allan

get the Time of Possession Battle - Throughout the course of a game, the opposing teams trade possession of the ball. The length of time that a team has possession of the ball is referred to as its time of possession. While no guarantee to victory, generally speaking the longer a team has the ball throughout the game, the better. It’s kind of like “sustain away” - if you don’t have the ball, you can’t acquire!

glean the Turnover Battle - A turnover occurs when a team unwillingly gives up possession of the ball to its opponent, either through an interception (ball thrown forward and caught by an opposing player) or by a fumble (ball carrier loses possession of the ball that the opposing team recovers) . Each time a team “turns the ball over” (turnover) to its opponent, it gives itself one less and its opponent one additional opportunity to accept. One too many turnovers by a team can be costly; it can be the dissimilarity between winning and losing. A team can usually live with one or two turnovers in a game, but if it turns the ball over three or more times, it usually spells trouble.

Convert on 3rd Downs - When a team has the ball, it is given a status of four downs (plays) to reach the ball at least 10 yards, or else it may have to give up possession of the ball to its opponent. 3rd down is probably the most famous down, because if it doesn’t convert (approach the ball far enough after its 3rd down), it very likely on 4th down will have to give up possession of the ball by kicking it (punting) to its opponent.

Successfully rushing the ball against its opponent - In football, there are two types of plays that a team uses to arrive the ball foward: Passing (throwing the ball foward) and Rushing (running with the ball from scrimmage) While ideally, a team would like to be successful at both, it is of particular importance that a team has success rushing the ball. One reason is, the more successful a team is at rushing, the longer it is able to sustain the ball in its hands and out of its opponents To briefly clarify, when a team rushes the ball, the game clock(clock customary to time the action) continues to wind down, leaving less time for its opponent when it has possession; whereas passing the ball can terminate the game clock if a pass thrown is incomplete (not caught) . Another reason is, rushing the ball wears down the opposing team.

Successfully discontinuance the opposing team from rushing - unbiased contemplate opposite of what we fair described in the previous point.

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OFFENSE

Steve McNair played well last season. The Ravens intend to expend multiple formations this season, which should suit McNair, who is fine at improvising and reading defenses. McNair likes to check down, so seek information from the backs and tight ends to pick up a lot of passes.

Willis McGahee replaces Jamal Lewis at running support. McGahee is younger, more versatile and will be the lone befriend in three- and four-receiver sets most of the time, as the Ravens spread things out. demand less downhill running plays and more tosses, sweeps, traps and misdirection plays with McGahee toting the rock.

With WR’s Derrick Mason, trace Clayton and Demetrius Williams to go along with TE Todd Heap, the Ravens have four solid receiving options to spend on the field at the same time. OC Rick Neuheisel will be able to exploit many mismatches with this quartet.

The offensive line will be missing Tony Pashos and Edwin Mulitalo from last year’s starting cast. They mild have grand Jonathan Ogden at left tackle. Adam Terry takes over for Pashos at just tackle. Terry is more versatile than Pashos, but not as strong. Jason Brown should replace Mulitalo at left guard. First-round draft prefer Ben Grubbs (guard, Auburn) won’t initiate accurate away, but inquire of him to gain his device into the starting lineup before too long.

DEFENSE

You have to fancy this defense, unless you’re a fan of their AFC North foes. DC Rex Ryan loves to blitz. The Ravens will blitz at least 70% of the time and from all areas of the field. They recede players around a lot, making it difficult to prepare to play against this unit.

The line is solid with Trevor Pryce at one ruin and the substantial 340-pound Haloti Ngata at the other raze. Pryce possesses a edifying combination of power and accelerate. Ngata routinely fights through double-teams and is amazingly rapidly for someone his size. Kelly Gregg anchors the middle and excels at stopping the bustle.

The loss of Adalius Thomas won’t be as well-known as some may mediate. They collected have Ray Lewis, who can play strong or aged side in a 4-3 alignment and also inside in a 3-4 intention. Bart Scott plays inside with Lewis in 3-4 alignments. Scott is coming off a breakout season and may be asked to consume some of Thomas’ roles. Jarrett Johnson may then be asked to assume over great of Scott’s blitzing responsibility. Then there’s Terrell Suggs. Suggs is a pass-rushing demon, who unprejudiced happens to be playing for a recent contract. Opponents beware.

The Ravens are solid at corner, with veterans Samari Rolle and Chris McAlister. Rolle gave up too many vast plays last season, but played better as the season wore on. Free safety Ed Reed is a playmaking machine in the secondary. Strong safety Dawan Landry is a substantial hitter with agreeable size and a muscular fabricate.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker Matt Stover is one of the best clutch kickers in the game. Punter Sam Koch pinned opponents inside the 20 on a regular basis last season. The coverage units are solid. B.J. Sams is returning from a broken ankle and must reveal he’s healthy. The Ravens drafted Yamon Figurs in the third round as insurance. The super-speedy Figurs is a threat to gain any time he touches the ball.

PREDICTION

If McGahee and the o-line advance together, it’ll be another double-digit find total for the Ravens this season. They’ll battle the Bengals and Steelers for the AFC North title and a playoff space. I glance them finishing 10-6 and earning a Wildcard playoff dwelling.

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1 Chris Johnson Titans, RB
The cherish child of Jar Jar Binks and Whoopi Goldberg keeps racking up points. sizable playoff schedule. $43

2 Adrian Peterson
Vikings, RB He has racked up 1519 total yards and 14 tds (tied for rushing TD lead) and apparently can grow lizard skin at will. $38

3 Maurice Jones-Drew
Jaguars, RB What Would Jones Drew? Should bring home some fantasy hardware for teams. $37

4 Ray Rice Ravens, RB
He’s a top 5 guy and we rep the feeling he’s only scratching the surface of his potential….if only he was featured more in their offense. $35

5 Cedric Benson Bengals, RB
With his hips healthy again he should be dancing relieve to early season earn. Almost hung a hundo on the tremendous Vikes hurry D. $28

6 Ricky Williams Miami, RB
Ever since Crockett got damage, Tubs has taken over. study for Miami Vice solo act Ricky “Tubs” Williams to notify the goods championship week, against the Texans. $28

7 Steven Jackson Rams, RB

4 TD’s on the year is hard to forgive. But, with 2 obedient playoff matchups he could redeem himself. $25

8 Larry Fitzgerald Cardinals, WR
If aged man Warner can hold it together his playoff matchups seek astounding….. @DET then home vs STL. Pending results of Monday Night Injury. $25

9 Ryan Grant Packers, RB
Tough 1st playoff game vs PIT. He and Packers are surging though, we are believers. $24

10 DeAngelo Williams Panthers, RB
After last years fantasy playoff bustle, you gotta have him in your line up. $23

11 Andre Johnson Texans,WR
He and Schaub are clicking… Rams and Dolphins create for a great playoff schedule. $22

12 Thomas Jones Jets, RB
If you scrutinize flashy highlight reel TD replays, go elsewhere, but if you like first-rate production, you’ve reach to the good location. $21

13 Aaron Rodgers Packers,QB
Now that he is getting the playground well-liked 5 banana count from his O-line, he is looking better than ever. Topping the charts in most scoring formats. $21

14 Drew Brees Saints, QB
If you’re a Brees owner your rooting for one of two options; Saints try to go undefeated or the initiate losing…. either scenario keeps him on the field. $20

15 Anquan Boldin Cardinals,WR
This won’t be the last time you hear this at this spot, the Cardinals fantasy playoff schedule is as wonderful as it gets. $20

16 Randy Moss Patriots, WR
Giving body language like he’s starting to check out mentally for the season, on the other hand a strong execute would not surprise us. Tough read. $19

17 Rashard Mendenhall Steelers, RB
Despite killing owners with his modern performance against CLE, he remains a strong option going forward. $19

18 DeSean Jackson Eagles, WR
Seems to be obvious of the concussion. He doesn’t pick up a ton of receptions, but 18.9 yds/catch is tops in the league (of relevant WR’s) ….and he returns the occasional punt for 6 as well. $19

19 Frank Gore 49ers, RB
What happened to running 3 times and then punting? Obviously, the 49ers are better off with their original pass first offense, but that is not sitting well with Gore owners. $17

20 Jamaal Charles Chiefs, RB
He’s been red hot since taking over the starting role. Chiefs are not a high powered an offense, but he is getting it done on his waste. $17

21 Brandon Marshall Broncos, WR
Just station the single game NFL reception relate (21) and looks to be hitting his bound, rewarding owners who stuck with him. $17

22 Joesph Addai Colts, RB
Quietly having a really nice season. He has pressed the stay button on the Donald Brown era for now. $17

23 LaDainian Tomlinson Chargers, RB
He’s been surprisingly consistent since coming befriend from injury early in the year. $16

24 Wes Welker Patriots, WR
The league leader in Receptions (105) and second in yardage (1158) gives you week in week out consistent production, any TD’s are honest icing on the cake. $16

25 Vincent Jackson Chargers, WR
Is to San Diego WR’s what MadMen is to AMC…..both have made something completely irrelevant worth watching now. $16

26 Kurt Warner Cardinals, QB
The outmoded man has two large matchups to bring home fantasy championships; @DET then home vs STL. $15

27 Miles Austin Cowboys,WR
Blind Melon, The Proclaimers, Chumbawumba and Hanson want to know his secret for multiple hit success. $14

28 Sidney Rice Vikings, WR
Having the prototypical wide receiver 3rd year breakout season. Expecting even bigger things next year. $14

29 Chad Ochocinco Bengals,WR
Typical streaky season for Chad OchoTweets. Faces 10th (SD) and 24th (KC) ranked pass defenses weeks 15 & 16. $14

30 Calvin Johnson Lions, WR
Looking more like a ’second tier’ transforming machine to robot action figure of the 80’s……Gobot in disguise! $13

31 Pierre Thomas Saints, RB
He plays Suzanne Summers in the Saints aggravating Three’s Company sitcom. He is the hottest by far, yet Mike Bell in the role of the butch brunette gets far too considerable shroud time $12

32 Matt Schaub Texans, QB
He has been a house of fire all season. Faces STL (19th) and MIA (22nd) next two weeks. $12

33 Phillip Rivers Chargers, QB
The main reason the Chargers have won 8 straight. Model of consistency; never scored more than 23 or less than 9. $11

34 Tom Brady Patriots, QB
Everyone in the AFC is rooting for a colicky Brady baby to hamper his production. $11

35 Brandon Jacobs Giants, RB
Like B Jacobs….as considerable as everyone likes the cold Asian guy with the twirling kicks in Karate Kid, at the All Valley Tourney, maybe it’s unbiased time to admit he’s not quite as gracious as we’d like him to be. $11

36 Steve Smith Giants, WR
Nothing too flashy here, honest a consistent 75 yds/game and a TD mixed in every few. $10

37 Peyton Manning Colts, QB
Will you collect more than 2 quarters of production out of him? If he’s playing for the perfect season, we believe so. $10

38 Mike Sims-Walker Jaguars, WR
Having a solid year for the Jaguar-Leopards. As long as he’s healthy he could achieve very strong. $9

39 Vernon Davis 49ers, TE
A monster who probably deserves to be higher. He’ll be spending his off-season lobbying for equal treatment of Tight Ends. $9

40 Kevin Smith Lions, RB
Fairly consistent for such a awful offense. Hope for 8 points, anything more is gravy. $8

41 Roddy White Falcons, WR
247 yds and 2 scores in the last 4 games, not setting the world ablaze, but a strong #2 WR. $8

42 Michael Turner Falcons, RB
The Burner……if last year he was fueled by petroleum products……this year he’s apparently switched to “easy bake oven” technology. $8

43 Antonio Gates Chargers, TE
Slow launch, but coming on strong. He’s delivered fantasy championships before, in Gates we trust. $8

44 Reggie Wayne Colts, WR
Hasn’t gone over 50 yds in the last three weeks, cutting his owners deep……I’m talking like BJ Penn cutting Diego Sanchez’s forehead with a head kick deep. $7

45 Marion Barber Cowboys, RB
716 yds and 4 TD’s on the year….he’s on the list based on potential, not for past performance. $7

46 Marques Colston Saints, WR
Marques, along with posse; Shonne, Toni, Geoff, and Alicks frequent the island of misfit name spellers. $7

47 Quinton Ganther Redskins, RB
Shined in his first originate against the Raiders, now let’s watch how he does vs an NFL team. $7

48 Fred Jackson Bills, RB
Every other week hobble means, bench next week, cash in on championship game pending your options. $7

49 Beanie Wells Cardinals, RB
Received the bulk of the carries in the Monday night game vs SF. If he continues to accumulate the lion’s section of the work, he has plenty of upside with the aforementioned AZ playoff schedule. $7

50 Greg Jennings Packers, WR
His reversal of fortune this season rivals only that of an amateur competitive eater; one diminutive focused and poised for a Coney Island Championship, the next he’s got semi-digested wet hot dogs & buns all over his shoes. $7

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Stream The Governess Online. Movie Title: The Governess Average customer review: The Governess is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The Governess

I am a period movie fan. I first saw this film when it was new in the rental stores. At the time I thought it was interesting, but it did not rate as high as other films I was into. Recently I decided to watch it again while I was fiending for a movie with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in it and I must say it was worth a second viewing.

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Minnie Driver plays Rosina, a young Jewish woman who must find employment to help support her family after the murder of her father. She gets hired at a home in Scotland by cold woman with two children and a husband who spends the bulk of his time pursuing new innovations in the Photographic field. Quickly she is swept up in the morose nature of this family, but she finds joy in the studio with the lord of the manor and an unexpected love affair as well.

The casting of this movie was well done. Driver’s performance as the ingenue suits her well and she captivates as the driving force behind the plot. Tom Wilkinson, who plays her love interest Charles Cavendish, is also well matched as the isolated naturalist who cannot bring himself to face the timultuous emotions the young Rosina inspires in him. As for the reason I chose to rewatch the film, Meyers is as engaging as always as the young college man who fixates his desire on Rosina nearly from the moment he meets her. The cinematography is also stunning, the gray and black tones of color set the mood of the film and the location is a fitting backdrop for this brooding story, whether or not it is actually Scotland I am not sure, but it comes off well none the less. And the scenes where Cavendish is shooting pictures of Rosina are simply wonderful.

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My only real complaint about the film was that it lacked a bit of subtance when it came to the family. I would have liked to have more explanation about why the family was so dysfunctional. The mother spends all of her time obsessing about London society, though she has never been there before. Charles Cavendish obsesses over his work and not much else, although he manages his to air bigotry and male chauvinism often enough. The daughter, Clementina, only cares about drawing attention to herself and does so by showing off her dead animals and telling her disturbing dreams to anyone who might listen, and Henry Cavendish spends most of his time chasing after Rosina and engaging in generally creepy behavior because he was drawn to her differences and because he liked to shock his family, as demonstrated by his expulsion from school due to being found in an opium den. What draws a family to act like this? I don’t know, because it was never hashed out anywhere in the film, and I like to think that Scotland is probably not as dreary as this film portrays it, certainly not dreary enough to lead people to behave like this.

Overall, not a bad film though. I enjoyed it so much more the second time through. Definitely worthwhile for any fan of period dramas, Minnie Driver, or Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (who shines in every scene he is in.) If you like dark melodrama or gothic films this is a must see.

My interest in The Governess was piqued when I heard that Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (as Henry Cavendish) appears in a decidedly supporting - but delicious role. Having seen some of his previous films (Velvet Goldmine and Ride with the Devil) I was very pleased to see that this film was a departure for him as he is usually cast as a theatrically effeminate villian-type. Here, he plays the young love-lorn son of the vindictive lord of the Manor played by Tom Wilkinson. He hopelessly pines for Rosina (Minnie Driver) and is crushed at the end when his affections are denied. I was glad to see his normally over-the-top acting style was gracefully curtailed yet intense at the same time. It’s long and tedious at times (as most British films tend to crawl by for American audiences), but at the end, it seems like you have just had the satisfaction of reading a poignant bestselling novel. The movie itself has the complex and metaphoric plot of a good novel, but keeps to a central character without dallying in unrelated side-plots. I like this movie for grey, rainy afternoons on the couch with a friend who is a novelist. Or not. Forget that, watch it whenver you like. It’s good anytime. Watch it for culture and perspective.

Stream Bubblegum Crisis - Tokyo 2040 - For All Mankind Online. Movie Title: Bubblegum Crisis - Tokyo 2040 - For All Mankind Average customer review: Bubblegum Crisis - Tokyo 2040 - For All Mankind is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Bubblegum Crisis - Tokyo 2040 - For All Mankind

…actually have the power to bring me to tears. BGC 2040 is one of them. After getting the first DVD of this series, I was hooked. Two months (and close to $200 dollars poorer) later, I finished watching the last disc. This series is an epic tale (climaxing with the last 5 episodes) of sacrifice, discovering one’s self, coming to accept the nature of your enemy, and (what anime would be complete without:) love. By the end of this series, I felt empathy for the characters…even the ones who were meant to be the villains. To be honest, I haven’t seen the original series (but I am meaning to). On a more technical note: the animation all throughout the 5 episodes is absolutely wonderful. This is definitely a series worth watching if you are new to anime, and a must for anybody who is a current anime fan.

This DVD marks the final DVD of the Bubblegum Crisis 2040 series featuring TV episodes 22-24 and OAV 1-2. What that means that in Japan, everyone who watched the TV series had to wait for the true final ending when it was released as OAV’s.

The storyline now has the Knightsabers kicked out of their building which was taken over by Galatea and the Boomers. The Knightsabers find a few more people who are trapped in Tokyo. This is the final battle between the Knightsabers and Galatea and also what happens to Mackie? You have to watch and find out. Also, this DVD answers the question if about Priss and Leon.

Although the finale may present more questions than answers, I am guessing the creators wanted the viewer to make their own conclusions or wait until the next series or OAV’s are released.

As for the DVD itself, similar to the rest, looks and sounds great. As for the final two OAV’s, since it’s not television, they spent a little more on the final episodes and unlike the TV series, there is nudity. As for special features, there is the voice actress profiles but I’m not sure why not all of them are included. Also, still can’t find the ADVfilm CM’s for the other anime.

All in all, a great series and pretty bummed that the ride is over. Check it out!

Download An Unfinished Life Online. Movie Title: An Unfinished Life Average customer review: An Unfinished Life is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download An Unfinished Life

This is a character driven movie with solid performances from Redford, Lopez, and Freeman. Although it is not a comedy, there are many funny lines and character quirks that make you want to keep watching. Each character is on a journey of healing past wounds and is dependent on the others for guidance and insight. As with the movie ‘The Horse Whisper’ the beauty of the land is breathtaking. It is a thoughtful movie that doesn’t rush anything. I loved this movie and would recommend it if you are willing to be patient with the slow pace of the story.

Einar (Robert Redford), a crusty old rancher, does what he can to hold onto his Wyoming ranch. It’s been a struggle for years; his son was killed in a car crash, his wife left him, and his longtime friend and helper, Mitch (Morgan Freeman) was recently mauled by a bear. Now, Einar has to care for Mitch, administering morphine, helping him recover. Jean (Jennifer Lopez) and her daughter, Griff (Becca Gardner) have to leave Jean’s current abusive boyfriend. The only place they can go is the ranch of Griff’s grandfather, Einar, who learns of his granddaughter’s existence upon their arrival. He doesn’t exactly welcome them.

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Lasse Halllstrom’s newest film “An Unfinished Life” is being dumped by the studio. The first few weeks of September are always a dumping ground. People are too busy with “Back to School” to get excited about movies, so they stay away. The studios clear out some backlog, usually crap, waiting for attendance to pick up. While “An Unfinished Life” is certainly not groundbreaking, it is a very good film, and deserves some audience.

From the moment we realize Redford’s crusty old rancher character is going to take in his daughter-in-law and granddaughter, you will be able to predict just about every moment of the extremely predictable story. Something else needs to catch our attention, to keep us watching. That “something” is the performances.

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While the stories of Lasse Hallstrom’s films (”The Cider House Rules”, “Chocolat”, “The Shipping News”) may veer towards the schmaltzy, maudlin and/ or predictable, he is generally able to get interesting performances from his actors. In “The Cider House Rules”, Michael Caine brought his character to life, earning another Academy Award and overshadowing his co-stars, Tobey Maguire and Charlize Theron. In “Chocolat”, Juliette Binoche shined, once again. In “An Unfinished Life”, all four leads do a very good job.

Robert Redford (”Spy Game”), surprisingly, is the biggest revelation. As the central character, he is in perhaps 80% of the film, so he is onscreen for a long time, allowing his character to develop the most fully. Once he establishes how “crusty” and “set in his ways” Einar is, Redford is able to start revealing the more subtle aspects of his character. The fact that he has to care for both a sick person and his granddaughter may seem overdone, and it is, but this also gives his character the most opportunity for change. Redford deserves credit for making this believable and watch able. Throughout, he is always ornery and gruff, yet when his character is caring for Mitch, we understand that Mitch is perhaps the one person who gets him and won’t put up with any of his crap. As he interacts with his granddaughter, he lightens up a bit when he realizes she is well-mannered. The performance is subtle, well-rounded and may be some of Redford’s best work in years.

Morgan Freeman (”Million Dollar Baby”) has played the “wise sage” role many times and always does a good job. He doesn’t add a lot to the character in this film, but his role is central to the rest of the film. Without his character, there would be little balance and we wouldn’t be as invested in the other characters. His character’s subplot is interesting; because he was mauled by this bear, he now has a connection with the bear and feels responsible for the animal.

Becca Gardner does a very good job of creating the character of Griff, Einar’s granddaughter. She is a tough little girl (without being overly precocious) and doesn’t shy away from either of the older gentleman. This is a good example of her upbringing and helps to make her character and her mom’s character more real. Jean’s (Lopez) series of abusive relationships has made Griff a tougher person because she has to look out for herself, at times, and help her mom make the right decisions.

Lopez (”Monster-In-Law”) also does a good, fairly consistent job. She is very believable for most of the film. Later, as she relates how her parents moved from Mexico and settled in San Antonio, her character breaks into a Texas accent. When this scene is over, the accent disappears just as quickly. This is really the only false note in her character, in any of the characters for that matter.

Josh Lucas and Camryn Manheim play locals in the small Montana town who help Jean and have an impact on her life. Both are also good.

As “Unfinished” progresses, you get to know the characters and feel for them.

The film was finished approximately two to three years ago, but Miramax held it for a while and then they went through a period of unsettlement as the founding Weinstein Brothers parted ways with the company they founded and Disney, the company that purchased Miramax a number of years ago. It is also a difficult film to sell in the current marketplace. The lead is 68 and his friend is also 68, not exactly the type of marquee value likely to attract that all important 13 - 24 male demographic. The fact that the film contains no car chases, no visual nudity, no visual sex and no special effects doesn’t help either. Hopefully, the rest of us, who appreciate fine acting, will make it to this film and make that all important demographic a little less important.

Stream Empires - Islam: Empire of Faith Online. Movie Title: Empires - Islam: Empire of Faith Average customer review: Empires - Islam: Empire of Faith is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Empires - Islam: Empire of Faith

This video gets five stars and I highly recommend it because:
* it’s beautifully filmed and narrated
* it has a wealth of information in it
* it’s a good overview of the birth of Islam and the Empire that was built by the Muslims from the 7th to the 16th centuries.
* it’s totally hard to stop watching once you start!

However, please note that the title is misleading: This is not about Islam. In fact, aside from the belief in one God, the beliefs of Islam are not discussed or explained at all. That’s okay — but the video doesn’t make clear the distinction between Islam and the Islamic empire.

It’s like the difference between the Holy Roman Empire and Christianity. The ones ruling were Christians, but that doesn’t mean that all their practices followed the tenets of Christianity. Similarly, although this is about the Islamic empire (including the Ottomans), not everything that the rulers did was Islamic (killing anyone for the sole reason that he has a claim to power is murder in Islam, but this is something some Ottomans did, anyway). So in watching this, please keep in mind that this video is describing an empire that was based on the Islamic faith, but which contained good and bad elements, just like any other empire in the world. Most of all, please do not assume that all that happened in history was sanctioned by Islam. Most rulers throughout the centuries have belonged to some religion, but it doesn’t mean that they always complied with that religion.

That’s my only quibble — that the distinction is not made clear. Otherwise, this is an excellent source of information, the best video I’ve seen, about early Islamic culture and achievements. I do recommend it highly.

First the good. This DVD is incredibly beautiful and Kingsley’s voice is absolutely marvelous, he should narrate more documentaries. The grand sweep of Islamic history is presented in a succinct and eloquent manner, with accompanying visuals that are captivating. The story begins in the 6th century CE with the message of Muhammad’s strict monotheism. Struggling to gain a foothold in Arabia, he eventually is victorious, conquers Mecca and gains thousands of followers. In one of the most spectacular rises of civilization in the history of man, Islam spreads its faith for thousands of miles from Western Europe to Central Asia. Muhammad’s message is simple and profound, he unites the various Arab tribes into one cohesive group under the banner of one God, smashing idols and reciting God’s words along the way. Muhammad co-opted one of the greatest innovations of man: the immense power of monotheism and its ability to unite disparate groups of people under a common polity and society. The new Arabic empire spreads rapidly throughout the peninsula, the Levant, Egypt, the Maghrib, Spain, Persia.

There is absolutely no doubt that Islamic civilization during the Middle Ages was spectacular, rich, and more advanced than European civilization. They preserved Greek philosophy and expanded upon it, developed geometry and discovered trigonometry, and adapted Indian numerals to a decimal system, greatly advancing mathematics. Art and architecture under the empire was simply stunning, breathtakingly beautiful. Muslims also developed an anatomy that was used for centuries afterward by Europe, discovered inoculation and formed the precursor to modern hospitals. The Islamic empire was so rich and powerful it became a great threat to Christian Europe, who responded with the Crusades. Over one hundred years of conflict ensues in the Levant, until Saladin re-conquers and ends the Crusading campaigns. The account of the Crusades is short, and not historically complete. It is also quite biased in its presentation of details.

The rise and spread of the Ottoman Empire is narrated in the third installment. Their power, spread into Europe, their great architecture, and their antagonism with the Iranian Safavid Empire are all included. By far the best part of this DVD is its telling of the life of Suleyman the Magnificent. He was certainly an extraordinary ruler and he receives his due attention in this documentary.

Now the bad. This production is quite biased, sometimes subtly in its choice of pictures, other times not so subtly in its choice of language. What you will not hear about is the gruesome nature of the Arabic conquest. While, according to this documentary the Muslims were led by a noble faith in God, the truth is many people were slaughtered in the conquests. Many thousands of Zoroastrian Persians were slaughtered; the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) were allowed to maintain their faith, but were subject to a special Muslim toll tax that did not apply to Muslims. They also were not allowed to proselytize, and their legal testimony was not as valid as their Muslim overlords. Many people were given only three options: conversion, death, or slavery. All peoples have conquered and slaughtered the Other; neither Muslims nor Christians are exempt from such behavior. Nonetheless, some Christians received more toleration than they had had under the Byzantine Empire. But the fact of the matter is that modern religious toleration was birthed in the European Enlightenment, not in the Middle East or West Asia. Muslims did develop much philosophy and learning, however many of the scholars working in Cordoba and Baghdad were Jews and Christians, albeit studying in peaceful cooperation with the Muslims. Paper was discovered via Chinese slaves brought into the empire, and the slave trade formed an integral part of the economy of the Muslim lands. Although Muslims did not invent slavery, which has been around since the dawn of civilization, they did innovate the African slave trade. Several times we hear about Europe “languishing in the Dark Ages”. No serious historian uses the term Dark Ages anymore, as the past decades have revealed a much more complex and intellectually interesting history. The term has been abandoned for the more appropriate Middle Ages, being as it is the bridge between the ancient and modern worlds.

A great oversight is its short shrift of Iran. Iran is one of the centers of Islamic civilization, the center of Shiism, and a complex and interesting culture. The glory of the Safavid Empire and the beauty of its capital Isfahan are briefly mentioned, but there is no word on Shah Abbas, Iran’s ruler at the height of this empire.

Also, this DVD focuses on politics, not religion. You will not gain a deep understanding of the myriad forms of Islamic faith in this documentary, certainly a key point of interest for some individuals. The Sufi dervishes were only very briefly mentioned, which is a shame because Sufism is a fascinating expression of Islamic mysticism, looked at with great suspicion by more conservative Muslims. Neither will you hear much detail about the schism between the Sunni and Shiites. The roots of this split are told, but the theological differences are not discussed. It was the development of Shiism that was a great impetus for the conversion of the Zoroastrian Persians to Islam, as it incorporated Zoroastrian ideas, merging the Saoshyant with the Hidden Imam to be revealed in later times.

So, it’s biased, but extremely beautiful and informative. This could have been a four or five star documentary, but because of its political correctness it gets three.

Product: KitchenAid KP26M1XDP List Price: $499.99 Average customer review: Amazon Price: Too low to display Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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I got my kitchenaid 600 mixer from amazon. After it arrived, I prepared a sourdough recipe that called for 8 cups of flour, the mixer bogged down and quit. I have prepared the same recipe 4 more times, each time the mixer quits. I thought this behavior was abnormal, but after a bit of online snooping, it turns out that many people experience similar problems when working with thicker doughs.

Kitchenaid clains it can handle 14 cups of all purpose flour, it simply cannot, in fact, i would set the maximum at about 10 cups for a less dense dough, and at 7 or 8 for thicker breads.

Ultimately, this is the best mixer available to the home baker in this price range, as much sturdier commerial grade models in this size ( 6 quarts) begin at about $1500. However, don’t expext to use it to make thick bread or pizza doughs in large quantities, it simply isn’t up to the task. It will do most of the work, but some hand kneading is still required.

Despite it’s all steel gears and automatic shutoff feature, it seems that the motor and drive mechanisms are underbuilt and prone to failure if overloaded. On the upside, if your mixer happens to malfunction within a year of purchase (mine did after 2 weeks), Kitchenaid has great customer support and will replace the unit.

In short, it is a great mixer, but doesn’t live up to the manufacture’s promises.

I make a lot of bread using my KitchenAid mixer, and for years I have tolerated my 4.5 quart Ultra Power KitchenAid mixer. Anytime a recipe called for 6 cups of flour, I knew I would have to finish the recipe by hand. The 4.5 quart bowl just couldn’t handle that much dough. I just purchased the Pro 600 with the spiral dough hook, and all I can say is WOW! The new spiral hook works totally different than the older C-hook. No longer does the dough “slap” against the side of the bowl. Instead the sprial dough hook brings the dough to the middle of the bowl for mixing and kneading. You can see how much more effective this tool is. I have already ran 5 different bread recipes through this mixer, and I haven’t had to finish any of the by hand yet. Just enough to shape the dough before proofing. The 6 quart bowl is a must have for bread makers! Now I just have to figure out how to give away all this bread!

I have owned this machine for a little over a year now. Well, actually I have gone through five of these machines in the last 16 months, as each one has broken while kneading wheat dough. I use approximately 6-7 cups of wheat flour per each batch of bread. This should not be too much for this powerful machine, especially since it is advertised to handle wheat dough. I have since also had to purchase a Bosch Universal for my bread making. I have also heard excellent reports about the Electolux mixer for kneading wheat bread.

My recipe calls for a 6 minute kneading time, but each Kitchenaid got too hot and shut off after only a couple of minutes of kneading.(This time fluctuated with each machine.) I would have to wait for it too cool down. I even tried blowing a fan on one of them while it kneaded to keep it cool. It was useless.

The first time I called Kitchenaid they told me I should only knead my bread for 2 minutes at a time. This bothered me since I bought it to make wheat bread and it was advertised as being able to handle the job. They also told me not to knead above speed 2, which I never did, as the instruction manual warned against it. They sent me a new machine and I kneaded for only 2 minutes. Then the machine really began to sound rough. I sent it back 2 more times, each time getting a new machine with no questions asked. Each machine failed in the same way. This was over a period of a year. I just decided to be quiet and use the 4th one thinking they were probably growing very weary at hearing from me, but it finally died completely. It wouldn’t even turn on. When I called again, my one year warranty was up, but they kindly sent me a refurbished one to replace the dead one. I decided not to make any more bread in this machine because I wanted to save it for my everyday regular use, like cookies, cakes, pancake batter, etc. So I never once made any wheat bread in it. I have had it for a couple of months now and it is beginning to sound like the other one just before it completely died. I reluctantly called Kitchenaid again. I am not sure what exactly I wanted them to do, but as you can guess they were getting a little annoyed with me, though I remained calm. I was put on hold for sometime and then offered a complete refund. So though, I am completely disappointed with the quality of the mixer, I have to say their customer service is top notch to have sent me that many mixers and then offered me a complete refund after the one year warranty was up.

I am still very disappointed in the aggravation and time this has taken. After reading other reviews I have found that mine is not an isolated case. I was beginning to feel like a big pain in the rear to have to keep calling and complaining, and have new mixers sent to me. My UPS man was even wondering what was going on. But I feel as a customer, spending that much money, I should not feel bad about expecting a product to do what it is advertised to do. Especially one with such a good reputation.

I don’t know where this leaves me exactly. I considered purchasing a smaller model thinking that maybe there was simply some engineering quirks with this particular model. I love the look and convenience of the Kitchenaid mixer for everyday use, but I have not found anything to replace it yet. The Bosch is just not something that seems convenient for my everyday use, nor is it stylish enough to leave on the counter.

Product: Panasonic TC-P50X1 List Price: $999.95 Average customer review: Amazon Price: Too low to display Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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Purchased for our master bedroom, the Panasonic TC-P50X1 50″ 720p has true brilliant color, impressive blacks, great resolution (looks like a 1080p to me and I am a picky engineer), surprisingly good sound and great looks. It sports the lowest price per square inch of screen area and beats LCDs hands down with its 600Hz refresh rate (absolutely no motion blur) and looks the same no matter where you are in the room. After considerable research, the TC-P50X1 was the clear choice due to its price, performance and appearance. A super buy.

I was going back and forth between the 720p and the 1080p and I could not see a difference, they had both side by side, and for the $700 difference it was not worth it to me. I bought the TV at best buy because they matched a competitor online price and that also brought the 4 year warranty down to only $159! Once the tv was delivered (free!) and my HD from directv was set up (free!) I was blown away by the quality. Great color and sharpness, I have it hooked up via HDMI and it is great. My brother has the samsung 1080p and I can’t tell the difference. The connections are conviently located on the left side of the back of the tv and the sd card slot which is a great addition is on the left side of the tv along w/ some more inputs. It took me about a week or so to finally customize my own picture setting, I did not like the preset ones that much, either to dark or the vivid is to bright and contrasty. There is no VGA input but I got the pc hooked up via the s-video. Only downfall is if you use the SD card slot to view pictures it is very very slow at processing them, I suggest using the usb slot or the cords that came with the camera. Overall I would definetly suggest this tv especially for the price, you cannot find a better deal on a new release plasma tv.

I love these Panasonic Plasmas, you can’t go wrong. I tried this 720P version this time. I have a 46″ Viera in 1080P plasma and this 50″ has the same picture quality, I cannot tell the difference and I have great vision, and am very picky about picture quality. This is a great product and you can’t beat the price.

Product: Panasonic TC-L32S1 List Price: $799.95 Average customer review: Amazon Price: Too low to display Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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I got this tv at an amazing price - about $630 but actually ended up returning it… The picture was beautiful but I was disappointed in the sound. Like the other reviewer, I had to turn the volume all the way to the top to catch conversations. This may not be an issue if you have speakers - I didn’t. I ended up spending quite a bit more and getting an LG. The picture is just as good, and the sound is a bit better. I don’t have HD right now, so this review is based on my Comcast cable.

This is a fine television. Yes the audio seems a little low but I’m getting older so that maybe the problem with that. The picture is outstanding and the colors are beautiful. The value for the dollar speaks for itself on Panasonic TV’s. I’m happy with this TV.

I purchased this set to get rid of a heavy tube HD set, but couldn’t afford a high priced LED set. For the money, this set is an excellent value. I have DirecTv for tv with an HDMI input, and a regular DVD player with an HDMI “upconvert” feature. The picture is wonderful on both inputs. You can adjust the picture as you wish with the remote control menu.

Now for the minor flaws.

1) You do have to turn the volume way up. I thought at first it was because I have a noisy heat pump fan (I had just moved here when I got the set). But it’s not a major issue for me, and I can use the stereo if need be. I notice it more on DVD’s than DirecTv.

note: A reader in the comments section suggested turning off the “AI” feature. If you go into the AUDIO section on the remote menu, you will find several adjustments which helped the sound by 50% on my set.

2) The set would turn off and then back on by itself while watching it, so I tried plugging it directly into the wall instead of the surge protector. That solved the problem, but since we have lightening storms, I didm’t want to take a chance. I replaced the old surge protector, it doesn’t do it now.

3) The remote control is not easy to use. The sleep timer only gives you three choices: 30, 60, and 90 minutes. I prefer my old set that went in 10 minute increments up to 2 hours, but again, a minor issue. I normally use my DirecTv remote control to turn it on and off and adjust the sound.

4) It claims to have a feature that helps with motion scenes, but I notice some fast motion scenes are choppy, a problem that plauged earlier LCD sets. It only has 60hz refresh rate.

It sounds like a lot of complaints, but I know people who paid mega-bucks for their set and have many more complaints than me, so as I say those are minor complaints and overall I’m satisfied with the set.