PicoBlog

One of the biggest talking points around this Washington Commanders team has been the ability to pass protect for young quarterback Sam Howell. Howell was sacked 40 times in the first seven games of the season, an average of nearly six sacks a game. It was particularly bad in that seventh game when the Giants sent blitz after blitz and Howell was sacked six times.  That Giants game prompted some changes from the Commanders.

With the World Series in full swing, soon after it ends, it will be time to start exploring 40-man roster decisions ahead of the Rule 5 deadline next month. Unlike years past, Cleveland doesn’t exactly have a roster crunch like they did in the past. In fact, they probably only have one no-doubter addition to the 40-man roster this year, a few players that warrant probable consideration, and a bunch of players on the fringe that they could add if they feel strongly about them or their chances of being selected in the Rule 5 draft.

In the emerging frenzy of the 2024 GOP primary election, entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy has managed to pierce the public consciousness. Following the first primary debate, his resulting spike in the polls has made him competitive for second place - albeit in a race that remains largely in the shadow of Donald Trump. Ramaswamy is remarkable for several reasons: he is the first millennial candidate on the GOP side to pursue the presidency; he is a political outsider with a background that mixes law, science, and business; and while he is not the first Indian-American candidate we’ve had, he is the first that has stalwartly affirmed his Hindu faith.

This one is a little smaller and let me explain why! This promotion only includes books that are normally paid. My fellow YABookworms, you can grab these books for FREE from April 20-22 So while there are less, these chosen few books are extra special in this promo! Find all the books for the April 20-22 FREE BLAST here: https://www.yabookworms.com/free-books/ There is a new section on the website dedicated to Young Adult books that are permanently free - this is the PERMAFREE tab.

Sunday was Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night on American Idol, with the top 14 contestants performing Hall inductees' hits. Suffice to say, no one covered the Stooges, Rage Against the Machine, Talking Heads, the Sex Pistols, Nine Inch Nails, the Velvet Underground, Patti Smith, or newly announced Class of 2024 members MC5, instead sticking with safer fare. But Gene Simmons, of Hall of Famers KISS, did add some edge to the episode as this week's guest mentor.

No matter how long a regular NBA season can feel, there’s still a sense of abruptness when a team gets eliminated in the playoffs. There are plenty of reasons why a team fails to reach that ultimate echelon of a Championship. Some (injuries, personnel) are easier to parse than others (existential and identity crises), all have an effect. Enter ‘Exits’. This is the 4th year I’ve been writing these part reflections, obituaries and studies of teams as their competitive seasons come to a close.

“Nancy Whiteman is an unapologetic liberal who speaks her truth. She and her wife Denise moved to Portugal during the Pandemic and hit the ground running. Nancy’s blog provides factual information about living in Portugal including the places they visit, the culture, and the joys and frustrations of renovating an old building in Vila Real, to turn into their new home in Portugal. Nancy and Denise have become our friends and have helped us along the way on our own Portugal journey.

Today, the FDA held a much anticipated meeting. Their external scientific committee, VRBPAC, unanimously voted to update the Covid-19 vaccine formula for this fall. Which exact variant will be in the vaccine? We don’t know yet. Will Novavax be an option? That’s a million-dollar question. Here are your Cliff notes. We could keep the same vaccine formula this fall, but several reasons we should update were presented: SARS-CoV-2 continues to mutate—about two times faster than the flu.

Guest post alert! Today’s issue comes from Kristin Dober, a filmmaking comrade of mine who can do just about anything—write, direct, produce, assistant direct—and make it look easy. This is Kristin’s second guest piece after she wrote brilliantly about how the Coen Brothers put themselves on the map with Blood Simple, and she’s back with more brilliant words about her new friend Billy Baldwin. (No really, keep reading.) And wouldn’t you know it, it’s the perfect thing for Valentine’s Day (sort of).