Rosewood Villais home to a variety of seniors, and accommodate a wide range of support needs. Some residents live independently, but Rosewood also offers care for those who require assistance, and those living with memory loss. Recently, the Rosewood Villa team went above and beyond their ongoing mission, when they provided the time and place for two people to find each otherand to find love.

Renee Lily took her time arriving in Bellingham. Her mother was born in Berlin, and Renee herself was born in Munich, in what was then West Germany. She was 18 months old when her family relocated to the United States, but her travels continued until she ultimately owned a used furniture store in Montana. She was there when the time came to finally make Bellingham her home. My kids moved here, and I knew it was close to the time that they would be getting married and having children, she says.

Bruce Likkel didnt have to travel quite as far. Born and raised in Lynden, hes been happy to make his life in and around the local area. If you ask him what he likes most about his home, theres no hesitation in his answer: How green it is, he says. He lists hunting, fishing and hiking as his favorite reasons to get out into nature. Like Renee, Bruce was also self-employed before they met. I owned a custom cabinet business, but closed shop at the start of the 2008 recession, he says.

As fate would have it, Bruce became disabled around the time he retired, and Renee experienced a massive stroke, and now uses a wheelchair to get around. Each of them recognized that they could use some help getting back up on their feet, both literally and figuratively. So despite the fact that they are only in their early 60s, they both moved into Rosewood within a few months of each other, and set about creating the next chapters of their lives.

And then, just like in a storybook romance, they began to catch each others eye. Down a hallway, or from across a room, they felt an attraction that has effortlessly developed into a relationship. As soon as they met, they started to spend time together during meals or while taking part in activities. I would sit down, and move the chair next to me out of the way so she had a place for her wheelchair, says Bruce. From there, they discovered how much they have in common, and how much they enjoy each others company.

Any time the subject of Rosewood comes up, Renee and Bruce both mention the activities offered. They rave about the activities director and the lineup of diversions offered. There are the bingo and movie nights one might expect to find in a group residence, but Bruce mentions other activities that not only pass the time, but help keep the residents sharp. A favorite is word games that are offered to everybody every morning. And now Renee and Bruce have become a part of the activities crew themselves, and spend time organizing a Bible study that takes place every other week.

Not only do they share each others values, but they also have much in common, which makes spending time together both easy and rewarding. We both love cooking, so we watch lots of cooking shows, and lots of renovation shows, Renee says. And if it seems like theyre getting pretty domestic with each other, youre certainly on the right track: Bruce and Renee are looking into sharing a space with each other. In addition to individual rooms, Rosewood offers larger suites, and the couple has got their eye on one of those for themselves.

Not only do they have a goal of moving in together, theyve also set a longer term goal to move out together. Once they have recovered enough from their physical setbacks, the two would love to make their own home together. Rosewood Executive Director Melinda Herrera says that she would love to see the couple doing well enough that they could move on. But its also clear that she, along with other staff and residents, would miss their presence.

Herrera explains that Renee has been through a divorce, and that Bruce has cared for a girlfriend during an illness, and that they could both use a little sweetness after those trials. Neither had known love like this before, she says.

She describes the couple as loving others, as well. We call them our troublemakers. Theyre our whippersnappers, Herrera says. Many of the residents here are old enough to be their parents, but they dont treat them that waythey see them more as neighbors. Theyre always looking out for each other, and for everyone around them.

Sponsored

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Two Residents of Rosewood Villa Find Love in an Unexpected Place - whatcomtalk.com

Just a year ago, Jeep had dispatched over its then all-new, gas-powered Gladiator Rubicon to us. Recently, we had the opportunity to test the diesel version of what is the only four-door 44 convertible in the market. Like to climb, trail and crawl, or haul tons of cargo, or go water fording? In an open-air vehicle? Then this should be your ride!

Under the hood of the body-on-frame 2021 Gladiator sits the optional 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V6 engine ($4,000), putting out 260 horsepower at 3,600 rpm and 442 pounds-feet of torque at 2,800 rpm. The go-anywhere capable vehicle, with high and low transfer case gears, is mated to a typical eight-speed auto gearbox.

Our test drive, the Overland, was a standout dual three-piece hardtop and a soft-top with removable doors, exposed hinges, fold-down windshield, front/rear hooks and tubular side steps. That this is a Jeep is even more apparent from the traditional seven-slot, keystone-shaped grille, flanked by rounded halogen headlights, square tail lamps, and a flat, clamshell hood reaching down to trapezoidal fender flares.

The 44 is designed for off-road conditions such as traction, ground clearance, maneuverability, articulation and water fording. Its skid plates will protect the front, transfer case and fuel tank.

The cabin sticks to the original Jeeps handy capability with 103 cubic feet of interior room. Storage cubicles are scattered throughout, including a bin under the rear seat floor, as are several 120-volt outlets. The instrument cluster is simply laid out with a rounded speedometer, tachometer and temperature, fuel, oil and volt gauges.

Also included are the dual AC, manual tilt/telescopic steering column, cloth seats, six-way manual driver and four-way front passenger seats, push-button start, 7-inch Uconnect touchscreen, leather steering wheel, lockable console/door armrest and a 5-foot cargo bed. A roll-up tonneau cover is available for $595.

Standard safety features are the dual front and side airbags, side curtain airbag, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, electronic stability, traction and trailer-sway control, anti-roll system, rearview camera, hill-start assist, tire pressure monitoring system and daytime running lights.

Except for its slightly loud road noise and engine, diehard Jeep aficionados will love the amazing talents of the rugged Gladiator. Simultaneously, the quintessential SUV with over seven decades of tradition is adept on neighborhood streets. Its off-road and on-road prowess makes the diesel version a remarkable and much-needed addition to the Jeep roster.

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GLADIATOR DIESEL IS A WELCOME ADDITION TO JEEP LINEUP - Osprey Observer

Staying connected with older adult friends and relatives can be difficult, but dont assume video chats are out of the question. For those who are hard of hearing, video can help them understand by reading your lips and expression.

Studies have shown that isolation and the absence of positive social relationships increases health risks for all of us, said John J. Wernert, M.D., MHA, psychiatrist and executive medical director of Norton Behavioral Medicine. For the older adults who are at especially high risk of severe complications from COVID-19, its important to remember that social distancing is really physical distancing. Staying connected without contact is vital.

If your friend or family member has a laptop, tablet or smartphone, you may want to arrange a contactless pickup to configure the device before returning it. Zoom, for instance, has become synonymous with video chatting during the pandemic, but it is far from the only option.

Rather than install new software and go through configurations, consider the video chat options that are available through a platform your friend or family member is already using.

Facebook Messenger, for instance, has Messenger Rooms that allow video calls. Create a room and invite people by emailing a link. They dont even need to have a Facebook account. Rooms also can be started from Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp.

Skype has been around long enough that many may feel comfortable with it even if they havent used it in a while. Much like the Messenger Rooms, Skypes Meet Now feature allows users to invite others to a group video call whether they are in Skype already or not.

Remember the year dad went to Europe and you set him up with WhatsApp to stay in touch without running up big cell phone bills? In addition to creating Messenger Rooms from inside WhatsApp, the platform offers its own video group calling for up to eight participants. The WhatsApp mobile phone app is available through the App Store or Google Play.

FaceTime has a group video chat option, but its not as easy as some of the others that allow you to send a link. If your friend or family member isnt comfortable with more complicated instructions, set up the Group FaceTime call yourself and ring them in.

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Video chat options for staying connected are more than Zoom - Norton Healthcare

When hinges creak in doorless chambers and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls Whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still, that is the time when ghosts are present. If youre a Foolish mortal who loves all 999 Happy haunts from The Haunted Mansion, then youre definitely going to want to attend this sance in The Haunted Mansion: Call of the Spirits Game. Designed by Prospero Hall and released by FunkoGames, players will travel through the mansion trying to collect spirits from different groupings and have more of them than anyone else by the end of the game.

The game might come from Funko, but that doesnt mean it looks like Funko Pop! figures. The character artwork is very faithful to the classic Disney Parks attraction and the back of the package offers a glimpse of the fun in store.

A very nice touch, the underside of the lid becomes the stretching portrait room and the sides of the box are decked with portraits from the mansions gallery.

Even the backside of the gameboard is themed.

The colorful board splits the mansion into six rooms connected by a rotating endless hallway with Madame Leotas sance room in the center. In terms of moving your pawn, players only really move between the sance room and the endless hallway.

The pawns are modeled after the bat stanchions in the queue. Playable by up to 6 players, there are 6 colored pawns to chose from.

During each players turn, they can make three actions, which are listed on a handy reference card that each player receives with their pawn. The gameplay sounds a little complicated, but its not really once you get the swingof things.

It would be a pretty big deck of cards if there were 999, so the gamemakers have simplified it down to just 99. There are 7 types of ghosts in addition to stretching portraits and special ghosts in the deck of ghost cards. Heres what they mean by that, starting with the stretching portraits.

With 4 stretching room portraits in total, a player would need to collect 3 of each to get 15 points from the set at the end of the game. Have 1 of each of the 4 different portraits and you also get 18 points. Generally speaking, having 1 of each and several sets would be an easy way to get a lot of points.

The other sets are a little easier to earn points with. The paintings and artifacts, for example, give you 3 points for just 1 card and 12 for 3 cards. But the mansion is full of tricks. If the game ends and you had just two, you wouldnt get any points for your effort in this set.

As you can see, the artwork on these cards recreates memorable moments from the attraction in a fun way. Musician Ghosts is a set through which a player could try and get all of the singing busts.

The dancing ghosts pair up couples from the ballroom.

The ballroom ghosts feature other characters from that famous scene.

Tea party ghosts are having fun in the graveyard.

Groom ghosts have met their untimely end as a direct consequence of their marriage to the one and only Constance Hatchaway.

Grim grinning ghosts are the last themed collection with a few faces you may have seen jumping out at you from behind a tombstone.

Special ghosts come with extra rules for adding points at the end. In the Madame Leota card, theres an eyeball symbol, which references the Haunt Cards. What a perfect segue!

Haunt cards are bad and take away points from your final total, so you want to have little to no haunt cards by the end of the game. You receive them a variety of ways. Sometimes the instructions on a ghost card you pick up come with a requirement to draw a haunt card, or being in a room that is occupied by the hitchhiking ghosts is another way.

Thats right, this game has hitchhiking ghosts, so beware! The figure travels through the board as dictated by event cards, which are drawn at the start of each round. When youre trying to collect ghost cards from a room with the hitchhiking ghosts, you end up taking on more haunt cards. Also just stopping by their room will earn you at least one. These guys are bad news!

These are event cards. They tell you which way the hitchhiking ghosts move at the start of a round and which direction they go. When you set up the game, you find the Final Round card and shuffle it within the bottom 3 cards of the event deck, so you dont actually know the last turn is about to come. Otherwise youd have time to Make final arrangements and adjust your cards in advance of your last turn and that would just be unfair.

Since each player gets to make 3 actions during their turn, a floating candelabra helps keep track of whos turn is first on the next event. Its not hard to remember when its just 2 players, but if you had a big party, this would definitely come in handy.

You may have noticed one of the actions you can take in a turn is Duel. The way that works is if another player grabs a card you need, you could challenge them to a duel. There are two bidding dials with a rotating number between 0 and 3. Each player secretly moves the dial to the number of haunt cards they are willing to receive to take or keep possession of that card. Whoever picks the highest number wins, but in the event of a tie, the player who already had the card just keeps it.

At the start of each event, ghost cards are distributed around the board starting with the room the hitchhiking ghosts are in. The number of ghost cards varies depending on how many players are in the game. Its always the number of players +3, which is easy to remember. Then players use their turn by either staying where they are and spinning the endless hallway or moving around it until they reach the room they want to be in. Each action eats up one of your 3 allowances per event, so choose them wisely. Drawing a ghost card is considered an action, but hypothetically if you were already in a room with 3 cards, you could pick all 3 cards as your 3 actions.

To recap, youre trying to strategically collect ghost cards to get more points by the end of the game than any other player while also trying to avoid haunt cards and have the least amount of them in the end. It can feel a little overwhelming when youre first reading through the instructions, but by the end of the first event round, everyone will feel comfortable with the game play. Its a lot of fun for fans of Disneys The Haunted Mansionand players will want to Hurry back again and again for more.

Amazon.com: Funko Disney The Haunted Mansion Call of The Spirits Board Game

Alex has been blogging about Disney films since 2009 after a lifetime of fandom. He joined the Laughing Place team in 2014 and covers films across all of Disneys brands, including Star Wars, Marvel, and Fox, in addition to books, music, toys, consumer products, and food. You can hear his voice as a member of the Laughing Place Podcast and his face can be seen on Laughing Places YouTube channel where he unboxes stuff.

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Game Review: "The Haunted Mansion: Call of the Spirits" from Funko Games - LaughingPlace.com

[12/10/20 - 09:48 AM]Peacock Orders More Episodes of Timely and Topical Late-Night Series "The Amber Ruffin Show"The critically-acclaimed series is currently streaming on Peacock with brand new episodes dropping tomorrow, December 11 and next Friday, December 18.[via press release from Peacock]

PEACOCK ORDERS MORE EPISODES OF TIMELY AND TOPICAL LATE-NIGHT SERIES "THE AMBER RUFFIN SHOW"

Peacock has ordered 10 more episodes of the break-out late-night series, THE AMBER RUFFIN SHOW.

Watch/share Amber Ruffin's video announcement:

The critically-acclaimed series is currently streaming on Peacock with brand new episodes dropping tomorrow, December 11 and next Friday, December 18.

The show will return after the holidays with new episodes dropping every Friday beginning January 8, 2021.

"We are thrilled to get the chance to bring you more episodes, because each episode is a new opportunity to have another margarita," said Ruffin.

THE AMBER RUFFIN SHOW showcases Amber's signature smart and silly take on the week's news. No matter what's happening in the world, Amber responds to it with a charming mix of seriousness, nonsense, and evening gowns. THE AMBER RUFFIN SHOW is a topical late-night show with just the good parts - the comedy.

Emmy and WGA Award nominee Amber Ruffin is a writer and performer for NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" and was the first African American female to write for a late-night network talk show in the U.S. She wrote and performed on Comedy Central's "Detroiters" and was a regular narrator on the cabler's "Drunk History." Ruffin was previously a performer at Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, the iO Theater and the Second City in Chicago. In addition, she was a writer/performer for the 2018 and 2019 Golden Globe Awards and has written for the series "A Black Lady Sketch Show."

THE AMBER RUFFIN SHOW writers room includes head writer Jenny Hagel ("Late Night with Seth Meyers"), as well as writers Demi Adejuyigbe ("The Good Place"), Shantira Jackson ("Busy Tonight"), Dewayne Perkins ("Brooklyn Nine-Nine") and Amber Ruffin.

Tarik Davis ("Page One") serves as the announcer for the series.

Amber Ruffin, Jenny Hagel, Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker serve as executive producers. The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions.

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Breaking News - Peacock Orders More Episodes of Timely and Topical Late-Night Series "The Amber Ruffin Show" - The Futon Critic

Boston police raced to a home in the South End on Saturday afternoon when the victim of a home invasion managed to discreetly dial 911 and whisper his call for help. Officers said they arrived in time to arrest the suspect.The victim later told officers that he was entering his home on Chandler Street when he was shoved from behind and fell to the floor of his foyer. The suspect entered and locked the front door behind them, before forcing the victim into the living room. Around 4:53 p.m. the victim was able to discretely make his phone call to 911 and officers were sent to the home, where they encountered the suspect as he was trying to leave.While police did not identify the suspect, officials said he was wanted on 22 warrants in connection with felony and misdemeanor cases across Boston, Cambridge and Somerville.In addition to the preexisting cases, the suspect faces charges of assault and battery on a victim over 65 years of age, unarmed breaking and entering, disturbing the peace and providing a false name to a police officer.

Boston police raced to a home in the South End on Saturday afternoon when the victim of a home invasion managed to discreetly dial 911 and whisper his call for help. Officers said they arrived in time to arrest the suspect.

The victim later told officers that he was entering his home on Chandler Street when he was shoved from behind and fell to the floor of his foyer. The suspect entered and locked the front door behind them, before forcing the victim into the living room.

Around 4:53 p.m. the victim was able to discretely make his phone call to 911 and officers were sent to the home, where they encountered the suspect as he was trying to leave.

While police did not identify the suspect, officials said he was wanted on 22 warrants in connection with felony and misdemeanor cases across Boston, Cambridge and Somerville.

In addition to the preexisting cases, the suspect faces charges of assault and battery on a victim over 65 years of age, unarmed breaking and entering, disturbing the peace and providing a false name to a police officer.

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Home invasion suspect caught after victim whispers call for help to 911 - WCVB Boston

Global lodging owner-operator The Ascott Company has completed a multi-million-dollar renovation of The Domain Hotel, an independent boutique hotel located at the nexus of Silicon Valley's leading tech campuses including Apple and Google. The revamp encompassed a portion of the property's 137 guestrooms, public activity areas and a newly updated fitness center.

The overall aesthetic, imagined by Atlanta-based Design Atelier, dubbed "California Fresh" was inspired by the fresh air and open nature that is hallmark of The Golden State. The design theme incorporates vibrant textures and a curated eclectic style to allow guests to feel they are in a home away from home. A warm and relaxing color palette combines muted blue and grey hues, wood tones and pops of orange inspired by the California poppy, the state's official flower. The 136-unit hotel offers a range of deluxe rooms as well as suites that provide separate living, dining and work areas, with some units featuring private balconies. Guestroom interiors were functionally and thoughtfully redesigned to reflect an updated, contemporary feel combined with practical comfort. Each room features new LVT bedroom floorings, designer wall coverings, new bed frames, statement rugs, Serta Chateau Plush mattresses, modern lounge chairs, and 55" smart TVs. New desk units provide an ideal workspace for remote work and virtual meetings and bathrooms were elevated with new tile, vanities, f ixtures and illuminated mirrors.

In addition to the guestrooms, the corridors were repainted and enhanced with rustic wood-toned door drops and decorative wall sconces. The lobby floor fitness studio was enhanced to serve California's health-conscious locals and guests, and included an expansion featuring new flooring, wall finishes, and upgraded fitness equipment. Finally, the pool area was equipped with new furniture and dcor to provide an improved outdoor wellness experience.

Canada-based Avison Young served as the project manager and Metcon was the general contractor.

The Domain Hotel is situated along Sunnyvale's primary thoroughfare, El Camino Real, which leads to San Francisco City and San Jose. Guests can enjoy convenience as the hotel is near San Jose McEnery and Santa Clara Convention Centers, and attractions such as Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, The Tech Museum of Innovation, and The Computer History Museum. A range of retail, dining and entertainment outlets can also be found at Santana Row, Westfield Valley Fair and Levi's Stadium. Tertiary institutions in the vicinity include Stanford University, Santa Clara University and San Jose State University.

To celebrate the renovation, The Domain Hotel is offering a special introductory rate of $109, complimentary glass of Champagne at check-in and complimentary parking. The offer is bookable at http://www.domainehotelsv.com using code CHEERS.

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Newly Upgraded The Domain Hotel Offers Modern Accommodations For Work Or Play In The Heart Of Silicon Valley - Hospitality Net

The 49ers pulled off an upset victory over the Rams as time expired on the game clock when Robbie Gould split the uprights with the game-winning kick. The win improves the 49ers to 5-6 and keeps them in the playoff race while improving their chances to make it to 17.8% per Football Outsiders playoff odds. This was a 13.1% increase over the previous week. Theyre still last place in the division, but with the seventh playoff teams addition in each conference, its not out of the question by any means.

Making a late playoff push comes at the right time, too, as the 49ers got back Richard Sherman, Raheem Mostert, and Deebo Samuel back in the lineup. Trent Williams was a late addition off the covid list as Brandon Aiyuk remained on it and will likely be back for the Monday Night Football game against the Bills this coming Monday.

The playoff push also comes amid a lot of growing criticism of Shanahan, the in-game play-caller and head coach as fans increasingly grow restless with a less than functioning offense and on a team where. But what are the criticisms, and are they fair? Ill attempt to answer those in this article.

The main source of fans frustration right now is the offensive line play and whats perceived as Shanahans unwillingness to adjust his gameplan to give his quarterbacks time to get throws off. But thats not really warranted. For one thing, every play in Shanahans playbook has a built-in hot route or sight adjust based on a blitzing defender.

Against the Rams on Sunday, Nick Mullens was under pressure on 12 of 38 dropbacks, was sacked twice, and was hit three times per Pro Football Focus. He didnt face his first pressure until late in the second quarter.

Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald made easy work of the double team of Daniel Brunskill and rookie right guard Colton Mckivitz. Mullens escaped to the left and got a pass off. It was the first real pressure he faced. Later in the drive, he faced another pressure, but it was on a screen pass that went nowhere and shouldnt really count as a pressure anyway because of the entire right side of the offensive line released downfield.

But in the second half, most of the pressure he faced was quarterback-driven pressures when he failed to read his progressions properly or held the ball too long and took two unnecessary sacks.

This is a good example of quarterback-generated pressure. The play call is all-go four verticals with a check down underneath. The pressure comes from the right side again, with Donald trying to split McKivitz and Brunskill again. From the end zone view, you can see Mullens has a lane to climb the pocket to his left, and it would take one hitch step for him to get a clean throw to reed down the left hash.

Instead, Mullens shuffles around and runs right into the rushing lane to his right as both Donald and Leonard Floyd collapse the right side. On a five-man pass protection, Mullens has to process this faster and do a better job of seeing the routes develop and feeling the rush. As a result, he takes a hit, and its recorded against the interior linemen rather than Mullens.

On another quarterback-generated pressure, Mullens made the wrong read.

Reed motions over to the right, creating a 2x2 formation with the running back offset to Mullenss left. To the right, Mullens has a 3-over-2 situation. His pre-snap read shouldve told him to look left first, where he essentially has a 3-over-3 matchup due to the back releasing to the left flat. The Rams are in cover-6 (quarter-quarter-half) with the cover-2 side into the boundary.

Mullens drops back and looks right first instead of left. Hes looking for routes that never come uncovered or develop long enough to get open. By the time he scans to the left, the pressure is already in the backfield.

Some plays with longer developing routes are not meant to have full-field reads, especially with five in protection because the line cannot hold their blocks for four-plus seconds as they did here. Had he started left, he couldve come off the whip route and back to the flat (the go route was automatically not an option due to the deep safety).

Mullens was also sacked twice, and both are largely his fault. His first sack came late in the third quarter after Donald had already generated some pressures. His second sack came midway through the fourth quarter.

On the first sack, the 49ers are running play action. The goal with straight drop-back play action to so slow the pass rush long enough for the quarterback to find an intermediate-range throw downfield. That doesnt happen here. Mullens turns around and looks to throw and almost immediately has pressure in his face. Once he turns and sees the rusher, he should know to look for his checkdown right away. He doesnt and takes a sack.

Now, McGlinchey does deserve some blame for this because he barely touches Donald and shouldve held his block longer. But its Aaron Donald. The quarterback can make players like Donald irrelevant throughout the game by making quick throws and quick decisions.

On the second sack, he had a little more time to get rid of it and still held on to it.

On the second sack, he never anticipated the running back coming open. But he had the time, and it wouldve required an off-platform throw, which the 49ers quarterbacks make with some regularity. So its not like he couldnt try to. The throw was there.

Or he had Bourne and Reed breaking open on in-breaking routes to the right that he couldve thrown with some anticipation before the rush arrives in his lap. As a result, he pulls it down and tries to escape but gets knocked down for the sack.

On any given Sunday, Shanahan manages to scheme his receivers and tight ends more than should ever be expected for a head coach or allowed by the defense. On some plays, there is nothing but open grass. In other plays, there are wide-open windows. The Rams game had both.

Mullens missed a chance to convert a 3rd and long when he overthrew a wide-open Jordan Reed over the middle running a basic route (10-12 yard dig route) over the middle. He had a clean pocket and time to step into the throw, and he sailed too far in front and too high for Reed to make an attempt at catching it. If Mullens hits the catch radius anywhere near Reed, thats at a minimum a 15 yard gain.

When hes not off-target with throws, Mullens can seem indecisive on his reads and therefore put the ball in harms way.

Reed is to the left running a quick out. To the right, fullback Kyle Juszczyk is running an arrow route with Dwelley over the top of him running a basic route across the middle. Mullens drops back and doesnt trust what he sees. He winds up for the throw, doesnt throw it, and pumps to Reed instead. This is just wasted movement. He attempts the throw to the next progression, Dwelley over the middle, but he doesnt have the arm to make it.

This hesitation prevents the offense from moving the chains. And its not an uncommon thing that Mullens does. In Week 10 versus New Orleans, Mullens missed a wide-open Brandon Aiyuk with similar wasted motion.

In that game, on the first drive, Shanahan called a one-man iso route play called read. Aiyuk is the lone receiver running a read route where he has the option to sit at a depth of 20 yards or take off on a go route. The safety turns his hips to run with a deep route, so Aiyuk sits at 20 yards and turns for the pass. As hes coming open, Mullens double clutches for some reason and doesnt trust what he sees. As a result, he throws late, and the pass is nearly intercepted.

Later in that game, Mullens had another receiver schemed wide open due to the route distribution stretching the defense laterally, but he never came off the read to consider the first down throw he had at the sticks, choosing instead a much tougher throw into coverage.

Mullens sort of double clutches again, not really sure if he should pull the trigger when he sees it opening, causing him to be late on the throw, wasting valuable movement and time he needs to fit a pass into tight coverage. He had Bourne open on the deep sit route to that side, which wouldve been a much easier wide-open throw.

How much of that is Shanahan responsible for? If hes coaching Mullens through the progression in the film room and on the practice field based on the likely coverage hell get on the throw; then there isnt much he can do beyond that. Receivers have been running wide open through the secondary since week one this season, and both starting quarterbacks have failed to do the basics required of their position. It has cost them way more drives and points than anything Shanahan is failing to do.

Of course, this isnt true either. For one thing, Shanahan has adjusted the foundation of his run game to account for the 6-1 fronts most teams are playing by using sifts and escort motions to get extra defenders at the point of attack.

When the 49ers were able to crack the code on the defense late in the first quarter on their touchdown drive, they did through the run game.

One addition to the playbook theyve made to the running game (though its scored as a pass) is through the use of their new Deadpool package for Deebo Samuel. Its a package they used with success against the Rams in week six out of 11 personnel. In week 12, they used it to gain 33 yards on their touchdown drive, but this time out of 12 personnel from the shotgun.

The play is blocked like their outside zone concept Zorro. Zorro tells the F back to block/protect the inside gap of the tight end while the tight end kicks out or reaches the edge defender. The F, in this case, is Jeff Wilson, offset to the left of Mullens. Deebo comes on a jet motion, takes the tap pass with a full head of steam, and runs the edge behind his blockers downfield.

The 49ers deployed this package at key moments in the game against the Rams in week six but its tough to prepare for a multi-varied rushing attack.

Another run game adjustment this season is the escort motion to get extra defenders to the playside and create new gaps.

The 49ers have three to block four to the play side. The run tags have a sift block plus a fly/escort motion to get blockers over to the play-side against the Rams six men on the line of scrimmage and 8 in a condensed box for the formation, creating extra gaps the Rams cant account for. Mostert gets to the edge, and all he has to do is beat the cornerback alone on an island. Remember what Alex Gibbs said about making corners tackle? Easy six.

The reinforcements have arrived and at the right time too. The 49ers are in a position to make a potentially late playoff push in the final quarter of the season, but the margin for error is small. They cannot afford to give away drives on offense at any point in the game due to mistakes, throwing, blocking, dropped passes, etc., but the returning players should be able to hold the line until a potential week 16 return of Jimmy Garoppolo and George Kittle.

The 49ers will also play their next two games in Arizona due to being shut out of Santa Clara during a three-week pause in sports in the county at all levels due to the rising covid cases. Its unclear where the 49ers will play their remaining home games after that, but for a team facing a ton of adversity, getting wins on the road has been easier than winning at home anyway, and the next several weeks will tell us a lot about this team as we advance.

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49ers film room: Are the criticisms of Shanahan fair? Looking at the Rams game for answers - Niners Nation

TEMECULA The lines between the outdoors and indoors are being blurred. Homeowners build extensive outdoor living spaces so they can relax on weather-resistant furniture and cook in outdoor kitchens in their backyards. In addition, indoor three-season rooms full of bright, open windows that showcase outdoor vistas challenge the boundaries between outside and inside.

For those working with limited budgets, there are some easy, inexpensive ways to enjoy the majesty of natural landscapes indoors. Houseplants can be used to improve indoor spaces, and they also provide various health benefits.

Plants help with allergies.

According to WebMD, rooms with houseplants tend to have less dust and mold in them than those without any foliage. Leaves and other parts of the plants serve as natural filters, catching airborne particles and allergens. Plants with textured leaves might be especially effective at trapping particles.

Growing plants put more oxygen into the air.

The human respiratory system works by bringing in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. Plants do the opposite during photosynthesis. They absorb carbon dioxide and then release oxygen. Plants can put much more oxygen into the air, improving indoor conditions.

Houseplants increase indoor humidity and reduce illness.

Studies from the Agricultural University of Norway found that indoor plants can increase humidity in indoor spaces, which decreases the incidences of sore throats, dry coughs, dry skin and the common cold. Higher absolute humidity can decrease the chances of survival and transmission of the flu virus.

They filter the air.

Researchers who presented their work at the 252nd National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society found certain houseplants can combat the potentially harmful effects of volatile organic compounds. Plants may help filter out VOCs like benzene, acetone and formaldehyde, which can enter indoor air via cleaning supplies, dry-cleaned clothes, furniture, printers and paints.

They improve the interior atmosphere.

Prevention magazine said plants can be used to screen unattractive areas, moderate room temperature by shading spots from the sun and even reduce noise. Plants also can improve ambiance and create a pleasing atmosphere in a room.

Houseplants can improve your mood.

Growing and caring for plants can alleviate everyday stress. A nationwide study from UK Magazine Gardeners World found 80% of gardeners declared themselves satisfied with life compared to 67% among non-gardeners. Gardeners were more positive mentally. Greenery can help people feel more at home and improve mental health. A rehab center in Norway found patients reported a greater increase in well-being four weeks after having greenery added to their surroundings.

Houseplants can improve indoor areas and positively affect personal health.

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Take in the many benefits of houseplants - Valley News

Zoom Video Communications (NASDAQ:ZM) posted fiscal third-quarter earnings way above guidance, and management raised its full-year outlook again. Yet because of its lofty valuation, the company's stock price dropped following the release of these phenomenal results. Let's see whether Zoom's various growth opportunities could lift the stock price higher again.

The coronavirus pandemic certainly contributed to Zoom's stellar fiscal third-quarter results. Revenue increased to $777.2 million, up 367% year over year, way above the guidance range of $685 million to $690 million. During the earnings call, CFO Kelly Steckelberg explained that this outstanding performance is thanks to the lower-than-expected churn rate -- an encouraging sign for the demand for Zoom's products no matter how the coronavirus situation evolves.

Image source: Getty Images.

Zoom's customer base also grew significantly. The number of customers with more than 10 employees increased to 433,700, up 485% year over year. And Zoom's products attracted large enterprises too, with 1,289 customers spending more than $100,000 over the last 12 months, up 136% from the prior-year quarter.

Given these positive developments, management again raised its full-year revenue guidance to a range of $2.575 billion to $2.580 billion, which corresponds to a 314% year-over-year increase, compared to a previous range of $2.37 billion to $2.39 billion.

With these impressive results, Zoom will face a tough base comparison for revenue growth next year, though. And the coronavirus-induced boost in demand for the company's remote communication solutions should wane with diminishing travel restrictions associated with potential coronavirus vaccines. However, Zoom will be pulling several levers to fuel its growth.

Over the last few years, the company has been expanding beyond its core video communications business to become a comprehensive unified communications player, partly thanks to its Zoom Phone. As a result of the company's solid execution, the research outfit Gartner recently positioned Zoom as a leader in its magic quadrant for unified communications, based on its completeness of vision and ability to execute. Management doesn't communicate specific metrics about the performance of Zoom Phone, but it planned increased sales and marketing efforts to boost the product, which should solidify the company's positioning as a unified communications specialist and contribute to revenue growth.

The new online events platform OnZoom should also support revenue growth over the next several years with a monetization strategy executives will announce in 2021. And beyond the extra revenue potential that remains difficult to estimate, the company may benefit from an attractive and free opportunity to raise its brand awareness, as influential broadcasters may leverage social networks to advertise their Zoom-based gatherings and events.

In addition, during the earnings call, Steckelberg confirmed Zoom's ambition of increasing sales and marketing and research and development expenses to fuel revenue growth. Indeed, the company's spendings couldn't keep pace with exploding revenue over the last couple of quarters, which resulted in enormous free cash flow, as you can see in the chart below.

ZM Revenue (Quarterly) data by YCharts

However, that underspending could lead to missed or reduced long-term growth opportunities. The result of these investments remains to be seen, but it shows management's focus on long-term growth instead of immediate free cash flow.

Besides, thanks to its strong profitability, the company accumulated a comfortable safety net of $1.9 billion of cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities and no debt at the end of last quarter, which can be used to fuel its growth and expand its addressable market via acquisitions. For instance, Steckelberg expressed satisfaction in providing contact center capabilities via partnerships. But I wouldn't be surprised to see the company expanding its portfolio in the medium term with a contact center solution it could acquire or develop thanks to its large resources.

Zoom will also leverage several other growth opportunities thanks to its other products and partnerships. The potential of all these growth levers remains uncertain, but even if you assume flawless execution and strong growth, the stock looks expensive. Zoom's market cap corresponds to 46 times revenue, based on the midpoint of full-year guidance, which indicates phenomenal results are already priced in despite intensifying competition and no matter how the coronavirus pandemic pans out.

Thus, given Zoom's limited stock price upside potential even if growth opportunities materialize, investors should wait for a deeper pullback before considering investing in the high-growth communications specialist.

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Is There Still Room for Zoom Stock to Boom? - Motley Fool