Republicans have sunk to a new low in Wisconsin — accusing progressive U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Baldwin of voting against 9/11 victims. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We’ve seen these attacks before, during the Bush era. We cannot let Swiftboating succeed again.

Today, we’re launching our final ad of the 2012 election — to help bold progressive Tammy Baldwin win this neck-and-neck Senate race.

The ad Tommy Thompson does not want voters to see this week:

We’ve seen these attacks before, during the Bush era. We cannot let Swiftboating succeed again.

Today, we’re launching our final ad of the 2012 election — to help bold progressive Tammy Baldwin win this neck-and-neck Senate race.

Watch our powerful new ad catching Thompson’s own words on tape, and chip in $3 to help us run it in Wisconsin this week. Click here.

(Can’t donate? We just added new Call Out The Vote shifts! Make calls for Tammy Baldwin and other top progressives in the final week.)

Watch our powerful new ad catching Thompson’s own words on tape, and chip in $3 to help us run it in Wisconsin this week. Click here.

(Can’t donate? We just added new Call Out The Vote shifts! Make calls for Tammy Baldwin and other top progressives in the final week.)

Tammy Baldwin voted 9 times for resolutions honoring 9/11 victims. But in a new ad, Tommy Thompson disgracefully uses images of the World Trade Center ruins and the memories of those we lost on 9/11 for his own political gain.

Why is he doing this despite wide criticism? To distract voters from his own record — including being caught on tape telling the Tea Party he will “do away” with Medicare.

In our new ad, we focus attention back on the real choice facing Wisconsin voters and use Thompson’s own words against him. Watch it here and donate $3 to help run it in Wisconsin this final week.

(If you can’t donate, your help is still needed. Make calls for Tammy Baldwin and other top progressives this week.)

Thanks for being a bold progressive.

– Forrest Brown, Stephanie Taylor, Adam Green, and the PCCC team

“Costume Week” continues tonight live on Halloween evening with Vampires with Amplifiers….

Joe Otman continues with “Costume Week” tonight with show, Vampires with Amplifiers at the Press Room in Claremont, CA…

Saturday was First part of the costume tour week with Joe Atman….Presenting the The Zombie Band…More pix Coming tomorrow!

Do you know why people like Romney can skimp on their taxes?

Wall Street investment bank JP Morgan took risky bets and just lost two billion dollars of other people’s money.

On MSNBC, Elizabeth Warren talked about this petition to reform Wall Street, which we will deliver to Congress. Watch & sign on the right!

It’s time for Congress to put Wall Street reform back on the agenda. We support passing a new Glass-Steagall law to prevent too-big-to-fail Wall Street banks from taking huge risks with people’s life savings — and then expecting taxpayer bailouts.

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Join our campaign to Take Back Democracy. You can sign up in support of part or all of our 5-part plan:

1) Pass a constitutional amendment to overturnCitizens United.

2) Require corporations to get shareholder approval before political spending.

3) Pass the Disclose Act, to force anonymous big-dollar donors out of the shadows.

4) Pass public financing of elections, starting in New York state — a major battle happening right now.

5) Elect campaign finance reform heroes — like congressional candidate Chris Donovan, who led the fight to pass public financing in Connecticut.

URGENT! Demand EQUAL Access to Military Treatment Facilities and TRICARE for National Guard and Reserves for Veterans Day 2012.

July 5 · Invite Friends · Repost 1

To: Military Personnel Subcommittees‘ Chairmen: Senator Jim Webb (D) and Representative Joe Wilson (R) (The “YOU LIE” Guy)

I just signed the following petition:National Guardsmen and Reservists are systematically denied access the Health Care and Benefits that they earned. During the redeployment and demobilization processes, little to no consideration is given to the type or severity of the illness/injury that was incurred during the Service Member’s service; including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Even in the wake of record high mortality rates among Reserve Component Soldiers, access to Health Care, Benefits and Standardized Treatment Plans through Military Treatment Facilities (MTF) and Warrior Transition Units is often based on Reserve Component affiliation and rarely the injury.

Despite current regulatory policy for the standardized management of the health, and readiness of ALL Service Members (SM), Reserve Component Soldiers are systematically Released From Active-Duty (REFRAD) before their injury/illness is treated and documented in accordance with current DOD Policy.

Senator Webb and Representative Wilson, stop the epidemic of systematic non-treatment and under-treatment Guardsmen and Reservists, demand equal access to Health Care for National Guardsmen and Reservists In Accordance With (IAW) the current Warrior Transition Consolidated Guidance (Administrative) and AR 600-8-4.

Enforce a Medical Assessment Process that ensures equal access to Health Care and standardized treatment in accordance with Warrior Transition Policy and AR 600-8-4 for ALL Service Members.

Service Members that support wear the SAME uniform, support the SAME mission and suffer the SAME injury EARNED the SAME access to Health Care and Treatment.

“When we are losing more Soldiers (Reserve Component) to suicide than the Afghanistan war, it is an epidemic” -Suicide and the Military © by Amy Menna, Ph.D., LMHC, CAP & Gift From Within http://www.giftfromwithin.orgIn July 2012, the Veterans Administration (VA) reported that 18 VETERANS a day will commit suicide and 950 per month will attempt suicide. “Suicide No. 2 cause of death (those still serving) in the US Military”http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/story/2012-06-13/military-suicides/55585182/1

What are the mortality rates for the untreated/under-treated National Guardsmen and Reservists waiting to access VA Care that were eligible for care through Military Treatment Facilities (MTF) and Tri-Service Medical Care (TRICARE)?

National Guardsmen and Reservist are systematically DENIED access to the Health Care Benefits that they EARN. Despite the fact that the DOD created Medical Treatment Programs to ensure EQUAL access and standardization of treatment;National Guardsmen and Reservist are routinely Released From Active Duty (REFRAD) WITHOUT any of these criteria being met.http://www.armyg1.army.mil/wtu/docs/WTUConsolidatedGuidanceAdministrative.pdf

Medical diagnoses, access to care and treatment at these Military Treatment Facilities (MTF) is often based on the Service Member’s Service Component Affiliation (Active/Guard/Reserve) and NOT the current DOD policy for assessing and treating the injury/illness. http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/story/2012-08-09/army-suicides/57096238/1

When every physician in these Soldier Centered Programs begins an appointment with, “Are you (Active/Guard/Reserve) ?” Disparities between treatment are difficult to ignore and easy to explain. National Guardsmen and Reservist, remain misdiagnosed and untreated/under-treated” for what may potentially be life altering/threatening illnesses.

Given the current argument by DOD for keeping the “Feres Doctrine”, when obligatory moral and professional Medical responsibility fails there is little regulatory incentive to bolster those shortcoming. http://www.stripes.com/news/the-argument-for-keeping-the-feres-doctrine-1.173370

A Service Member, that knows the regulations and has a supportive Senator or Representative, may wait several months to years before their Medical records are corrected and they gain access to the Health Care and Benefits that they EARNED.

It has taken me MORE than 1 year 5 months 13 days from my redeployment from Afghanistan to correct parts of my Medical records; I am one of the “success stories”.Most Service Members WILL NOT gain access to THEIR benefits.

Army National Guardsmen and United States Army Reservist wear the SAME uniforms, support the SAME missions, EARN the SAME Health Care.”Demand EQUAL Access to Military Treatment Facilities (MTF) and TRICARE in accordance with current DOD Policy.

1. Update #2

   Posted on September 27
   During August, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were nine potential suicides (five Army National Guard and four Army Reserve): none have been confirmed as suicide and nine remain under investigation. For July, among that same group, the Army reported 12 potential suicides (nine Army National Guard and three Army Reserve); four have been confirmed as suicides and eight remain under investigation. For 2012, there have been 80 potential not on active-duty…SEE MORE

2. Update #1

   Posted on September 24
   excerpt from Leila Levinson: Time to Pay the Price of War posted 9/21/2012Texas is home to the second-largest veteran population in the country behind California; but, as reported by the Austin American Statesman, veterans in central Texas, have the nation’s longest average wait time for disability claims processing: roughly 393 days, according to the VA’s most recent numbers. (Before a veteran can access services at the VA, they need a finding of disability.)

   Simply put, the VA does…SEE MORE

More Actions from S!ave O!ur S!ervice Members (S!O!S)

• National Guard Aids in Hurricane Sandy Response
  VIDEO
• Share Your MEDICAL TREATMENT Story
  STORY
• “Veterans Day 2012″ by Putting a Face on Suicide
  VIDEO

Ban Bird Cannons

PETITION: Ban Bird Cannons

October 10 · Started by Leon Kiley · Invite Friends · Repost 1

To: Rob Manigold, Peninsula Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan, USA

Dear Local Government Officials,
We call upon you create ordinances that ban the use of Bird Scare Cannons as a means to keep the birds away from vineyards, orchards, and other crops. There are numerous alternatives that are non-invasive means to ward off birds and other pests. These cannons are extremely loud and disruptive to neighboring homes. These cannons have been going off for over 3 months and I have personally recorded them firing off at an average of over once every minute. Additionally, they have been heard going off past 10 p.m. at night. The use of these cannons disrupt our quality of life and diminish the value of our property. The local sheriff has been called out on many occasions, but says there is nothing they can do. You must put a stop to this!

Would you appreciate someone firing off a cannon all day, every day, in your back yard? Everyone from mothers trying to put their babies down for a nap, to return Combat Veterans with PTSD, can attest that this is extremely disruptive to all of our lives. What right does someone have invade your home, all day, every day, all Summer long with startling and continuous bursts of explosions? Listen to the clip I recorded from my closed window, of my neighbor’s vineyard behind my house. Please help me put an end to this extremely inconsiderate and invasive noise.

1. Update #1

   Posted by Leon Kiley (Cause Leader) on October 19
   Here’s a list on some non intrusive alternatives:
   Alternatives to Propane CannonsNets, our number one recommendation for bird control. Nets that totally enclose a blueberry crop are environmentally friendly, and virtually 100% effective in protecting a crop from birds.Side Netting, a variation of total canopy netting described above. This approach has been used by grape growers with great success.Automated Netting Systems, are now available that greatly reduce the number of man hours required to cover crops with nets, making netting a much more viable option for berry and grape farmers.Natural Predators, hawks and falcons are natural predators of starlings, and these birds should be encouraged by blueberry growers to nest in their vicinity of the berry fields. Trinity University researchers have proven the effectiveness of raptors and are encouraging growers to set up raptor nest boxes, but the industry has done little to encourage and expand this program.

   Starling Traps, to capture the little villains. A lot of web sites explain the details about making starling traps. Blueberry Growers could easily build their own starling traps in the off season.

   Professional Trapping, Okanagan Fruit Grower Assoc’s. and Washington State berry growers use the services of professional trappers. Fraser Valley blueberry growers should do the same. Doesn’t eliminating the problem make the most sense?

   Lasers, a Cloverdale berry farmer has invented a laser unit that is effective in scaring birds from his fields. Lasers are totally silent and work better than cannons according to the inventor.

   Repellents, biodegradeable and non-poisonous, such as Bird Shield or Rejex-It. These products are FDA approved in the USA, and Rejex-it has been approved in Canada.

   The Eagle also known as a Jackite , is a model of a bird, or eagle, that soars on a tethered line and patrols fields up to 2.5 acres. Click on the following to view a U-Tube video of a Jackite protecting a blueberry field, and see how realistic the jackite is at simulating a real hawk or falcon: Jackite on U-Tube.

   Streamers, and reflective tapes, quiet and environmentally friendly. Used by many blueberry growers.

   Companion Planting, some growers plant companion or sacrificial crops borderiing their blueberry fields. They scare the birds from their blueberry fields but let them remain and dine on the sacrificial plantings.

   Intervention in the Fields, is it old fashioned to think that farmers should spend some time in their fields during the harvest period when their crop is ripe and vulnerable to birds? Human intervention in the fields is one of the best bird scare methods.

   Overhead Devices, there are a wide variety of overhead devices that can be used, such as scare eye balloons, helikytes, soaring devices, etc.

   Scare Windmills, reflective windmills, powered by the wind. The reflective blade surfaces flash UV light that scares birds, silently.

   Canine Patrols used successfully by golf courses to discourage birds and waterfowl. Also used at airports to deter birds for safety reasons.

   Metal and mirrored flashers, such as hanging pie plates, mirrors, etc.

   Mylar vibrating line, a thin line that flashes and also vibrates and hums to scare birds.

   High frequency noise devices, products that put out a high frequency noise that humans can’t hear, but birds can and are frightened by.

   Inflatables, recently a UK group sent us an e-mail describing their new bird scare device designed initially for airports, by people in the aviation industry. The device can also be used in other applications, including agriculture, and is currently in the testing phase.

   The Owl, a life-like owl model that can be positioned on a pole or along fencing to deter birds.

   ScareCrows, which have been used by farmers for hundreds of years.

   High-tech Scarecrows, A Canadian company has created ‘scarebots’ to ward off hu

 

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When Mitt Romney said “Planned Parenthood, we should get rid of that” it was a wakeup call. He’s not looking out for women.

Tell Mitt Romney: We Stand with Planned Parenthood!

please share it helps!

Dear Don,

When Mitt Romney went out on the campaign trail and said “Planned Parenthood, we should get rid of that,” I knew he didn’t have my back. After all Planned Parenthood provides an invaluable resource that is many women’s only affordable choice for reproductive health care, from birth control to cancer screens and much more.

It’s more and more obvious every day that Mitt Romney’s needs to quit shamelessly pandering to anti-women right wing extremists and start standing up for ALL Americans – women included.

With the election right around the corner, it’s time we changed the dialogue and make it clear you can’t win the presidency if you’re willing to sell out women’s health and freedom to do so.

This kind of injustice cannot stand. Take action tody to show Romney we won’t stand for these rampant attacks on women’s health care!

Thank you for taking action, Ellen B. Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

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		Ask the Justice Dept. to investigate the American Tradition Partnership. Recent news reports have begun to shine a bright spotlight on apparently illegal behavior by a shadowy group working to undermine our laws aimed at keeping big money out of politics. The group, American Tradition Partnership1 (ATP), appears to have lied to the IRS when it applied for nonprofit, tax-exempt status. According to the New York Times: “It said it would not try to influence elections for public office, yet it has done so repeatedly.”2 Sign our petition calling on the Justice Department to hold ATP accountable. You may remember ATP as the group that sued the state of Montana about a year ago to kill the state’s century-old Corrupt Practices Act, which barred corporate spending on elections there, extending the twisted logic of the infamous Citizens United case to invalidate Montana’s law. Montana bravely fought back, with support from Free Speech For People, Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and twenty-two state Attorneys General3, but the Supreme Court sided with ATP, and refused even to hear Montana’s arguments before throwing out its law. Recently, a news report by ProPublica found that ATP “said it would not attempt to sway elections when it asked the IRS to recognize it as a tax-exempt social welfare organization in late 2008.” yet even “before submitting the application, [ATP] and a related political committee sent out fliers weighing in on candidates for Montana state office. The mailers blitzed districts in Montana days before the Republican primary.”4 If this is true, it’s a federal crime. The U.S. Justice Department must investigate whether ATP broke the law. And now there’s even more to the story. Last night, Frontline and Marketplace reported on documents found in a meth house (yes, you read that right) suggesting that ATP broke another serious law, by coordinating its work with various candidates’ campaigns for public office.5 Such coordination between candidates’ campaigns and tax-exempt groups like ATP is also illegal. It’s increasingly clear that ATP has been operating with no regard for the law, even as it exploits that law to keep its donors’ identities secret and works to undermine important laws keeping money out of politics. We can’t let them get away with this rampant corruption. Help us fight back: Join us in calling on the Justice Department to investigate ATP. Then spread the word to your friends. Thanks! Peter Peter Schurman Campaign Director Free Speech For People Wednesday, October 31st, 2012 1 American Tradition Partnership was formerly named Western Tradition Partnership. 2 The New York Times: “Dark Money in Montana”, editorial, Octber 28th, 2012 3 CBS Charlotte / Associated Press: “North Carolina Among 22 States To Join Campaign Finance Fight”, May 21st, 2012 4 ProPublica: “Did the Dark Money Group that Spurred a Landmark Ruling Mislead the IRS?”, by Kim Barker and Emma Schwarz, October 22nd, 2012 5 Frontline & Marketplace: “Big Sky, Big Money”, with Kai Ryssdal, October 30th, 2012

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When Tammy Baldwin became the first openly-gay American elected to Congress as a non-incumbent, her victory was a historic breakthrough.

It allowed other openly-gay people to seek public office without fear — people like Mark Pocan.

In less than one week, we could make history again with Tammy Baldwin becoming the first openly-gay senator. And if Mark Pocan and others like Mark Takano get elected, we could send the largest LGBT delegation to Congress in history.

Can you help achieve history by joining volunteers around the nation making calls for our campaigns later today? (Another 20 people would be great.)

YES! Gladly! Show me the shifts, and I’ll find one that works for me.

NO. Sorry, but I will donate $3 to help Tammy and Mark win.

All of us will oppose cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits. We want strong government investment in jobs. And we support real accountability for Wall Street.

PCCC members have already made thousands of calls for our campaigns, and today will be a big day.

Please click here to sign up to make calls from home tomorrow. And know that you have our thanks.

(Or, chip in a few dollars to Tammy and Mark’s campaigns.)

Thanks for being a bold progressive.

The last day of PETA’s Global “Stop Animal Tests” Challenge is October 31

There are just hours left for you to help!

The last day of PETA‘s Global “Stop Animal Tests” Challenge is October 31, and we need your help to reach our $250,000 online goal—we’re still $40,000 away! Please donate before the month ends to help us reach this critically important goal!

Your gift will help PETA save more animals like Libby, who had been living in an animal experimentation hellhole until our undercover investigator exposed the laboratory‘s cruel practices and helped bring about the release of this sweet dog. Thanks to PETA’s investigation, the laboratory where she was held captive shut its doors and the animals released found real homes!

Donate right now to support PETA’s work to expose abuse behind laboratory doors and save animals from terrible experiments, and your gift will be DOUBLED!

Each year, millions of animals, including cats, goats, mice, monkeys, and other sensitive animals just like Libby, face painful—and often deadly—experiments in laboratories or military training exercises. PETA’s dedicated team of researchers, undercover investigators, and scientists work tirelessly to stop experiments on animals and to prevent them from ever happening at all. Your gift to PETA’s Global “Stop Animal Tests” Challenge right now may be your best chance to help make that happen, as it will be matched—dollar for dollar—by a group of dedicated PETA donors. But only gifts toward our online goal before the end of this month will be matched, so please make your donation right now!

We may never know what cruel experiments Libby was subjected to before being adopted by a loving guardian, but we do know that each year, countless animals just like her are killed in deadly tests that could easily be replaced by more effective non-animal methods. For more than three decades, we’ve been winning important victories for animals in laboratories and stopping tests on animals by corporations, governments, and universities. Your support today will help PETA save more animals like Libby from the misery of animal testing.

We only have until October 31 to meet our challenge goal and double the funds to help as many animals in laboratories as possible. Don’t miss this chance to make a difference for animals before the online matching challenge ends!

Thank you for all that you do for animals in laboratories who so desperately need our help.

Kind regards,

Ingrid E. Newkirk
President

P.S. This is your last chance to donate before the October 31 deadline in order to help PETA reach this important online goal. Please donate right now!

We’ve set up a page where you can donate to relief efforts, as well as call on Big Oil, Coal and Gas to take the money they’re spending on political campaigning this election and put it toward disaster relief instead

We woke up this morning with a deep sense of sadness. Hurricane Sandy has brought serious hardship to many of the people we love and places we treasure. Large parts of the Northeast are underwater, millions are still without power, and tens of thousands have been evacuated from their homes. Last night the floodwaters were swirling around the bottom floor of our Brooklyn offices.

Right now, the most important thing we can do is come together as a community and support the relief efforts that are already underway. Over the coming days and weeks, we’ll also try and share more ways to get involved in relief efforts in your community. Please stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter account for updates as community based efforts come together.

But we’re not going to simply mourn our losses. The images coming out of the Atlantic seaboard, and from the refugee camps in Haiti, made us not just sad but angry. This was a literally unprecedented storm. It had lower barometric pressure, higher storm surge, and greater size than the region had ever seen before. It’s as out of kilter as the melting Arctic or the acidifying ocean. And if there was any poetic justice, it would be named Hurricane Chevron or Hurricane Exxon, not Hurricane Sandy.

These fossil fuel corporations are driving the climate crisis and spending millions to block solutions. Instead of buying climate silence, the fossil fuel industry should be funding climate relief.

We’ve set up a page where you can donate to relief efforts, as well as call on Big Oil, Coal and Gas to take the money they’re spending on political campaigning this election and put it toward disaster relief instead:

http://www.350.org/sandy

At the same time as we recover, we also have another important task to do: connecting the dots between Hurricane Sandy, climate change, and the fossil fuel industry that is helping cause this crisis.

Our web team set up a site where you can share photos and stories of Hurricane Sandy’s impact in your area — click here to see what’s already come in: connect.climatedots.org

The best photos are something like what we all put together during Climate Impacts Day in May: you, or a group of folks from your community, gathered near an example of Sandy’s impacts, with a big dot or a simple sign that explains what happened. Once you submit them, we’ll do everything we can to get the word out to our social networks and friends in the media. The sooner you can get us a photo the better. Click here to submit your photo and your story.

Sandy is what happens when the temperature goes up one degree. The scientists who predicted this kind of megastorm have issued another stark warning: if we stay on our current path, our children will live on a super-heated planet that’s four or five degrees warmer than it is right now. We can’t let that happen, so let’s get to work.

Many thanks,

Bill McKibben and the entire 350.org team

Right now, a bill to protect tens of thousands of American jobs in the growing wind industry isn’t going anywhere, because Speaker of the House John Boehner…Whaddyaknow…..

• Target: Speaker of the House John Boehner
• Sponsored by: Sierra Club

Right now, a bill to protect tens of thousands of American jobs in the growing wind industry isn’t going anywhere, because Speaker of the House John Boehner — who sets the calendar for the House of Representatives — doesn’t want to schedule it for an up-or-down vote.The wind industry employs 75,000 Americans in manufacturing, installation, and maintenance. These are good-paying jobs for skilled workers, and they’re helping the country move beyond the wasteful and outdated energy technologies of the 19th century.

And they’re disappearing while Boehner delays action. What’s he waiting for?

Under fierce pressure from the obstructionist Tea Party to let the wind industry wither and die, Boehner and the House leaders are playing a game of chicken with the economy and with thousands of Americans’ livelihoods.Congress will keep heading toward disaster until we’ve put as much pressure on Boehner as the Tea Party has.

From The beach Apartment in Margate…..

Thats our Wawa and CVS….

Forward this…Tax Calculator

http://my.barackobama.com/Forward-This-Tax-Calculator Please consider supporting the Red Cross and their efforts to provide critical assistance for those affected by the storm. ——————- What is this? Every day from now until Election Day, we’ll send you something that makes the case for voting for Barack Obama. What can I do? If you like it, we ask that you share it with any friends, family members, and neighbors you know who are still making up their mind about who to vote for (and everyone knows some). All you have to do is pass it on — forward it, share on Facebook, or on Twitter. Done. What else? If you spot something that’s especially persuasive or inspiring, or if you want to share your own graphic, essay, or personal story, send it on to forwardthis@barackobama.com and we’ll pass the best ones along. Click here to check out all of our “Forward this” posts. With nine days to go in this election, and millions of voters still making up their minds, it’s the job of everyone who supports President Obama to let everyone else know who they’re voting for this year — and why.

First Quarter….Second Quarter….Half Time at Wembly…..International Fans Excited to See Rams…Rams Look to Make Statement in London and the Rams Pats Running Blog: Keys To The Game / Pre Game…

Third Quarter

• Second Quarter

• The Rams held their ground twice before Shane Vereen pounded it in from 1 yard out. New England leads 14-7 with 14:12 to go in the half.

• Rams start their third possession at their 20.

• After an 8-yard completion to Richardson and a third down conversion on third and 2 to Kendricks for 6, the Rams went nowhere again.

• On third-and-15, a short completion to Steve Smith turned into a disaster as he fumbled and LB Rob Ninkovich recovered at the Rams’ 25.

• A review of the play called it incomplete. Rams to punt. Dodge a bullet there.

• Patriots get it back at their 21.

• Gronkowski and Brady continued their dominance, hooking up for gains of 17 and 32 to the Rams’ 9.

• On third and goal at the 7, Brady hit Gronkowski again for a touchdown. It’s 21-7 Patriots. Rams defense getting no pressure on Brady and he and Gronkowski are picking them apart.

• Rams start again at their 29.

• On second down, Bradford hit Givens for 9 and followed with an 8-yard strike to Gibson for a first down at the 38.

• After another first down got to New England’s 41, a holding penalty pushed the Rams back 10 yards.

• On first and 20 at the Rams’ 49, Bradford found Richardson for 3 yards but was hit on the play and remained down.

• Looks like he’ll be OK. Rams call timeout, Bradford won’t even miss a snap.

• Bradford finds Kendricks at Patriots 46.

• It’s third and 15 there.

• Bradford to Kendricks for 10 more sets up fourth and 5 at New England’s 36.

• Zuerlein on to try a 53-yard field goal.

• A high snap left Hekker unable to get the snap down and he was dropped for a 9-yard loss.

• New England took over at its 44 and quickly got 15 on a completion to Woodhead.

• On third and 4 at the Rams 35, Fletcher was flagged for pass interference again, this time for 15 yards and another first down at the 20.

• Brady got a first down on third and 1 with a 3-yard sneak.

• Yet another pass interference on Fletcher gave the Pats another third down conversion. First and goal at the 1 with 14 seconds to go.

• Ridley scores. It’s 28-7 and getting out of hand here at Wembley as we head to the half.

First Quarter

• The Patriots won the toss and elected to defer. The Rams started from their 20.

• After an offsides penalty, the Rams picked up 14 as Bradford dropped on off to RB Steven Jackson.

• Bradford hit Pettis for 5 and Jackson picked up 6 on two carries for a first down at the 50.

• There, Bradford threw a perfect play action strike to WR Chris Givens for a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead.

• Tremendous start for the Rams.

• Givens’ catch was his fifth straight game with a 50-plus yard grab, a new NFL rookie record, passing Willie Gault.

• New England started at its 22 and got a first down on a pass interference for a 10-yard gain and a first at the 40.

• Three plays later, they converted again as Brady floated one to RB Danny Woodhead for a gain of 24 to the Rams’ 28.

• Three plays after that, Brady hit Brandon Lloyd for a 19-yard touchdown.

• The extra point ties it at 7 with 7:50 to go in the first. Lots of fireworks here early.

• Rams start again from their 17.

• Bradford hits Matthew Mulligan for 13 to the 30 and a first down.

• A 7-yard run by Jackson and 5 for Richardson picked up another first down.

• But the Rams drive died as Bradford was flagged for grounding on third and 6.

• New England starts again at its 17.

• Brady went back to work with two 25-yard completions to TE Rob Gronkowski.

• The Patriots have second and goal at the Rams 2 in a 7-7 game at the end of the first half.

Pregame Notes

• Greetings from Wembley Stadium where the Rams and the Patriots are warming up for today’s kickoff, which takes place at 5:00 p.m. London time and noon back in St. Louis.

• It’s a chilly, overcast day here in London or, pretty much, par for the course for October in London. But it’s expected that the rain will stay away.

• Not that anyone cares but the pressbox setup here is somewhat strange. The pressbox isn’t just open air, it’s open, period. It’s a section unto itself but it’s right next to general fan population and is really just regular seats with a table attached to the top.

• The Rams will be wearing the all blues here as has been their normal custom during home games. As hard as it is to remember at times, this is a home game for the Rams. The stadium is decked out in Rams logos as a reminder.

• The Rams inactives for today: DE Eugene Sims, QB Austin Davis, WR Danny Amendola, T Rodger Saffold, T Wayne Hunter, LB Mario Haggan and DT Matt Conrath.

• For the Patriots: TE Aaron Hernandez, G Logan Mankins, S Patrick Chung, S Steve Gregory, RB Brandon Bolden, LB Tracy White and DL Trevor Scott.

• For the Rams, Joe Barksdale will again start at LT in place of Hunter via Saffold.

• Keep an eye on WR Brian Quick today, he could have an expanded role.

• All four Rams RBs will be available so it’s possible Terrance Ganaway could get some chances.

• The Patriots have some major shuffling to do in the secondary without both starting safeties.

• New England is wearing white jerseys with blue pants.

• Stay tuned for updated throughout the game.

International Fans Excited to See Rams

LONDON – by Nick Wagoner – Keys To Game:

1. Battling Brady

New England QB Tom Brady remains one of the best in the league and will almost certainly go down as one of the best to ever play.

This season, his numbers are still outstanding but below the video game like performance he put on in 2011.

Teams have long since given up on trying to put the clamps on Brady, knowing full well that the best they can do is limit his damage. To do that, the Rams will have to generate a pass rush on the strength of their front four.

Brady shreds teams that consistently blitz and the Rams have not been a blitz heavy team most of the season.

That means the onus falls on ends Robert Quinn and Chris Long and their cohorts to get to Brady and force him to throw under duress. Even then, it’s likely he’ll still post some strong numbers but if they can at least keep the touchdown totals down, it will give the Rams a chance.

“He’s one of the centerpieces of their team, a future Hall of Famer,” Quinn said. “You can’t completely stop him but if we can slow him down and give our offense as many opportunities as possible to stay on the field and score points, I think we can have a good day out there.”

2. Dynamic Duo

A big part of Brady’s success is the two-headed tight end monster the Patriots have in the form of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

Gronkowski is the big, strong, powerful force of nature that has been nearly unstoppable in the red zone since he came into the league two years ago. Hernandez is the fast, versatile type of tight end that has almost become a hybrid of tight end, receiver, fullback and even running back.

The Rams have done a solid job for the most part against tight ends this year but no team can match the combination the Patriots put forth. Hernandez has battled an ankle injury for most of the season and missed some practice time this week and he has actually been ruled out for this game, a big break for the Rams.

Meanwhile, the job of slowing Gronkowski and making New England make plays on the boundary falls to a group of linebackers and safeties that to this point has kept most tight ends in check.

Still, New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will almost certainly look to get his tight ends involved early and often.

“They present a lot of matchup problems with their size and speed,” safetyQuintin Mikell said. “Hernandez basically plays receiver, he runs great routes, has very good speed and he’s a big guy that breaks a lot of tackles so he’s a huge threat. Then, of course, Gronk is huge and he’s fast in his own right. They create some things but we are going to do some different things and move around and basically play our game and hopefully we can minimize the big plays.”

3. Turnover Turnaround

At the beginning of the season, the Rams defense feasted on opposing quarterbacks by generating turnovers upon turnovers, namely interceptions.

But lately, the takeaway well has gone dry and the Rams have not had a single turnover go their way in the past two games. It’s no coincidence they’ve lost each of those contests as they haven’t won the turnover battle.

New England doesn’t have much of a penchant for giving the ball away but the best way to slow Brady and Co. is to limit the number of possessions they get. The best way to do that is via the turnover.

While the Rams have grabbed their share of interceptions, they do have a statistical anomaly that figures to shift their way eventually: fumbles. The Rams have only forced one fumble all season, that’s forced, not just recovered.

“It’s a little weird,” Mikell said. “That’s never really happened before that I can remember. It is like that sometimes, I can remember teams where we didn’t get any picks and all of a sudden we popped up with a whole bunch. Fumbles have always been there but this is the first time experiencing that so hopefully that will change this week.”

Getting some takeaways and winning the turnover battle is always a priority but it’s even more important against an elite offense like New England.

4. Undercover

Perhaps the area the Patriots have struggled the most this season is pass defense as they just haven’t been able to find the right mix in the secondary despite spending plenty of high draft choices on defensive backs.

What that group does do well, though, can make things awfully difficult on a quarterback who might look into the secondary and think there are some openings.

“They’re good at holding disguises,” quarterback Sam Bradford said. “They don’t blitz a lot but what they do well is the guys on the back end hold things. They are not going to tip their hand before the snap. Part of my job this week is going to be seeing things after the snap, see what they are doing because they are good at disguising what they do.”

In other words, Bradford has to be able to go through his progressions and be willing to take a check down if it’s there. The temptation against a New England secondary that has struggled is to force the ball down the field. Those shots will be there but Bradford will have to choose his spots wisely in order for the Rams offense to succeed in keeping the Patriots potent offense off the field.

5. On the Run

While the Patriots have found themselves susceptible to the pass this season, they’ve also established a pretty dominant front seven that makes it difficult for opponents to run the ball against them.

Monster defensive tackle Vince Wilfork leads the charge for a group that is eighth in the league in run defense, allowing 86 yards per contest. With the likes of Wilfork taking on blockers and linebacker Jerod Mayo, the league’s leading tackle so far, cleaning up behind him, the Patriots are actually tied for second in fewest yards allowed per rushing attempt at just 3.3.

The Rams have already proved that a dominant statistical performance heading into their games by a run defense doesn’t mean they’ll shy away from pounding away in the run game.

Backs Steven Jackson and Daryl Richardson have formed a strong one-two punch and had great success against a stout Miami run defense that was first in the league in run defense before meeting the Rams.

Still, it will be a challenge for Jackson and his running mates to find space against the Patriots oversized front.

“They have a very impressive front seven, led by Vince Wilfork, of course,” Jackson said. “I think their front seven is very stout. They do a good job of two-gapping. It makes it really hard on running backs to get a clean read on what they want to do. Their linebackers do a very good job of disengaging blockers once they make contact with a fullback or offensive lineman. The thing is for me to trust my eyes and just be really aggressive.”

LONDON – Strolling through a sporting goods store near Walt Disney World in Orlando in 1995, 8-year old Paul Clarke decided he wanted to buy a hat.The young Clarke didn’t have a preference on the team represented on the hat and eventually opted for the one that had the design he liked best. The cap was one of the newly minted St. Louis Rams, soon after the team had relocated from Los Angeles.

Upon returning home to Oxford, England, Clarke started paying more attention to the NFL within the next couple of years. When he decided he wanted to devote his loyalties to a NFL team, the choice was literally right on top of his head.

“I figured I had a Rams hat, might as well support them,” Clarke said. “I supported them and then they won the Super Bowl which was great and I got into it more and more, especially in the last eight years, I follow the draft, look at the players, research who they are, I know every player on the roster.”

On Saturday afternoon in historic Trafalgar Square, Clarke was joined by many of his international Rams fan brethren for the league’s NFL Fan Rally. The Rams, including coach Jeff Fisher and players such as quarterbackSam Bradford, running back Steven Jackson, receiverDanny Amendola, guard Harvey Dahl, end Chris Long, linebackerJames Laurinaitis, cornerback Cortland Finnegan, linebackerMario Haggan and fullback Brit Miller took to the stage, answered questions and basked in the admiration of a group of Rams fans here that had waited a long time to see their favorite team up close.

Clarke lined up at around 10 a.m., waiting in two separate hour-long lines to claim his spot in the first row in front of the stage. But he was far from the only devoted Rams fan in the crowd on Saturday morning and attending Sunday’s game against the Patriots at Wembley Stadium.

Daniel Whale, of Greenwich, which is in the southeast part of London, made the trip to get a look at the team he’s been following since the 2004 season, which is actually the last time the Rams went to the postseason.

Whale became a fan of the Rams in a quite unconventional way.

“I couldn’t find my television remote at the time but the television was on Seahawks and Rams so I found myself a bit interested in it,” Whale said. “I wasn’t much into the sport at the time but I liked the athleticism and the plays they would come up with. The Rams went on to win that game and then play Atlanta. After the win, I thought “I’m going to see where this goes.’ They didn’t pull through but it was fun so I’ve been a Rams fan ever since then.”

Pete Mackley, of Southampton in London, had a much simpler explanation for how he quite literally got hooked on the blue and gold.

“Years ago American football became big at our school in 88, 89, and we all chose our teams,” Mackley said. “I chose the Rams about 23 years ago. I loved the kit (uniform) and Eric Dickerson.”

Of course, international Rams fans here to see their team this weekend aren’t limited to just natives of Great Britain. With the Rams playing abroad for the first time since the start of the International Series, the opportunity is there for fans all over Europe to make a much shorter trip to see their team.

Quentin Jansen, of the Netherlands, hopped on a train and rode the four hours to town for the weekend and found himself thrilled at the chance to see favorites such as Bradford and Amendola.

Even in the Netherlands, Zuerlein-mania has taken hold.

“They had a certain appeal to me,” Jansen said. “I like Sam Bradford obviously, Danny Amendola as well and Greg the Leg, of course kicking 60-yard field goals. I have a good feeling (about the game). I’m sure that Greg will kick a game-winning and record-breaking field goal.”

For Reme Leemner, who traveled from Germany and arrived at the rally wearing a blue and white Kurt Warner jersey, his Rams fandom traces quite simply to the heyday of Warner and his band of play making brothers in the Greatest Show on Turf.

Leemner believes that having the Rams playing in nearby London provides a great opportunity for all international Rams fans to show what they’ve got.

“It’s very good,” Leemner said. “I think it’s a good opportunity to show that there are a lot of us fans outside of the USA and UK like for me in Germany to see the Rams live in a game.”

With Rams fans from all over the world showing up on Saturday morning, it was also important to note the presence of the devoted and loyal fans from back in St. Louis, fans such as long time season ticket holders Chris and Meg Brooks.

The Brooks’ arrived in London on Friday and went to visit some local sites, specifically some of the sites from the Olympic games. They make it a point to travel to an away game each season and though London was the obvious choice this year, Chris Brooks made it a point to emphasize that he and his wife don’t miss home games.

“We have season tickets and we’ve never missed a home game,” Brooks said. “And this is a home game so we had to come.”

As for their fellow Rams fans here and other countries abroad, following the Rams from afar is a labor of love that has gotten a bit easier over the years. Many of them cited the advancement of social media where they can follow the Rams, their players and the media covering them via Twitter and Facebook.

All of the foreign Rams fans also mentioned the advancement of the television packages available in Europe, which allows them to watch every game live after purchasing special sports packages.

And with a general lack of media coverage of American football in general, all of them use the Internet to keep up with the team as much as possible.

“I can now see all the games and obviously things like the articles and videos posted on stlouisrams.com and training updates and press conferences, it’s a lot easier,” Clarke said. “I don’t miss anything really even being so far away.” (Editor’s Note: Flattery will get you everywhere)

On Sunday, for the first time, die hard fans such as Clarke, Leemner, Mackley, Jansen and Whale will get their chance to see their favorite team play live and in person. It’s an experience many years in the making, one that maybe fans in the States could take for granted.

Judging by their enthusiasm on Saturday afternoon, Sunday will be a very special day not only for the players on the field but those cheering them on in the stands.

“I have waited 23 years to see them live,” Mackley said. “It’s going to be a big, big day for me and I am real excited. I have been to London a few times to watch the games and I was thinking ‘maybe one day,’ and when I heard the news last year, I thought that’s it. I’m a happy man.”

Rams Look to Make Statement in London

Posted Oct 26, 2012

Nick WagonerSenior Writer

LONDON – Aside from all of the hoopla and possible distractions that go with playing a game abroad, Rams coach Jeff Fisher and his team see Sunday’s matchup against the Patriots as much more than a chance to grow the game and the Rams brand internationally.

First and foremost, Fisher wants fans all over the world to see something about the organization that might not carry much cache because of its struggles in recent years.

“It’s an opportunity for us to spread the word I’d like to say that maybe the Rams are back,” Fisher said. “That was the thing that’s exciting for us. Now, of course we have to play well but the entire organization starting with Mr. Kroenke, our owner, Kevin Demoff and everybody is excited to be here.”

What Sunday’s kickoff at Wembley Stadium here in London exemplifies is a chance for the Rams to take center stage and make a lasting impression on the NFL that they are no longer a pushover on the schedule.

Considering the setup: playing in front of a huge crowd in one of the world’s most well known stadiums against a New England Patriots team that is perhaps the best known American football team in the world and its cadre of stars, the Rams certainly have a golden opportunity to make a statement.

“Absolutely,” quarterback Sam Bradford said. “It’s a big stage, big opportunity. Obviously, playing over here, it’s going to be broadcast all over the world and we are playing the Patriots, one of, if not the most well known team in the league. They’ve been one of the best for quite a while now so I think this is definitely a big opportunity for us.”

Entering the game at 3-4 and with a bye week coming up, the Rams also have a chance to get their record back to .500 before having a week off. Getting to 4-4 with a chance to get key players like receiver Danny Amendola and left tackle Rodger Saffold back from injury after the bye would put the Rams in prime position to make a run in the season’s second half.

To get there, though, the Rams will have to overcome a number of challenges that will make leaving London with a victory an extremely difficult task.

First and foremost, the Rams will have to ensure they don’t become distracted by the many non-football related activities and possibilities that being in a place like London can throw at them.

Fisher made it a point to bring his team across the pond early in the week so it would have time to adjust to the time change and recover from jet lag. On the same token, it also exposed his team to possible distractions for a longer period of time though that was minimized a bit by spending the first few days at The Grove Hotel, which is on the outskirts of town and somewhat isolated.

Although his team is full of young players still maturing and growing, Fisher had the utmost confidence that the positives of an early arrival would far outweigh any possible outside distractions.

“They know it’s business trip,” Fisher said. “They know the reason we’re here. There will be some time for them and there’s some things I think they are looking forward to doing but this is a young football team that knows how to prepare, knows how to practice and knows how to study and has their priorities in order.”

On the other side, New England coach Bill Belichick took the opposite approach. Comparing the trip across the ocean to a trip to the west coast, the Patriots didn’t leave the United States until Thursday night, arriving on Friday morning.

Rams safety Quintin Mikell thinks that could provide the Rams an early advantage but also is quick to point out that his team can’t think in terms of any leg up it might have from something as trivial as travel.

“I think it makes a big difference,” Mikell said. “Obviously we haven’t experienced it so coming over here a couple days early, the way we felt the first couple days is the way New England might feel when they get here. They’re going to feel a little sluggish. We’ve all still got to play the game but it’s a little added advantage for us. Of course, being here a little longer there are more distractions here for us but we have done a good job of minimizing that.”

Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis is also pleased to have already gotten past the jet lag and travel but isn’t so convinced it gives his team any kind of advantage. Instead, he believes a game like this comes down to far more basic football basics.

“There are different theories on it,” Laurinaitis said. “I think what it comes down to is who is going to be prepared better and just who makes more plays on Sunday. I think for us I am glad we came over early just going through the whole process and the airport travel and all that stuff, I’m glad we got that done and can put it behind us. So now that we are here, we are just focusing on football and we’ll see.”

A big part of that focus for the Rams is taking strides in the areas that have kept them out of the win column the past couple of weeks and the four times this year they have lost. That means creating more turnovers on defense and perhaps most important finishing drives with touchdowns instead of field goals.

In facing the high-octane Patriots offense led by quarterback Tom Brady, 3’s won’t get you very far. It’s something that Bradford has emphasized to his teammates all week.

“That’s our goal,” Bradford said. “Anytime we have the opportunity to score touchdowns this week, we have to. We can’t settle for field goals. That’s something that’s hurt us the past couple weeks. When you go up against an offense that’s as explosive as the Patriots, points come at a premium and we have to score as many as possible.”

Putting a finer point on it, running back Steven Jackson said it’s imperative to maximize each possession by moving the ball and keeping Brady and Co. on the sidelines. It’s cliché but in games such as this, the best defense can often be a good, grind it out offense.

“We’re going to have a very tough challenge on Sunday,” Jackson said. “We’ve got to make sure that we help our defense out and once we get into the red zone, we’ve got to put up touchdowns. We’ve got to take advantage of chewing up the clock, as well, because their offense can put up points at any given time. Particularly on offense, we’ve got to make sure that we carry our weight.”

It’s been a long time since the Rams have found themselves in a game in which they can take center stage. Earlier this season, they made a strong impression on the nation with a nationally televised Thursday night victory against Arizona at the Edward Jones Dome.

But Sunday’s contest will increase the brightness of the spotlight and give the Rams the chance to announce to the world that not only is their future chock full of potential but that maybe, just maybe the future is already here.

For the team’s longest tenured member, that opportunity has been almost a decade in the making.

“For the last nine seasons, I’ve taken great pride in being a St. Louis Ram,” Jackson said.
“There’s been a lot of history, particularly at the running back spot, that I’ve been able to carry on. I want to continue to do so. Now, we’re here outside of U.S. borders, and we want to show our fans globally what we’re building and what we’re doing in St. Louis.”

 Nick Wagoner Senior Writer

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Rams Adjusting Well to London; With little rest after a long flight, the Rams sent their entire roster to take part in the biggest Play 60…

Rams Adjusting Well to London

(Photo Courtesy of Getty Images)

LONDON – Encouraged to stay awake as long as possible Tuesday night so he could go to bed at a normal time and get on a regular sleep schedule as soon as possible, Rams defensive endRobert Quinn spent his first night in London in a movie theatre, of all places.“I was laying in my bed and felt myself dozing off and was like ‘Oh, this is not good,’” Quinn said. “I was just trying to keep myself busy and active and get out of the hotel.”

So Quinn found the nearest movie theatre and some public transportation to go see the new action movie ‘Taken 2,’ a movie that probably won’t win any Academy Awards but has enough fights, explosions and other loud noises to keep one awake. Or at least so you’d think.

“I went to the movies and even there I dozed off a second,” Quinn said. “It was a struggle.”

No matter how much Quinn and his teammates attempted to get on a regular sleep schedule on their first night in London, the reality of the situation is that you can’t force your body to do things it’s not used to, at least not right away.

Instead, the efforts of Rams coach Jeff Fisher, his staff and his team figure to be much more gradual as they adjust to a six-hour time change and the lingering effects of a nearly eight-hour flight.

Hence the idea behind Fisher and his team wanting to arrive here as early in the week as possible to try to establish some sense of normalcy in advance of Sunday’s game against the Patriots.

“That’s precisely the reason we elected to come over early in the week so we could get the players adjusted not only to the travel but also to the time zone change,” Fisher said.

Quinn, quarterback Sam Bradford and others noted that even with the attempts to go to bed at a regular time, they ended up just staring at the ceiling for hours on end before sleep kicked in around 1 or 2 a.m. London time.

Even with the knowledge that was likely going to happen, Fisher put in a normal work schedule for his team this week, one that closely mirrors what the team would follow in St. Louis on a Wednesday.

Wake up calls were set for around 7 a.m. London time, which is 1 a.m. St. Louis time but getting the players up and used to that schedule didn’t seem to be much of a hindrance to Wednesday’s practice.

“I was very, very pleased with their response this morning and the way they practiced today considering they arrived here yesterday,” Fisher said. “We will gradually acclimate them and adjust their body clocks to play at 5 o’clock and we’ve got several days to do that.”

Helping the Rams make the adjustment not only to the drastic time change and getting over jet lag is a first-class set of accommodations that has essentially created a London version of ContinuityX Training Center at the Grove Hotel on the outskirts of the city.

With the help of the training staff, operations staff, equipment staff, I.T. staff and video staff combined with an extremely courteous and understanding hotel staff, the Rams have created meeting rooms, coaching offices, dining areas and even a locker room right in the lobby of the hotel.

It’s actually quite a spectacle to behold.

“Our organization did a great job of making this feel like a home game,” endChris Long said. “Our hotel is awesome. We have a locker room in the hotel, it’s pretty amazing. As soon as you step in the locker room or training room, it’s business as usual and we really feel that way. They’ve done a great job with that.”

The team hotel is surrounded by a golf course but also has a makeshift full-length football field that the team used for a walk through Wednesday morning and will use for practice Friday before re-locating to accommodations more centrally located in the city.

“This morning when we started out it was no different than a normal Wednesday for us in St. Louis,” Fisher said. “Our organization, with the help of everybody here, has done a tremendous job setting up The Grove hotel as if it was a facility and so we started meetings with no glitches and everything went well this morning.”

The facilities at the team hotel aren’t the only ones that are drawing rave reviews from the Rams as they make the adjustment to all things London.

Courtesy of owner Stan Kroenke, the Rams are spending the first two days of this week training on the pristine fields of the Arsenal Football Club. Located outside London in Hertfordshire, the Arsenal training center is widely regarded as one of the most advanced of its kind in the world.

The Arsenal facility holds 10 full-size grass fields (or pitches, as the locals say), all of which have undersoil drainage and automated sprinkler systems. Two of the fields even have undersoil heating systems and all are engineered to precisely duplicate the playing surface of Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal plays its home game.

“These fields are awesome,” Long said. “This is a first class facility. We are really grateful that they let us use their facility. I wouldn’t want a bunch of big 300 pounders tearing up our grass if we were a world-class soccer team but we sure appreciate it.”

As the Rams get more comfortable and get their bodies on a more regular clock, everything figures to slow down a bit for them and they’ll be able to enjoy more of what London has to offer.

Part of staying away from the heart of the city the first few nights was to help them focus on the task at hand and ensuring they get their bodies on to London mode. Long claimed Wednesday afternoon that he’s already there.

By Thursday morning, they all hope to be so they can enjoy the city a little bit without looking through bleary eyes. Make no mistake, though, just because they plan to get more comfortable doesn’t mean they’ll lose focus on the task at hand.

“We know that we are here to win a game,” Bradford said. “Coach Fisher made that very apparent in our meeting this morning. Our schedule today was exactly the way it would have been if we were back home in St. Louis. I think everyone on our team understands why we are over here this week.”

 

Rams Help Grow Game with NFL Play 60

LONDON – Surrounded by about 250 energetic, enthusiastic kids at Regents Park on Tuesday afternoon, Rams linebackerJo-Lonn Dunbar was hit with a feeling he’d never had before.“I walked over here and the kickers and punters have 30 kids with them already,” Dunbar said, laughing. “This might be my first time I’m jealous of a punter.”

As their first order of business upon arriving in the United Kingdom, the entire Rams roster plus the practice squad shuttled to the team hotel, grabbed a quick bite to eat and within about 90 minutes was on a bus to participate in the biggest NFL Play 60 event that London has seen since the league started the International series.

While Dunbar’s point that many of the more than 500 kids that participated in two sessions with the team and alumni Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Jackie Slater are more futbol focused than football focused is certainly valid, it was clear to all participants that days like Tuesday are just another step in the ever growing staircase to making American football a part of the fabric of England’s sporting culture.

“When we first started playing games here we wanted to bring teams not just to play games here but we wanted to try to integrate them into the community,” Chris Parsons, NFL Vice President of International Business, said. “So every year we have actually been able to do that. When teams are doing what the Rams are doing this year and coming over for the entire week, it’s fantastic. The off day is often used as a chance to do some things in the community. So every year we find the kids are much more engaged and much more interested and want to be more involved. So this is our biggest effort yet getting 500 kids out. And the Rams have just blown us all away with the fact that they sent the entire team down here. We couldn’t be happier.”

Tuesday’s event served as a sort of keystone to an on going effort to expand and grow the NFL game into the international scene each year. Two years ago, San Francisco hosted a Play 60 event for about 100 kids before Tampa Bay took part in an event that doubled that number last year.

This year, though, the NFL and Play 60 curriculum has become far more expansive. A total of 600 kids from five different schools, many of which are in low-income areas were vetted out and agreed to take part in a program that wouldn’t be a simple one-off event.

Instead, this year’s version of the program will last six weeks and involves a weekly Play 60 class at each school where one day of gym takes on an American football bent with lessons on strategy and the basic X’s and O’s of the game.

The normal Play 60 emphasis is simply on kids remaining active by taking part in some physical activity for an hour a day and teaches good nutritional habits. But in a market where the game has yet to fully take hold, it also provides a chance to give kids a more in depth introduction to the game.

“It’s definitely a challenge getting them to understand the basics,” Erin Casey, NFL Events Coordinator, said. “I think the biggest hurdle getting kids excited about American football is they are not used to the breaks because in English futbol it’s 90 minutes of pure activity so getting them to understand the strategy behind it, the X’s and O’s of our game, this kind of interaction with the players helps a lot. It makes them understand. We’ve done some events in the past with rugby players and English athletes but I think having the whole St. Louis Rams team is making quite an impression.”

Indeed, it was quite clear that both groups, each with more than 250 students participating, was ready and willing to get some instruction from NFL players. While the game had made great strides in London since the start of the International series, American football teams and players don’t quite carry the cache they do on American soil just yet.

For the Rams, that actually provided a little bit of relief, especially on a day when they were coming off an eight-hour flight and were pushing through the early impressions of jet lag.

“You love to kind of feed off the energy of the kids,” punter Johnny Hekker said. “They’re all having fun out here, learning a foreign game so they are all kind of buying in and trying to soak up some knowledge so it’s a lot of fun for us.”

After arriving at Regents Park, the Rams wasted no time breaking up into position groups and teaching the kids position specific skills. From Hekker and kicker Greg Zuerlein showing the finer points of kicking to footwork drills with Holt and the wide receivers to a full on flag football game, the energy was boundless.

And while soccer remains unrelentingly popular, Rams running backSteven Jackson saw plenty of talented youngsters that could have a future in football if they want one.

“They have some very talented young lads here,” Jackson said, embracing the local lingo. “You know what? They have extremely good feet and hand-eye coordination. No shock, the game of soccer here is huge. It can translate to football; you have just got to put on the pads now.”

As the Play 60 initiative continues to grow and integrate with the on going efforts to increase the sport’s popularity here and other countries abroad, so too will the days like Tuesday.

This year’s group is three weeks in to the six-week program but the plans for the future of the program will continue to go beyond even this year’s expanded program.

In terms of television ratings, American football has moved from 11^th to fifth since the International series began. Likewise, the metrics are showing growth across the board though the NFL remains just outside the five most popular sports here, a benchmark it hopes to pass in the near future.

With two games coming to London next year and a Play 60 program that aims to eventually have year-round events rather than ones just centered on coinciding with the games, the rise of American football abroad seems to be just scratching the surface of what it will be.

Having teams like the Rams willing to show up in full force and share their knowledge goes a long way toward reaching that breakthrough.

“It’s amazing,” Parsons said. “What’s great is they obviously know this is a famous American football team but they are probably not as familiar with some of the players so seeing the kids work with these guys and being around them even if they may not be as big superstars as they are back home, it’s great. The kids just have so much energy and when you bring the players down, it doubles the energy.  It just creates a completely different vibe.”

 Nick Wagoner, Senior Writer

Brand NEW Live from SugarHill Recording Studios; NEW Pro Football Weekly Episodes TODAY and LIVE Indy News at Democracy Now! All On The S2e TV Network!

Democracy Now!   Democracy Now! Wednesday, October 24, 2012 Today Democracy Now!, a daily independent News Hour

Pro Football Weekly 18 new episodes Slow Boat to China Today No, we’re not telling you to add Brady Quinn to your fantasy team. Rather, this may be the only week we’ll suggest playing the Raiders defense. Take advantage of their matchup against the Chiefs. C Change Today GM Marty Hurney has been dismissed from the Carolina Panthers after more than ten seasons. Was it the right move? Regardless, Ron Rivera, Cam Newton and co. have some work to do. Fan’s Best Friend Today More than one NFL team has been carried by the outstanding play of their star RB. Our question for fans this week: Which RB has been the NFL’s best in 2012? Cast your vote in the PFW poll!

Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show 2 new episodes Matt Walsh “Larry King Game” Matt Walsh “Larry King Game” KPCS: Matt Walsh #159 Co-founder of Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), the popular/famous improv troupe

Live from SugarHill Recording Studios Live From SugarHill Studios – The Autumn Defense Brand new! The Autumn Defense recorded Live at SugarHill Studios. The half hour show features a set by the band and an in-depth interview with hosts Gina Miller and Dan Workman. This week the Audience of One is Laura Brickey representing our new sponsor Vitamin Water. By day John Stirratt and Patrick Sansone…

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Tell Congress: Save Our National Parks!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/913/021/857/

Our national parks are under threat with Congress proposing deep budget cuts to the Parks Service.

• Target: U.S. Congress
• Sponsored by: National Parks Conservation Association

Our national parks are under threat! Unless Congress succeeds in finding other ways to reduce the deficit, a damaging across-the-board funding cut in January will harm our national parks. Closed parks, campgrounds, and visitor centers will likely result from this cut, in addition to the loss of park rangers and other critical staff!

The U.S. National Park Service costs a fraction of one percent of the federal budget and did not cause the deficit. Even cutting the entire agency’s budget would do almost nothing to address our debt.

Tell Congress to work together to find a solution that protects America’s best idea — our national parks.

UPDATE Obama Jobs Plan Posted….Willie Geist is saying that there is not much new in this plan…I am NOT reading it so I am depending on other people to tell me about it…i have NO time….Please STOP saying there is no plan for next four years…Thanks.

Please STOP saying there is no plan for next four years (Until you read whatever is posted here by obama)…This plan has been on desk of the house since Sept. 2011 (I also assume this is NOT the same plan as what has been in the house for over a year….)….again…its posted for EVERYONE to view….So shut up…and View It…..Then talk about it….Please go to

http://www.barackobama.com/plans to read the plan and share it with friends you know in battleground states, and everywhere else for that matter.

You can also download it here: https://secure.assets.bostatic.com/pdfs/Jobs_Plan_Booklet.pdf

The Rams Fan’s Guide to London; Rams Ready for London

The Rams Fan’s Guide to London

Almost the moment the Rams stepped off the field from Sunday’s game against Green Bay, the attention almost immediately shifted to what will be a busy and challenging week.

The Rams depart for London tonight at around 6:30 and in heading across the pond, there are a whole lot of activities, on the field and off, awaiting them.

“We have a long flight ahead of us, so we have to make sure we get our rest,” running back Steven Jackson said.

Here’s a rundown of what the Rams’ week in London will be like, opportunities for fans there to see them and their traveling alumni and a general rundown of the week’s activities.

THE FOOTBALL STUFF

The task of traveling overseas presents a number of challenges for anyone, especially football teams that have to play a game in a week.

In some sense, the travel to London has the Rams and Patriots playing in a “short week” because of the acceleration of time traveling to Europe. While the Rams leave Monday night, they lose six hours of time in the process on top of an eight-hour flight means they’ll arrive in London at around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Tuesday is the normal NFL off day for players but they’ll actually be at an event soon after arrival then find themselves adjusting to the time change before they ever set foot on a field.

While the players are at their event, the coaching staff will be busy game planning for New England, a process that already began in earnest soon after Sunday’s game ended.

On Wednesday, the week begins to take on a bit more of a normal look. The Rams will have normal meetings at their team hotel in the morning, including a walk through and then head to the Arsenal Soccer Club’s training facility, where they will hold a normal practice.

Thursday breaks down almost exactly the same for the team as they go through normal meetings and have a normal Thursday practice. The practice times for Wednesday and Thursday are nearly identical to what the Rams do in St. Louis as they attempt to keep a somewhat regular schedule as best they can.

On Friday, things change up again as the Rams will have an early practice at their team hotel before loading up and heading to a different hotel, closer to the city and closer to Wembley Stadium.

Saturday morning, the Rams get their first crack at an up close look at the game venue when they head to Wembley Stadium for a morning walk through. They then get the afternoon to explore a bit before an evening curfew.

On Sunday, of course, the Rams will operate as they would for any primetime game even though it’s not a primetime game on their body clocks or here in St. Louis. They will have their morning meetings and breakdown before heading to Wembley Stadium to take on the Patriots.

That game is scheduled for 5 p.m. London time. The team returns to St. Louis with an early morning Monday flight and arrives back in St. Louis late Monday afternoon before what figures to be a much needed bye week.

OFF THE FIELD

While the Rams are going about their business as close to usual as possible in terms of the football preparation, there is a seemingly never-ending amount of activities surrounding the game and the teams.

In addition to the team, the schedule also includes a chock-full lineup of activities with their cheerleaders as well as some very special guests.

The Rams will be represented by some of their most famous alumni all over town including Hall of Famers Jackie Slater and Marshall Faulk as well as beloved former Rams and potential future Hall of Fame wideouts Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.

Here’s the rundown of the many activities going on in London that include either the Rams themselves or their alumni.

Tuesday, October 23

NFL Play 60 Community Event at Regents Park: 11 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.

- The entire Rams team and traveling staff will turn out in full force to teach about 600 underprivileged London Youth the importance of staying active and physically fit with a series of drills and stations with Rams players at every one.
- Alumni Holt, Bruce and Slater will appear on behalf of the Rams and former Patriots running back Fred Taylor will be there for New England.

Niketown Media Day at Oxford Circus: 7-8:30 P.M.

- A meet and greet opportunity with Rams alumni Faulk, Holt and Slater, who will be signing autographs and taking pictures with fans.
Wednesday, October 24

Arsenal vs. Schalke 04 Soccer Match at Emirates Stadium: 7:45 P.M.

- The Rams will have the option of attending a soccer match pitting Arsenal against Schalke 04.
Thursday, October 25

London Gala Dinner at Lancaster House: 7-10:00 P.M.

- The Rams alumni will attend a dinner with London dignitaries.

NFL House at Landmark Hotel-Drawing Room: 10 A.M. – Noon

- Faulk and Taylor will sign autographs and take pictures with fans.
Friday, October 26

AON Corporate BBQ at Devonshire Offices: Noon-1:30 P.M.

- Slater will represent the Rams at a party with AON.

NFL House at Landmark Hotel-Drawing Room: 2-6 P.M.

- Holt and Bruce will appear and sign autographs from 2-4, Faulk to follow from 4-6.

NFL Sponsor Dinner at Babylon Beach Blanket: 7-10 P.M.

- Current and former NFL players Phil Simms, Marcel Dareus, Fred Taylor and Kendall Sheppard will appear at the league’s sponsored supper.

Rams Sponsor Dinner at Tower of London: 7:30-11 P.M.

- The Rams players, coaches and staff join sponsors at a private dinner at the Tower of London which will include a guided tour.

Saturday, October 27

Commissioner Fan Forum at Landmark Hotel: 11 A.M. – 1 P.M.

- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will answer questions from fans and address a number of NFL-related issues.

Footlocker Autograph Signing at Oxford Circus: Noon-1:30 P.M.

- Bruce will appear to sign autographs and take pictures.

NFL Fan Rally at Trafalgar Square: 2-3:30 P.M.

- All alumni and a select group of current Rams and Patriots will appear for a rally in Trafalgar Square the day before the game.

US Ambassadors Dinner at Regents Park: 5:30-7 P.M.

- Slater will again represent the Rams at a dinner with the US Ambassadors abroad.

NFL House at Landmark Hotel-Drawing Room: 7-9 P.M.

- Bruce and Holt will again appear to sign autographs and take pictures with fans.

London Bash Under the Bridge: 8-11 P.M.

- Faulk, Slater and Taylor will appear from 8-11 and Holt and Bruce from 9:30-11 in a party for the fans that will also include live music by the band Train.

Sunday, October 28

NFL Tailgate at Wembley Stadium: Noon-3 P.M.

- Fans can tailgate with the alumni before Sunday’s game.

Great Hall Tailgate at Wembley Stadium: 3-4 P.M.

- Fans can tailgate with the alumni before Sunday’s game.

Coin Toss at Wembley Stadium: 4:15 P.M.

- All alumni participate in the honorary coin toss before the kickoff to the game.

Rams Ready for London

In the midst of perhaps the busiest day of the NFL season for he and his team, Rams coach Jeff Fisher stepped to the podium Monday afternoon to discuss Sunday’s loss to the Packers and what awaits his team this week as it travels to London to take on the Patriots.

As Fisher offered his opening statements, he caught a little reverb and paused for the issue to be fixed. Considering all that was going on at ContinuityX Training Center on Monday, it’s understandable there’d be at least one glitch.

According to Fisher, though, that was the only one that he’d seen Monday, an amazing feat all things considered.

“The organization has done a great job with all of the logistics,” Fisher said. “Everybody is prepared and ready to go. Thus far, we’ve had only one glitch and it’s this. If this is all we have, then we are in good shape.”

Indeed, the Rams will hop on a plane at 6:30 tonight to head across the pond to London to begin the week of preparation for Sunday’s meeting with New England. That’s made the past 24 hours an extremely difficult and busy time.

After Sunday’s 30-20 loss to Green Bay at the Edward Jones Dome, the Rams immediately got to work on breaking down that game so they could speed up the process of looking ahead to what awaits this week.

Fisher and his staff watched the film of Sunday’s loss and broke it all down as is the usual post game custom. Despite the outcome and the disappointing performance on third down, the lack of touchdowns and the inability to create turnovers, Fisher and Co. saw plenty of good things as well.

“We have been talking about, on a weekly basis, improving,” Fisher said. “That’s been the emphasis from the start. There were some things in this game that we can get excited about. There was some individual play and efforts and some improvement.”

There was plenty to like in Sunday’s game despite the outcome including a run defense that was stout again, holding Green Bay to 70 yards on 26 carries, a breakthrough performance from rookie defensive tackle Michael Brockers(seven tackles and his first career sack) and another 50-plus yard reception for rookie wideout Chris Givens.

Perhaps most notable to Fisher was the performance of a revamped offensive line that had two new starters on the left side in the form of tackleJoe Barksdale and guard Shelley Smith.

Barksdale subbed for injured starter Wayne Hunter and Smith replaced the since-released Quinn Ojinnaka. Against the defense with the most sacks in the league, Smith and Barksdale did more than hold their own.

“I thought both Joe and Shelley did a really nice job,” Fisher said. “Considering this was Shelley’s first start in a regular season game, we looked there and thought we improved up there on the offensive line. That’s the big thing is just being able to improve as a football team. Overall, there were some really good things to take from this.”

With another tough opponent in the Patriots looming, there isn’t much time for the Rams to focus on anything but getting acclimated to a new environment or digest the good or the bad from Sunday.

“Our mentality as a football team is that we can play with anyone on any Sunday and we’re going to take that same mentality into the game next week,” quarterback Sam Bradford said.

The Rams are scheduled to arrive in London on Tuesday morning at 8:30 (their time). From there, the players will head to a NFL Play 60 community event before heading back to the team hotel to attempt to adjust to the time change.

London is six hours ahead of the Central Standard Time zone and that will provide a tough task for the Rams as they look to adjust.

“They’ll have time,” Fisher said. “Our biggest challenge is just acclimating to the time change and the long flight. So we started discussing it last Monday and Tuesday. We had a lengthy meeting here just moments ago. There are challenges associated with going across the pond as they say but we’re looking forward to it. They’ll have some time. We’ll follow a normal schedule as close as we can through the week.”

Making things a bit easier for a team moving its entire football operations overseas is the fact that they will have the benefit of doing their weekly work at Arsenal Soccer Club’s facilities.

That means they’ll have access to weight rooms, meeting rooms, practice fields and anything else needed to keep things as normal as possible in terms of a practice routine.

“We are actually very fortunate that we get to train at the Arsenal facility,” Fisher said. “That is completely self-contained. But administratively we take the entire system, our network. We’ll go over there, leave late this afternoon and the coaches start game planning as soon as we arrive.”

In other words, though the Rams are going to be strangers in a strange land, they’re going to do everything possible to keep things normal.

“We’ll practice at a normal time,” Fisher said. “Once we get on the airplane we are on London time.”

Posted Oct 22, 2012

 Nick Wagoner Senior Writer

 

 

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New Jersey: Help Ban Extreme Confinement Of Pigs

Please use the form at this link to send an email to your New Jersey state assembly member.

New Jersey has the opportunity to help alleviate the stress and suffering of extreme confinement by banning gestation crates for breeding sows in the pork industry. Gestation crates keep pigs so cruelly confined they are unable to turn around or lie down comfortably. It would be the equivalent of living your entire life in an airplane seat.

Not only are these horrific crates banned in nine states and the European Union, corporate food giants like McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s and Denny’s are all encouraging their suppliers to eliminate gestation crates.

S.1921/A.3250 would require that pigs be able stand up, turn around and extend their limbs. S.1921, introduced by Senator Raymond Lesniak, overwhelmingly passed the Senate (35 to 1). A.3250 – a companion bill to S.1921, has now been introduced in the Assembly and will be considered on November 19.

1) Please make a brief, polite call to your New Jersey state assembly members and urge them to co-sponsor A.3250. Look up your legislator’s phone number here. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/abcroster.asp) You can say: “I am a voting constituent of yours, and I ask you to please co-sponsor Assembly Member Wilson’s animal protection bill, A.3250, which would require that pigs be able to turn around and extend their limbs.”

2) After making your phone call, fill in and submit the form at this link to automatically send a message to your state assembly members. 

Rams vs. Packers: Running Blog…Pregame Notes….1st Quarter…Second…Quarter…HALFTIME….And, anpother loss leading up to the wembly game…

Rams vs. Packers: Running Blog

Fourth Quarter

• The Packers continued to convert on third down as a third and 4 became a 9-yard completion to Nelson paired with a penalty on Finnegan for first down at the Rams 6.

• They settled for Crosby’s 23-yard field goal to make it 20-6 with 11:52 to play.

• On first down from the 20, Bradford threw a quick screen to Givens, it was deflected but Givens hauled it in and raced 56 yards to Green Bay’s 24.

• Three runs, including a 2-yarder by Jackson on third down moved the chains for a first down at Green Bay’s 13.

• Bradford found Smith for a gain of 6 to the Packers 6.

• On the next play, Jackson ran right behind Harvey Dahl for a 6-yard touchdown, his first of the year. Rams have life, trim Packers lead to 20-13 with 8:50 to play.

• Green Bay takes over at the 20. Big opportunity for Rams defense here.

• The Rams continued to struggle to get off the field on third down as the Packers converted a third and 7 when Dunbar missed Cobb for what would have been a tackle short of the first down.

• On third and 9 at the Rams’ 39, the Rams had another chance to get off the field and couldn’t do it. Rodgers rolled to his left on a free play from an offsides penalty and fired a strike to Cobb for 39 yards and a touchdown.

• Green Bay leads 27-13 with 3:06 to play.

• The Rams went three and out and Green Bay takes over at the Rams’ 28.

• Green Bay gets a 48-yard FG from Crosby to make it 30-13.

• Bradford hits Pettis for a 3-yard touchdown. That and the extra point makes it 30-20 with 15 seconds to go.

• That’ll do it for this one.

• The Rams fall 30-20 and drop to 3-4 on the season.

Third Quarter

• The Packers started from their 20 and wasted no time covering the field with the help of three third down conversions.

• Rodgers hit Nelson for a gain of 18 and Jones for gaines of 13 and 17 before finding WR Randall Cobb for a 5-yard touchdown to make it 17-6 Green Bay with 8:04 to go in the third quarter.

Second Quarter

• Richardson ripped off a gain of 11 on first down and followed with a gain of 1.

• On second-and-9, Bradford fired a strike to Gibson for a gain of 15 to Green Bay’s 22.

• A short pass to Givens lost 2 yards to make it second-and-12. The Rams used their first timeout after that play.

• A 1-yard run by Pead and a costly 5-yard false start on Barksdale set up third and 16.

• Bradford hit Pettis for a gain of 14 on a nice effort by Pettis.

• On fourth and 2, Fisher opted to go for it instead of taking the field goal and it backfired as Gibson couldn’t corral a short slant pass.

• Green Bay took over at its 15.

• They promptly moved into Rams territory but the defense came up with a key stop on third and 1 as Rodgers finally misfired for the first time.

• The Rams get it back at their 10.

• Jackson ripped off runs of 4 and 19 for a first down.

• Bradford hit Gibson for 11 and converted a third down by hitting Steve Smith for 6 yards to move the chains again.

• Two more runs for Jackson gained 14 to give the Rams second and 7 at Green Bay’s 41 with 2 minutes to go in the half.

• Bradford followed with a 14-yard strike to Gibson to the 27.

• Two plays gained 2 yards to set up a pivotal third-and-8 with 51 seconds to go in the half.

• On third down, Bradford couldn’t handle the shotgun snap, scrambled for no gain and the Rams again settled for a field goal from Zuerlein.

• The rookie converted from 43 yards out to make it 10-6 Green Bay with 40 seconds to go in the half.

• Green Bay got it back at its 15 with all timeouts available and quickly moved into Rams territory with completions of 13, 14 and 19.

• That set up a 58-yard field goal try for Crosby with 3 seconds to go in the half.

• He missed it. At the half, the Packers lead 10-6.

1st Quarter…

• Green Bay wins the toss and defers. The Rams get it first.

• The Rams came out running picking up a first down as RB Steven Jackson gained 5 and Chris Givens added 14 on second down to the Rams’ 39.

• Jackson gained 6 to the 45 and 1 more on another carry.

• On third and 3, Bradford misfired for TE Lance Kendricks but didn’t see Givens come clean on the right side from a drag route.

• The Rams punted it away and Green Bay takes over at its 10 after a strong punt from Johnny Hekker.

• The defense got a quick three and out as DE Robert Quinn got his seventh sack of the season on second down after Kendall Langford dropped RB Alex Green for a loss of 1 on first. A third down completion from Rodgers to WR Jordy Nelson went for 8 yards and forced a punt.

• The Rams take over at their 45.

• After two plays gained nothing, Bradford did a nice job of feeling pressure and stepped up in the pocket to deliver a strike to WR Brandon Gibson for 15 yards and a first down to Green Bay’s 40.

• A third down pass to Richardson gained 5 but the Rams settled for a 50-yard field goal from K Greg Zuerlein.

• With 7:38 to go in the first quarter, the Rams lead 3-0.

• Green Bay starts its second drive from the 20.

• The Packers wasted no time getting back on the board as Rodgers and Nelson went to work. The duo connected three times for 70 yards, including a 52-yarder on third and 3 and a 3-yard hookup for a score.

• Green Bay leads 7-3 with 5:23 to go in the quarter.

• Disaster for the Rams as Green Bay goes with the surprise onsides kick and recovers at the Rams 49.

• Dangerous territory here, defense needs a stop.

• A 19-yard run by WR Randall Cobb put the Packers in position to score but the drive was stifled as Brockers got his first career sack on third and 7.

• Mason Crosby knocked home a 47-yard field goal to give Green Bay a 10-3 lead with 2:18 to go in the first.

• The Rams start again from the 20.

• Three rushes from Richardson gained 12 yards and a first down to the Rams 32.

• On first down, the Rams went for some trickery as a flea flicker resulted in Bradford hitting Givens for 19 yards to Green Bay’s 49 at the end of the first quarter.

Posted by nickwagoner on October 21, 2012 – 3:45 PM  - Pregame Notes

• Greetings from the Edward Jones Dome where the Rams and Packers are warming up for today’s noon kickoff.

• Big game for the Rams today as they look to pick up their fourth consecutive win at the Edward Jones Dome and look to move back above .500 for the second time this season.

• Let’s get right to business on the inactive list and lineup changes.

• T Wayne Hunter (back) is inactive. Joe Barksdale will start in his place. Huge challenge for him in his Rams debut as he’ll be seeing a lot of Clay Matthews on the left side.

• Shelley Smith replaces Quinn Ojinnaka at LG. Ojinnaka has been struggling. There is no injury issue here, just giving an opportunity to Smith. A bit scary to have 40 percent turnover on the O-line with the Packers in town.

• The rest of the Rams inactives list, in addition to Hunter: T Rodger Saffold (knee), WR Danny Amendola (shoulder), LB Mario Haggan (thigh), QB Austin Davis, DT Matt Conrath and RB Terrance Ganaway.

• As expected and like last week, Chris Givens starts at WR in place of Amendola.

• While the Rams are missing some key pieces with injury and will have a new look OL, the Packers are missing some key pieces on their defense.

• Green Bay will be without four starters on defense, including DT B.J. Raji, LB Nick Perry, LB D.J. Smith and CB Sam Shields.

• The Packers will also be without WR Greg Jennings again this week. James Jones starts for him.

• Green Bay moves Ryan Pickett inside to NT with rookie Jerel Worthy moving to LDE. Erik Walden starts for Perry and Casey Hayward starts for Shields.

• The Rams are wearing all whites today. Perhaps losing in the all blue last week has changed things up.

• The Packers will go with green jerseys and gold pants.

• Stay tuned for updates throughout the game.

St. Louis Rams To Host Green Bay Packers On Sunday

Posted Oct 19, 2012

By StLouisRams.com

-Fans encouraged to use 11th and 6th Street exits from I-64 eastbound; Stadium/Tucker exit from I-64 westbound; or all 1-70 exits due to Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon-

ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Rams will host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, October 21 with kickoff set for 12 p.m. The game, which is presented by Bud Light, will air on KTVI-Fox 2.  The game will also be broadcast on 101 ESPN.  A limited number of tickets remain, and can be purchased at http://www.stlouisrams.com/tickets or at the Edward Jones Dome box office starting at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

Due to Sunday’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon taking place in downtown St. Louis, fans traveling to the game are encouraged to use the 11^th and 6^th street exits from I-64 eastbound and the Stadium/Tucker exit from I-64 westbound in addition to all I-70 exits. Two lanes of eastbound traffic will remain open however fans will be unable to travel north along Jefferson from I-64 due to road closures associated with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. All the road closures in the immediate Edward Jones Dome area will be open by 8:30 a.m. All road closures along the race route will be open by 3 p.m.

Below are some of the highlights taking place at Sunday’s game:

Rams Welcome Alum Adam Timmerman
During the first quarter, the Rams will welcome back Super Bowl Champion and Pro Bowl offensive guard Adam Timmerman to the Edward Jones Dome.

Rams Recognize Wounded Warrior
The Rams will recognize Sergeant Angela Peacock as part of the Solider Salute at the start of the second quarter. Sergeant Peacock served in the United States Army for seven years from 1998-2004. In 2003, Peacock deployed with the 1st Armored Division to Baghdad, Iraq. During her service in Iraq, Peacock was medevac’d due to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and several non-combat related injuries. Angela was then medically retired as a Sergeant and subsequently moved back to her hometown of St. Louis, MO where she suffered in silence before receiving help for her injuries from the Wounded Warrior Project. Since then, Peacock has become a peer mentor with the Wounded Warrior Project to help other wounded warriors who are enduring the same medical battles.

St. Louis Rams Official Bud Light Tailgate Party at Baer Park
At 9 a.m., the Bud Light Tailgate Party at Baer Park opens and features live music by Reunion, Rams merchandise, beer specials and the Bud Light Fantasy Football Zone.  Fans can also enjoy appearances from Rams Cheerleaders and Rams alumni, and reduced pricing on food and beverages, as well as an interactive kids’ corner.

The Fun Continues in the Bud Light Party Zone
Fans looking to enter the Edward Jones Dome early can enjoy the Bud Light Party Zone – the largest sports bar in St. Louis, which is available to all ticket holders. For early admittance to the Bud Light Party Zone, fans can enter gate C beginning at 10 a.m. All gates will open at 10:30 a.m.

Rams Players and Front Office Executives Purchase Tickets for Youth to Attend Game
The following players are participating in the “Rams’ All-Community Team” ticket donation program: Sam Bradford, Michael Brockers,Craig Dahl, Harvey Dahl, Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Cortland Finnegan,Bradley Fletcher, Chris Givens, Mario Haggan, William Hayes,Josh Hull, Steven Jackson, Lance Kendricks, Kendall Langford,James Laurinaitis, Chris Long, Rocky McIntosh, Quintin Mikell,Isaiah Pead, Austin Pettis, Brian Quick, Robert Quinn,Rodger Saffold, Eugene Sims, Darian Stewart, Robert Turnerand Scott Wells.

Head coach Jeff Fisher is also participating in the program. Each week, Fisher will donate 99 tickets to a group or organization. General manager Les Snead, executive vice president of football operations/chief operating officer Kevin Demoff and executive vice president of sales and marketing/chief revenue officer Bob Reif have also purchased tickets through the program.

Cruelty to animals at 30,000 feet?

			The last time you flew for the holidays or on vacation, you probably never imagined that a frightened monkey may have been enduring a dark and terrifying journey right below your feet. This year, nearly 20,000 monkeys from China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and other countries will be transported in the bellies of commercial aircraft as they are shipped to U.S. laboratories, where they will be tormented in cruel and deadly experiments. You can help our vital efforts to end the suffering of these and all animals in laboratories by taking PETA’s Global “Stop Animal Tests” Challenge right now. If we reach our $250,000 online goal before our October 31 deadline, we’ll have $500,000 to use to save animals terrorized by the animal testing industry. And your gift will help us do that—but only if you donate before October 31. We’re still $XX away from our target and urgently need your support today. Simply imagine the panic that these sensitive monkeys experience as they are crammed into small wooden crates and dumped into the noisy, dark cargo holds of planes for long journeys many thousands of miles from the forests that many have once called home. When they finally reach their destination in the U.S., the terrified animals are transported to facilities such as Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories (SNBL) and Covance—the U.S.’ largest importers of monkeys—to be imprisoned and tormented in often painful experiments. In these cold, unnatural environments, monkeys endure unthinkable suffering. A whistleblower recently leaked photos and video footage from SNBL that showed monkeys wincing, screaming, and trembling as they tried in vain to defend themselves. A U.S. Department of Agriculture report from 2011 documented that 78 percent of the monkeys at SNBL are caged alone—in violation of federal law—unable to touch or interact in any way with other monkeys. This is so distressing to monkeys that they develop stress-induced, abnormal behavior [CAN: behaviour] such as biting themselves, incessantly rocking, and pulling out their own hair. You can help our work to cut off the supply of animals to laboratories and shut down cruel experiments by supporting PETA’s Global “Stop Animal Tests” Challenge now. Through the efforts of PETA and thousands of compassionate people like you from around the world, almost every major airline in service now prohibits transporting monkeys to laboratories. But even with this tremendous progress, a tiny handful of air carriers, including Air France and United Airlines, continues to profit from the misery of monkeys destined for U.S. laboratories. Please act now to help strengthen our efforts as we stand up to these companies and others like them. There are only a few days left to participate in our Global “Stop Animal Tests” Challenge—a campaign that’s simply too important for animals in laboratories for you to put off. Please make a special donation online right now to have your gift matched—dollar for dollar—by a group of generous PETA donors (if you give by October 31). Through your gift today, you’ll help us convince more airlines to stop supporting cruel tests and give us the resources that we need to save animals from suffering at the hands of experimenters. Please act now!

New Jersey became the 9th state to formally call for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and put our democracy back in the hands of We, the People.

		Yesterday, New Jersey became the 9th state to formally call for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and put our democracy back in the hands of We, the People. It’s another huge step forward for our growing movement. The New York Times also recently endorsed an amendment. Here’s something fun, to celebrate: our friends at Good and unPAC have gathered more than 100 cool, new graphics submitted by artists to express the message of our movement, visually. Now you’re invited to vote for your favorite. Vote for your favorite image, here. There are a lot of powerful images in there. In addition to voting for your favorite one, you can also share the ones you like on Facebook. It’s a great way to build our visibility. Voting ends Monday, so now, through this weekend, is your chance to peruse the images and vote for your favorite. Free Speech For People

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Sunset Records Signs Acclaimed Singer-Songwriter Joe Atman.

(Joe) Atman is to release his debut CD, It Took The Village, for the Sunset Label, on December 11^th.

 

Sunset Records is excited to announce the signing of singer and songwriter Joe Atman and they have already begun to set up the It The Took The Village release for a street day on December 11th. The label boasts to being able to work up to FOUR (4) singles to radio stations all over the world. The artist has already garnered great critical acclaim in the Southern California area, let alone in the music scene. (Joe) Atman also shows off those strong vocals with these excellent songs written in ways that showcases his great accessibility to all fans of pop rock, adult contemporary and AAA music.

 

(Joe) Atman will continue to do his very special live showcases in California, with the hope of getting him on the road by spring of 2013.

 

Come See Joe Atman at the The Press Room in Claremont California before the end of the year:

 

10/24

Claremont, CA

The Press

10/31 Halloween Show!

Claremont, CA

The Press

11/7

Claremont, CA
The Press

11/14

Claremont, CA
The Press

12/9 Record Release!

Claremont, CA
The Press

IDA Offers $2,500 Reward In Oregon Cat Cruelty Case

 IDA has offered a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whomever brutally shot a cat with an arrow in Sandy, Oregon.

Pumpkin, a beloved companion, was shot with a hunting arrow Sunday afternoon in the woods near her family’s home. Pumpkin’s guardian told the Oregonian newspaper that she knew Pumpkin had been shot because of the sounds the arrow made as Pumpkin was trying to get through the cat door. “I could hear the arrow hitting against everything … it looked horrible.” Click here to read more.

Tell Clothing Retailer bebe To Honor Pledge To Stop Selling Fur

Clothing retailer bebe promised to go fur-free by 2008, yet they continue to sell fur. Please tell bebe’s CEO that you will not shop at bebe until they go fur-free permanently!

October 18, 2012

Tell Clothing Retailer Bebe To Honor Pledge To Stop Selling Fur Leading fashion retailers like Guess, J.Crew, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger have all made the compassionate decision to go fur-free. Urge bebe to join them. Click here to send an email right now. And don’t miss your chance on Fur Free Friday, November 23, to ask all retailers to stop selling fur! To lead an event, or to find an event near you, please e-mail christy@idausa.org.

Clothing retailer bebe promised to go fur-free by 2008, yet they continue to sell fur. Please use the form below to tell bebe’s CEO that you will not shop at bebe until they go fur-free permanently!

Leading fashion retailers like Guess, J.Crew, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger have all made the compassionate decision to go fur-free. Please urge bebe to join them.

And don’t miss your chance on Fur Free Friday, November 23 to ask all retailers to stop selling fur! To lead an event, or to find an event near you, please e-mail Christy Griffin at christy@idausa.org.

Personalize and submit the form below to email your comments to bebe’s CEO, Mr. Manny Mashouf.

Note: the term “Decision Maker” in the salutation below will automatically be replaced by the name and title of the recipient.

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Make Your Progressive Vote Count for President

President Romney ?   

Initiating signers of the following proposal include Daniel Ellsberg, Cornel West, Frances Fox Piven, Jeff Cohen and Norman Solomon.

Defeat Romney, without illusions about Obama

Please tell friends — no matter what state they live in — about this proposal for strategic voting, so that progressives can have the most impact with their presidential vote. 

While RootsAction activists have consistently challenged Obama policies (on civil liberties, war and bloated military spending, environment, potential cuts to Social Security and Medicare, to name a few), we know that the policies of a Romney/Ryan administration would be worse on many issues and better on none. Consider Romney’s recent vow to “change course” toward even more war-mongering in the Middle East. Or their profound differences on abortion rights and Supreme Court picks.

We also know that whether Obama or Romney wins on November 6th will be decided in a dozen states known as “swing” or “battleground” states because they’re so close they could go either way. Those states now include Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

But due to our 18th century system of presidential elections, your vote in nearly 40 non-swing states (e.g. West Coast, most of Northeast, deep South) will not be decisive because one side or the other will easily win those states. Progressives can take strategic advantage of this archaic voting system that’s winner-take-all in each state.

So please sign this pledge to promote strategic voting: in swing states, we’ll urge progressives to vote against Romney/Ryan by voting for Obama/Biden (despite our vital policy critiques) — and we’ll urge progressives in non-swing states to seriously consider voting for unabashed peace and justice candidates.

Noam Chomsky and other respected progressive leaders have supported this voting strategy for years. Chomsky commented this fall:“Between the two choices that are presented, there is I think some significant differences. If I were a person in a swing state, I’d vote against Romney/Ryan, which means voting for Obama because there is no other choice. I happen to be in a non-swing state, so I can either not vote or — as I probably will — vote for [Green Party candidate] Jill Stein.”

RootsAction founding endorser and peace activist Daniel Ellsberg emphatically supports strategic voting. He lives in an overwhelmingly Democratic state and plans to vote for a peace and justice candidate. Of such candidates, Ellsberg says: “I agree with everything they say — except when they say ‘vote for me’ in a swing state.”

In swing states, progressives should make sure their voting — for Obama/Biden — helps to keep the right-wing Republicans from winning the White House.

In the nearly 40 non-swing states where our vote has no impact on Obama vs. Romney, voters can wisely send a message of protest to Obama and the Democratic Party leadership — over policies like militarism, Wall Street coziness, abuse of civil liberties, expansion of nukes, fracking and drilling — by voting for a genuinely progressive candidate such as Jill Stein of the Green Party.

I join with thousands of progressives around the country by pledging: YES, I will spread the word in support of strategic voting.

Initiating signers of the following proposal include Daniel Ellsberg, Cornel West, Frances Fox Piven, Jeff Cohen and Norman Solomon.

Defeat Romney, without illusions about Obama
(Swing States now: Colo., Fla., Iowa, Mich., Mo., Nev., NH, NC, NM, Ohio, Penn., Va., Wisc.)

Please tell friends — no matter what state they live in — about this proposal for strategic voting, so that progressives can have the most impact with their presidential vote.

While RootsAction activists have consistently challenged Obama policies (on civil liberties, war and bloated military spending, environment, potential cuts to Social Security and Medicare, to name a few), we know that the policies of a Romney/Ryan administration would be worse on many issues and better on none. Consider Romney’s recent vow to “change course” toward even more war-mongering in the Middle East. Or their profound differences on abortion rights and Supreme Court picks.

We also know that whether Obama or Romney wins on November 6th will be decided in a dozen states known as “swing” or “battleground” states because they’re so close they could go either way. Those states now include Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

But due to our 18th century system of presidential elections, your vote in nearly 40 non-swing states (e.g. West Coast, most of Northeast, deep South) will not be decisive because one side or the other will easily win those states. Progressives can take strategic advantage of this archaic voting system that’s winner-take-all in each state.

So please sign this pledge to promote strategic voting: In swing states, we’ll urge progressives to vote against Romney/Ryan by voting for Obama/Biden (despite our vital policy critiques) — and we’ll urge progressives in non-swing states to seriously consider voting for unabashed peace and justice candidates.

To simplify: In battleground states, progressives should make sure their voting — for Obama/Biden — helps to keep the right-wing Republicans from winning the White House.

In the nearly 40 non-swing states where our vote has no impact on Obama vs. Romney, voters can wisely send a message of protest to Obama and the Democratic Party leadership — over policies like militarism, Wall Street coziness, abuse of civil liberties, expansion of nukes, fracking and drilling — by voting for a genuinely progressive candidate such as Jill Stein of the Green Party.

Join with thousands of progressives around the country by pledging: YES, I will spread the word in support of strategic voting.

Noam Chomsky and other respected progressive leaders have supported this voting strategy for years. Chomsky commented this fall: “Between the two choices that are presented, there is I think some significant differences. If I were a person in a swing state, I’d vote against Romney/Ryan, which means voting for Obama because there is no other choice. I happen to be in a non-swing state, so I can either not vote or — as I probably will — vote for Jill Stein.”

So make your vote count: If you live in a close state, defeat Romney and his right-wing policies by voting Obama/Biden. If you live in a state where the outcome will be lopsided, you’re in a position to send a loud and clear vote of protest against Obama policies you oppose.

RootsAction founding endorser and peace activist Daniel Ellsberg emphatically supports strategic voting. He lives in an overwhelmingly Democratic state and plans to vote for a peace and justice candidate. Of such candidates, Ellsberg says: “I agree with everything they say — except when they say ‘vote for me’ in a swing state.”

You can read Ellsberg’s essay on the subject here.

Please forward this message far and wide.

Hey Fagg…I mean Tagg…PLEASE…TAKE A SWING AT ME….U FUCKING PUSSY THAT COULD NOT THROW A PUNCH through a fucking paperbag…Tagg Romney Jests That he Wants to ‘Take a Swing’ at President…

Shut the fuck up…you fucking fuck….Did this asshole really say that about  our president?

who the fuck is this asshole now reaping its douche bag head…

Tagg….nice name BTW….is an asshole that Ill fight at any time so please…set it up legally…Ill give up all money made on it…to any charity…please…ill allow tagg…to have the first poucnh too..

Please…I beg any promoter to make this happen….

Tagg Romney Jests That he Wants to ‘Take a Swing’ at President

STERLING, Va — Mitt Romney’s eldest son Tagg Romney said that the sometimes heated moments during the campaign make him want to “take a swing” at President Obama.

Tagg Romney’s remarks came during a radio interview Wednesday with North Carolina host Bill LuMaye, during which the candidate’s son, and one of his closest campaign advisers, was asked what it’s like to hear President Obama call his father a “liar.”

“You want to rush down the debate stage and take a swing at him but you know you can’t do that because, well first cause there is a lot of secret service between you and him,” Tagg Romney said of what he would have liked to during the presidential debate earlier this week.

“This is the nature of the process,” the Romney son said, who sounded jovial in his remarks. “You know they are going to do everything they can to try to make my dad into someone he’s not. We signed up for it. We gotta kinda sit there and take our punches, and then send them back the other way.”

A campaign aide later told ABC News that Tagg Romney’s remarks were all in jest, adding that he was joking about how frustrating the campaign process can be for family.

ABC News’ David Muir contributed to this report.

 

People From Vermont, Please Save Bill and Lou…

URGENT: Save Bill and Lou from Slaughter!

 

Bill and Lou are two oxen who have been living at Green Mountain College in Vermont for 10 years. They are so loved by students that they are even featured on the school‘s Facebook page. But the future looks grim for Bill and Lou, as the school is currently planning on sending the aging animals to slaughter and then serving their meat at the school!

VINE Sanctuary—an animal refuge in Vermont—has offered to arrange transport and veterinary care for both Bill and Lou as well as a permanent home where they can roam and live out the rest of their lives in peace, but so far the school has refused to let the sanctuary save them.

Bill and Lou will be violently killed if we don’t speak up NOW. Please send a polite letter to officials at Green Mountain College and ask them to do the right thing and let VINE save Bill and Lou from death at a slaughterhouse.

The Deadline Is Almost Here

We’re close to our $250,000 online goal of the Global “Stop Animal Tests” Challenge, but we need your help to reach it! Your gift will be matched dollar for dollar, but only through the October 31 deadline.

Right now, millions of sensitive animals—including dogs and cats much like those with whom we share our homes—are suffering in painful and often deadly experiments. But with your help, we can change that.

Your generous gift today during the Global “Stop Animal Tests” Challenge will be DOUBLED—up to our $250,000 goal—by a group of dedicated PETA donors.

Help PETA’s vital work to end the suffering of animals in laboratories by making a gift right now.

Donate now!