog feels as though you’re squeezing through a basement.
But back in the seats, when the home team gets it going, the 40-something ball yard shimmies like the old days when the Washington Redskins were on the move. Now, it’s the Washington Nationals who are moving D.C. area sports fans — and vice versa.
“When the fans start jumping up and down, what’s great is you can see the stadium actually going up and down,’’ says Chad Cordero, the ace reliever for the Nationals, who have led the National League East since early June

Sharapova into 16 at Wimbledon

Maria Sharapova, the defending Women's champion at Wimbledon made into the round of 16 with her win today, beating Katarina Srebotnik, 6-2 and 6-4.

The No. 2-seeded Sharapova advanced to the fourth round for the third time in as many career appearances at the All England Club. She hit 21 winners, broke serve four times and lost serve just once.

Kilby Inventor of the Microchip

Jack St. Clair Kilby, 81, died Monday, almost 50 years after his idea for what is commonly known as the microchip revolutionized the way that the world computes, calculates and communicates, ushering in the Information Age. Kilby won the 2000 Nobel Prize in physics for his 1958 invention of the integrated electronic circuit, which made personal computers, satellite navigation systems, cell phones and the $200 billion field of microelectronics possible. He invented the hand-held calculator, which commercialized the microchip, and held more than 60 other patents.
There are only a handful of people whose works have truly transformed the world and the way we live in it - Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers and Jack Kilby," Tom Engibous, chairman of Texas Instruments, where
Kilby worked for years, said in a statement. "If there was ever a seminal invention that transformed not only our industry but our world, it was Jack's invention of the first integrated circuit." Kilby, who failed the college entrance exam for MIT, had not worked at Texas Instruments long enough to merit vacation during the company's annual summer shutdown. So he was alone in the labs, working on borrowed equipment on July 24, 1958, when he struck upon the idea that he jotted down in his notebook: "The following circuit elements could be made on a single slice: resistors, capacitor, distributed capacitor, transistor."
Engineers call that the Monolithic Idea. It cracked a nagging engineering problem. The transistor had been invented 10 years earlier, replacing the vacuum tubes used in the earliest computers. But transistors were built of components strung together with wires. A single bad connection would ruin the circuit, and circuits could only get so small before it was impossible for humans to solder them together. Kilby's idea was to eliminate the wires and use a single block of silicon, or germanium, containing an entire electronic circuit. For more read here...

Expensive Student Coffee

SEATTLE - At a Starbucks across the street from Seattle University School of Law, Kirsten Daniels crams for the bar exam. She's armed with color-coded pens, a don't-mess-with-me crease in her brow and what she calls "my comfort latte."
She just graduated summa cum laude , after three years of legal training that left her $115,000 in debt. Part of that debt, which she will take a decade to repay with interest, was run up at Starbucks, where she buys her lattes.
The habit costs her nearly $3 a day, and it's one that her law school says she and legions like her cannot afford. It borders on apostasy in this caffeine-driven town (home to more coffee shops per capita than any major U.S. city, as well as Starbucks corporate headquarters), but the law school is aggressively challenging the drinking habits of students such as Daniels.
"A latte a day on borrowed money? It's crazy," said Erika Lim, director of career services at the law school.To quantify the craziness, Lim distributes coffee-consumption charts. One shows that a five-day-a-week $3 latte habit on borrowed money can cost $4,154, when repaid over 10 years. For more read here...

Jessica with her Dad

With Father's Day coming up this weekend, what better than a Father with his daughter.




Jessica and Joe Simpson

Maria Wins Wimbledon Tune-up

BIRMINGHAM, England - Maria Sharapova fired a warning to her Wimbledon rivals on Sunday, out-gunningJelan Jankovic 6-2 4-6 6-1 to win the DFS Classic for the second year running.
It was at this sedate setting in England's second city last year that she began a journey that culminated in her fairytale crowning as champion at the grasscourt grand slam.

Washington Nationals Come Back

From THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The Washington Nationals came from behind yet again last night. So what else is new? This time it was catcher Brian Schneider's turn to get RFK Stadium rocking and rolling as the team rallied for the 24th time in this astonishing season. Schneider stroked a two-run single in the eighth inning that snapped a tie game and ignited a late-game explosion as the Nationals won their eighth straight 9-3 over the Seattle Mariners before 28,704.

With the win the Nationals (35-26) maintained their grip on first place in the National League East, improved to 10-1 on this current 13-game homestand, have won 11 of their last 12 and are a major league-best 22-9 at home.

"This is kind of what I would say is an amazing streak, but the club doesn't amaze me because they showed early on that they have the desire, the heart and we hung in there in close ball games, but this has been kind of an unbelievable roll that we're on right now and who knows when it's going to end," Nationals manager Frank Robinson said.

Big Fat Headache

Add migraines to the list of reasons why we should avoid eating high-fat meals. The fats we eat in food end up as fats circulating in your bloodstream about three hours after mealtime. Researchers have noted the following changes in the bloodstream that coincide with the triggering of migraine headaches:
-High levels of lipids (fats) in the blood -High levels of free fatty acids (components of fats) in the blood -Increased ability of platelets (a type of blood cell that facilitates normal blood clotting) to cluster together, which in turn is associated with decreased levels of serotonin, the so-called "happy hormone" linked to mood.
All of the above lead to vasodilation, or the expanding of the blood vessels, which is the physiological change that comes right before a migraine headache.
So now that we understand the connection between levels of fat in the blood and migraine, what can we do about it? For starters, we can reduce the levels of blood lipids and free fatty acids in our bloodstream by eating a lower-fat diet. Read more here...

Washington Nationals in First Place

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Those maddening Washington Nationals did it again: another come-from-behind victory, this time punctuated by a three-run, eighth-inning homer from Ryan Church in a 6-3 win Sunday that completed a sweep of the Florida Marlins.

The win, coupled with Atlanta's loss to Pittsburgh, puts a team called Washington in first place this late in the season for the first time since 1933, when the Washington Senators won the American League pennant.

Church's homer off reliever Matt Perisho broke a 3-all tie and gave the Nationals their seventh win in eight games. They trailed in all seven victories, including 2-0 Sunday against Marlins starter A.J. Burnett, who appeared to be cruising toward a shutout before allowing three runs in the seventh.

The Nationals have come from behind for 21 of their 31 victories. How late have their heroics been? Their starting pitchers have just one decision through the first seven games of this homestand. Luis Ayala (5-3) pitched one inning for the victory, even though he allowed a run that tied the game in the top of the eighth. Chad Cordero pitched the ninth for his 15th save.

Real Estate Boom

From MSN Money
The number of areas across the United States with real estate booms grew nearly two-thirds last year to 55, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said, warning that these booms may be followed by busts.
The boom areas represent 15% of the 362 metropolitan areas the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight analyzes, the highest proportion of boom markets in 30 years of price data and more than twice the peak of the late-1980s booms. California had 21 of the 55 boom markets in 2004; Florida had 11 and the Northeast had 18.
Boom towns 2004
Area                                                         Peak 3-yr rise
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV                             30
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC           31
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH                           38
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-MD-VA-WV      40
Read more here...

Maria Ousted in French Open

Maria Sharapova lost another bid to become the world's No. 1 player by losing to Justine Henin-Hardenne, the 10th seed from Belgium in the quarterfinals of the French Open.

Henin-Hardenne won with a surprisingly easy 6-4, 6-2 triumph over the currently No. 2 Sharapova on the Paris clay courts, where Maria still has not perfected her game.

Next up for Maria is Wembleton, where she will again try to overtake Lindsay Davenport for No. 1 in the world

Maria in French Open Eight

Maria Sharapova needed only 10 minutes to complete a rain-interrupted fourth-round victory at the French Open, sweeping the final three games when play resumed to beat Nuria Llagostera Vives 6-2, 6-3 Monday.
The match was halted Sunday night because of drizzle with the second set at 3-all and resumed in damp, 60-degree weather. Sharapova closed out the win 17 points later when Llagostera Vives shanked a backhand on match point.
"It's never easy coming back," the 18-year-old Russian said. "I guess it was good just to have a good night's sleep."The second-seeded Sharapova celebrated her berth in the quarterfinals by smiling and blowing kisses to the sparse crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
The reigning Wimbleton champion struggled with her serve throughout the match but hit 17 winners and improved to 31-5 this year.