text:
Football Outsiders/Battle Red Blog writer Rivers McCown (@FO_RiversMcCown on Twitter) watches the Texans closer than what is likely sensible. Very much enjoyed his thought piece at BRB, "The Future Of The Texans' Pass Offense."
It is worth a read and not just a skim. As there are points in it that may be lost in just a sum up.
I will add my additional thoughts here as it relates to this piece. These are not criticisms of the BRB post, but rather think of them as companion thoughts that go with the conversation on this subject.
1. First round wide receiver isn't a slam dunk as far as draft value goes. The folks at Cold Hard Football Facts calls them "those shiny wide receivers." It's their belief that high pick wide receiver is often a waste. And most specifically, they have the view that the Titans were the biggest losers in the 2012 draft because they continually overdraft wide receiver.
I think CHFF might overstate their generalized point. Observationally, I think a lot of bad offensive teams chase good skill players high in the draft with the hope that they are a magic cure for having a garbage offense. When some of these wide receivers fail, that is seen as a failure of the top pick wide receiver choice, and not as much a fact that maybe a team had a bad offense due to quarterback/scheme/coaching issues.
There's also some teams that have been able to do wonders with lower round wide receivers that fit what that particular offense does. Hello Victor Cruz, Marques Colston.
Given where the Texans were drafting in 2012, I'm not sure there were any wide receivers that were going to be available late in the first round who would be great values at that position. That is, are they so much better than the wide receivers that would be available in later rounds? I think this was a draft that was short on truly great wide receivers but had a lot of wide receivers who could succeed if they were in the right offensive fit.
The NFL is a league of player fit with scheme. There's few players who are so dominant that they can overcome a bad situation. I think with wide receivers in particular, to shine, most wide receivers need great situations. There's very few wide receivers like Andre Johnson who could go to the Pro Bowl with David Carr throwing him the ball, with a patched together offensive scheme.
2. The delay in rebuilding depth on the offense. The main reason why the Texans have spent so many draft picks on the defensive side of the ball is obvious. Before last year, the Texans had never ever ever ever ever had a good defense. Their best performances were bottom third of the league, and their common worst performances were near the league's bottom.
That history explains how we got to the here and the now, but doesn't make it feel any more comfortable for fans seeing what depth there is at wide receiver. Still believe the Texans will bring a veteran wide receiver to compete during training camp. And that competition won't just hand that guy the job. And that it can't be a wide receiver who wants to Get Paid, because the Texans right now are not a Get Paid destination for wide receivers.
3. Offensive "arrogance." I think the Texans coaching staff has confidence in what they want in their players for their scheme, and don't particularly care what outsiders think. Most of the guys on the offensive side of the ball not named Andre Johnson weren't high draft picks or particularly highly ranked by pundits coming into the league.
When the Texans drafted Duane Brown in the first round, most draft talking heads both locally and nationally called it a reach.
Wide Receiver David Anderson managed to be on the Texans roster for a little over 5 years. Very much a hard working, do whatever the coach wants guy. Is it arrogance/confidence that says you have so much belief in your system that you keep a 5′ 10″ 7th round pick on your roster for so long? (Kyle Shanahan discussed how the Texans tried to replace him every year but he managed to outwork his competition).
The Texans are very particular about the types of guys they want on their team, in their locker room. They want self-motivated guys that love football, which is what most teams say they want but don't always do. They want smart guys that don't freelance the playbook.
A lot of wide receiver needy teams skipped on Rueben Randle in the 2012 draft. Randle ended up going to a great fit situation: A stable QB team that has had success with inexperienced wide receivers. As I understand it, the Texans were very familiar with Randle and chose not to go that way. I'm okay with giving them the benefit of the doubt, along with all the other teams that passed on him as well.
The development of Jacoby Jones as a third round pick certainly is judged a failure. But you can't so overlearn from that experience to think that because he didn't become the player they thought he could be, that the Texans have to draft wide receiver high, even if they don't think the value is there.
Texans fans have been clamoring for the post-Jacoby Jones world. I think it is hard to predict what that looks like. There's no reason to think there will be outsized, week-to-week production from that spot because that's not how the offense is structured.
5. The next Andre Johnson? Texans fans have been very fortunate that the team drafted Andre Johnson, and that he chose to stay in Houston despite all that early losing. We've been able to watch a special player.
Most drafts likely do not have the next Andre Johnson because he is a unique combination of athleticism, size and desire to work hard to improve his skills beyond what is innate.
I'd be more concerned with replacing Andre Johnson if the Texans didn't have an offensive minded head coach. I still don't want to contemplate life after AJ, so let's not ruin our day thinking too much about such thoughts.
Wide receivers of size, who also work on their skills, tend to have a longer shelf life than smaller guys. They can still out physical defenders and get open with route running even after their speed diminishes some. Even so, it is hard to predict the effective playing career of Andre Johnson because as reported, he had a redundant part of his hamstring removed, and it is hard to predict if that has any long term affects on his performance. Not a lot of data on elite athletes with this injury background, as I understand.
That and I think to some degree, Andre Johnson is a subset of one: Even among elite athletes, Andre Johnson is special and to extrapolate from other players' past performances by its nature is imprecise.
I don't think there will be a drop off of Andre Johnson's performance next year, but the post 30 world for wide receivers is a little mixed. I suggest reading this very good Rotoworld article on the subject, "Older Wide Receivers." In sum, I think anyone who makes definitive prediction on the performance of Andre Johnson in 2012 has a coin flip chance of being right. You just never know, but after seeing him work, I would never bet against him.
Your thoughts?


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Rhonda Woodsmall,
The author of the
Star Point Blocks guide,
Quilter for 30 years
The Star Point Block is an easy shortcut to making quilt blocks with angles in them. This technique allows for a lot of different quilt block designs without all the hassle of measuring angles or doing paper piecing.
Why would you want to use angles in your blocks?
Well, aside from the fact that a lot of traditional quilt patterns use angles (and so it's a must for any quilter), here is something else to consider:
Blocks with angles look much more sophisticated than blocks with only rectangular elements.
It's the difference between a quilt that screams "made by an amateur" and one that boldly states "work of art made by someone extremely skilled; probably took insane amount of time to make; costs a bundle."
I'm sure you've seen enough quilts from both "categories" to know what I'm talking about, but you probably didn't realize that angles (odd shapes) in them is what makes the difference.
Sure, there are plenty of complex-looking designs made only with rectangles, but spicing things up with angles is by far the quickest way to turn an amateur quilter into a "pro".
If you look at a typical quilt of a beginner, you mostly see blocks containing squares and rectangles. Yet, when you look at the work of a seasoned quilter, you see angles -- lots of them.
I'm talking about block designs like this one:
Normally, to make something like that, you would have to cut and piece each individual "angled" element to the adjacent 2,3 or 4 elements. And you would need to do that for each element in each single block you are making. Think of the amount of time it would take to finish the whole quilt.
And it's not just about the time. It takes skill too. When you have a quilt block with angles in it you have to handle odd shaped pieces and join them together. If you mess up an angle when sewing together just two elements, you would have to redo the whole block.
On the other hand, cutting out (and stitching together) squares and rectangles is easy. No wonder most beginners avoid angles.
Unfortunately, in this case the ease of making often shows up in the result. People see your work as amateurish, even if they don't tell you. And you see it too. When looking at your own creations, you feel that your work isn't as "sophisticated" as quilts made by others.
So what do we have?
1) Working with squares is easier, less prone to error and less time consuming.
2) Blocks with angles produce much better-looking results.
What can a beginner do about it?
Rhonda adapted the cut down method specifically for making blocks with angles. She experimented with the technique and came up with the easiest way to combine the simplicity of working with squares and finished looks of angles.
Instead of having several different triangles to mark and cut out, you just sew the swatches together and cut out a square. There are no individual triangles -- they just "appear" when you are done. The "trick" is in the way the pieces of fabric are stitched together before you cut out a square. The sides of your squares make up the angles of the elements.
The result of Rhonda's experiments is the Star Point Block technique you are reading about. With SPB, you end up putting in the same amount of effort it would take to do the squares yet get the angles. You make complex-looking blocks containing odd shapes without actually having to deal with individual swatches positioned at angles.
Let me show you some of the finished designs to illustrate the kind of complexity you can achieve with great ease.
(All of these are done using the Star Point Block technique.)
The blocks you see above are just some of the examples of what you can create without having to do any math to figure out the angles and without having to stitch together odd shapes.
"It's a newbie's shortcut into the experienced quilter territory."
But even if you are an advanced quilter, it still makes sense to learn the Star Point Block technique. The cut down method of making an SPB is Rhonda's own invention and saves the hassle of cutting out each and every triangle. It is quicker and easier and makes the whole process a lot less frustrating. So it would be a great addition to your existing arsenal of techniques.
When you make the SPB's you can sit down and turn blocks, change colors and come up with new designs you never thought of before. By contrast, you wouldn't be able to do that when piecing odd shapes. So SPB is also great for playing with design and color options, because you can pick your pieces, turn them around, and you get a whole new block that looks completely different from what you had before.
Rhonda created an e-book, called the Star Point Blocks, to help you learn this technique. The e-book contains 47 pages with a total of 209 pictures. It's extremely detailed and very well illustrated, so you'll have a very easy time mastering the SPB.
The Star Point Blocks e-book is the next one in the series of blocks Rhonda teaches. If you've seen the Boston Blocks e-book, then you are already familiar with her cut down method. But Star Point Blocks uses a variation that allows you to use angles the easy way. It's another shortcut to piecing, specifically for designs with odd shapes.
Inside the e-book, you'll also find Rhonda's quilt blocks with her original designs. There are a total of 63 distinct designs:
⢠4x4 blocks
⢠6x6 blocks
⢠4x6 blocks
⢠4x8 blocks
⢠2x6 blocks
⢠2x8 blocks
⢠12x12 blocks
⢠and additionally designs for borders
⢠6x6 blocks
⢠4x6 blocks
⢠4x8 blocks
⢠2x6 blocks
⢠2x8 blocks
⢠12x12 blocks
⢠and additionally designs for borders
So you'll always find the most appropriate block structure for your project.
Aside from teaching you the Star Point Block technique and providing you with unique block designs, Rhonda's e-book covers several sample projects, but more on this later.
The Star Point Blocks e-book is not just about this block-making technique. And it's not just about full-size quilts. It's also about making miniature items. After all, that's what Rhonda specializes in.
Here is the rationale for mastering the SPB using miniature items:
If you can use some technique to make a miniature, you can always scale it up to make larger blocks. Scaling up is always easy. But it doesn't always work the other way around.
So it makes sense to learn the techniques by making miniature blocks. Because then, you can make both miniature items and full-size quilts. But if you only learn a technique for full-size quilts, you might not be able to make miniatures if you ever need them.
And since miniature items make perfect quick gifts and are great for attracting customers if you are selling at a craft show, both hobbyists and professional quilters need to know how to make them.
If you need a quick, but unique, gift for someone (a gift that doesn't look cheap) -- you can always make a miniature item. And if you need to draw people to your stand, you can always use those minis as teasers to get the potential buyers to notice you, so you can up-sell them on the larger items.
Additionally, making miniatures is not hard, contrary to what many people think. By using Rhonda's methods, you won't have to fiddle around with tiny scraps of fabric. That's the whole point. So don't get scared away thinking that you won't be able to do it.
We even have some people right here on our message board who are absolute beginners, and they used Rhonda's methods successfully. So even a complete newbie can use the SPB technique without any difficulty.
As I mentioned, a large portion of this e-book is about making actual items. So once you master the SPB, you'll also go through a series of sample projects to help you get a good handle on this technique.
There is a whole section of the e-book dedicated to projects, called "Projects Instructions". This section contains 21 pages and 70 pictures. You'll find step-by-step instructions describing how to make Refrigerator magnets, bookmarks, trifold billfolds, square purses and lunch boxes. All of that with designs using the Star Point Block method.
I especially liked the billfold. Here is a picture straight from the e-book:
By the time you are done with the sample projects, you'll be able to make any kind of item with the design complexity of the Star Point Block.
Rhonda has been quilting for over 30 years and making and selling miniature patchwork gift items for 11 years. In that time she has discovered some shortcuts that made her work easier and more efficient. Like all great inventions, it was a result of necessity. She needed to make less mistakes and produce quilts quicker.
And now you have a chance to learn this technique straight from the bag of tricks of someone who completed thousands of quilts and miniature gift items.
If you make quilts or other items for sale, then you'll recover the cost of this e-book after making only 3 or 4 of such miniatures. For example, Rhonda sells her hotpads for $13.95 at her local quilt shop. And the fabric cost is around $6 for each one. That leaves a profit of $7.95. So recovering the cost of the e-book is a only matter of making a few items. After that, you'll continue using the SPB technique to make more and more.
Even if you don't have projects for sale and only quilt for your family and friends, you'll be able to save a lot of money on gifts. You'll be able to finish as many gifts as you want with the cost of fabric being the only expense. And because the designs are so unique, people close to you will love your creations.
Not to mention that if you have any fabric leftovers from other projects that are too small to be used elsewhere, making miniatures might be the only way to avoid simply throwing that fabric away. In the end, you'll save even more.
Here is what you get in the Star Point Blocks e-book, all for only $29.95:
⢠Step-by-step explanation of the SPB method -- allows you to work with odd shapes and make your blocks look a lot more professional.
⢠63 block designs -- enough to fill a pattern book of its own. Included in the e-book completely free.
⢠4 sample projects -- each of them could be an independent tutorial, but you get them all as part of the offer.
⢠Instructions for using SPB for full size quilts -- so that you can apply the SPB technique to make full-size quilts with blocks up to 12"x12" in size.
Rhonda also offers a free template if you would like to use one. Her contact information is in the e-book (page 4), so you can e-mail her your postal address and she will mail you a template to use with her SPB technique.
The release of this e-book is also a fundraiser. Part of the revenue from the sales of this e-book goes towards covering the maintenance of this newsletter and the message board, and earns you the Community Benefactor status. So by ordering, you not only get to master a new technique, but you also help this quilting community grow!
Please order your copy today and show your support for our quilting community.
Because it's an electronic book (e-book), you will download it right away -- there is no shipping cost and no need to wait for it to be delivered. And if you ever lose the e-book file, you can re-download it again without additional charges.
The order process is completely automated and works 24/7. So you can download the e-book instantly, no matter what time of day or day of week it is. Everything is processed in real-time.
Once you download the e-book onto your computer, you can read it on the screen and even print it out. It's all up to you.
Another benefit of using e-books is that it's actually cheaper to print out an e-book (in cost of ink used by your printer) than it would cost for you to pay for the shipping when ordering a regular book. So you win here as well.
And since you can read the e-book on the screen before deciding if you want to print it out, your cost of delivery could effectively be $0.
Star Point Blocks e-book is not offered anywhere else -- neither in bookstores nor on other websites. This is an exclusive offer. And this is your only chance to get it for only $29.95. Order your copy now, so that you don't miss out on this amazing technique that will make you a better quilter.
Additionally, when you order Star Point Blocks, you automatically get all future updates for free. So if Rhonda ever changes something in the e-book or adds more instructions or illustrations, you'll be notified and get the updated copy without any additional charges. You'll be kept up-to-date even when the introductory period ends and the price of the e-book goes up. Order right now, and you'll never have to overpay.
But enough of me telling you how great the Star Point Blocks e-book is. Click the order button below to get your copy and see for yourself. Since there is a 100% money-back guarantee, you are not risking anything if you aren't happy with it. You be the judge of how good this e-book is.
Order Star Point Blocks on a secure server and download instantly for only $29.95!
To make sure that you don't have any doubts about this e-book -- "Is it something I need?", "Will it really help me?", "Will my quilting really improve?", and any other concerns -- I'm offering an unconditional 100% money-back guarantee. I want you to feel safe when ordering it, so the guarantee is valid for two months from the moment you order your copy.
This gives you plenty of time, not just to read it, but to master the technique and to try all the designs and projects. You'll be able to experiment all you want and really see the results of your newly acquired skills long before the refund deadline expires.
And if for some reason you don't like this e-book, just contact me, and I'll refund your money right away and without any questions. You have absolutely nothing to worry about.
If you don't order now, you might forget about it. You know how it is, life gets in the way. And the next time you see this e-book mentioned, it will be too late. The introductory period will run out and the price will be increased.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I would be more inclined to use 'evening' for 5pm, but I wouldn't argue with someone if they called it afternoon.
My own person use would be:
12pm - 4/5pm - afternoon
5pm - 9pm evening
9pm onwards - night.
I assume it differs for different people. So, you can use both afternoon and evening for 5pm, yes.
Student or Learner


text:
Cotton Candy Machines
Featured categories
More Categories in Cotton Candy Machines
Cotton Candy Supplies
Sam's Club features all the high quality cotton candy equipment and supplies you need at great prices. We have cotton candy tubs, flossugar in a variety of flavors, cones, floss bags, cotton candy making machines and more, all at prices that will make your bottom line look great. Compare our prices to what you're currently paying for your cotton candy supplies and you'll see that Sam's Club is the way to go.
And if you're just starting out in cotton candy, you'll see that Sam's Club can help you get started, with affordable floss carts that can help you start selling your cotton candy right away, no matter where you set up shop. You can even find kits that will let you make your own cotton candy out of either hard candies or flossed sugar.
It's fun and exciting to make and sell cotton candy, and Sam's Club wants to be part of your cotton candy experience, so look over the range of Sam's Club cotton candy products and order everything you need for great cotton candy today.


text:
and the first thing I did when I hit the City of Roses was hug a tree…
Now this was no regular tree.
This was a Jurassic-sized evergreen at the top of Mount Tabor and I was a tiny, tiny thing on its bark.
Here's a picture for scale. A normal sized tree is just to the left of the biker (around 11 o'clock).
I was compelled by some wicked muse to go there right after I landed, to set my mind properly to prepare myself for what I was going to see in the coming days. There's hills here and for someone who's now spent Decades in the flatlands of the Midwest, it is a phenomenally Wonderful thing. I actually cried.
I've been short on pictures – no card reader – but now am catching up.
Here's my temporary hut, which I've dubbed Bag End as it is, truly, in The Shire:
It really is, I think, called the Sunnyside neighborhood, quite near Mt. Tabor (my king!).
Since I've been too slow on the draw with a camera (or was driving around), I started making a list of things so I can remember the distinct flavor change going on around my brain.
(I am the) Misty Satorialist:
Of course, boy-watching just can't be helped and I noticed
– Beards but no mustaches
– Guys everywhere wearing pencil-legged jeans tighter at the leg than any babe
– Wearing dark socks while wearing shorts is not scorned
Ladies, put a swing on it
– Lots of just-below-the-knees leggings worn with all sorts of dresses, long shirts & aprons.
– A variant of the Chairman Mao hat in black seems to be quite in favor – yesterday I swear every third woman I passed was wearing one.
– Polar fleece hoodies with shorts and sandals were a close second. Today started out in the 50's and got to about 80 this afternoon. I coped with layers and cuffed my jeans.
– Scarves galore! This is very exciting because it pinged my brain into action for some cowl ideas, and more.
Neighborhood and elsewhere
– Driving around clueless and suddenly up on my left looms Voodoo Donuts. Score. Probably couldn't find it again.
– Had a grilled cheese sandwich, cooked then served from a Big Yellow School bus. Food carts are big here (475 carts available at any given time) and I accidentally found a whole passle of 'em on Belmont & SE 43rd while looking for a place to buy toothpaste. Here's a map of other "pods". My whole mission on this trip is to hunt down a place to stay and this is as good a way as any to discover hidden gems in the hoods.
– Will try and tone down the cholesterol tomorrow – farmer / flea market 1/2 block down from my rooms. It is Berry Season – have already enjoyed some fine italian-style plums.
My other mission? Enjoying (and maybe taking some pics) of the outrageous flora everywhere – I am going to have to go hug that Mondo Pine on Tabor once more time to get grounded first.


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Tuesday April 27, 2010 2:30 pm
BlackBerry 6 OS shown at RIM WES 2010 keynote
Posted by Andru Edwards - Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Software, Videos
This morning at WES 2010, RIM finally took the wraps off of their upcoming BlackBerry 6 operating system, introducing it with the video you see above. While it's easy to be captivated by the dancers, when you focus on the actual screen activity being teased here, you see that this is all focused on touchscreen gestures, but we are sure that RIM won't be throwing away that true QWERTY keyboard anytime soon. Also, interestingly enough, the web browser got almost no play at all in the video. Maybe they've still got some work to do on that one. Still, it's nice to see the company progressing and aiming to bring BlackBerry devices a bunch of new hotness in the near future.
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