The stadium announcer's voice boomed: "The Redskins are in the playoffs!" Linebacker London Fletcher held his helmet aloft, pointing to the Redskins insignia on the side. Wide receiver Santana Moss held his hands above his head -- thrusting his index, middle and pinkie fingers up in a "21" as a tribute to slain teammate Sean Taylor. And grown men in the stands all around pumped the air with their fists like teenagers.

Behind them the scoreboard said: Washington 27 Dallas 6, and maybe they all needed to keep looking at those numbers to believe it was really true. The Redskins are heading to the playoffs, and will open the postseason on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. when they travel to Seattle to play a first-round game against the Seahawks.

In recent weeks players have talked about the strange circumstances that occurred -- a gale force wind in New York that blew a punt 20 extra yards, missed opponents field goals in which the wind blew the kicks wildly to one side, passes that seemed to hang in the air an extra second until Redskins could catch them -- and said they believed Taylor was at work for them.

Then as the demolition of the Cowboys, their hated rival began and the score grew from 7-0, to 10-3, to 20-3 and finally 27-6, the players noticed something strange in the numbers. Moss said something first, grabbing Fletcher's arm, imploring him to do the math: subtract 6 from 27 and you get 21. Taylor's number.

"We don't think it was by accident we won by 21," Gibbs said after the game.

Asked about this, Fletcher smiled. "I don't believe in coincidences," he said.....Read article here...

The Washington Redskins kept their playoff hopes alive with a great 22-10 win over the New York Giants last night in blustery and cold Meadowlands, New Jersey. Running back Clinton Portis led the way with 126 yards rushing and second string quarterback Todd Collins completed enough passes in the gusting wind to keep drives alive.

The Redskins(7-7) still need to win their last two games against Minnesota and Dallas and have New Orleans lose a game, but their is hope for a season that seemed over just a couple of weeks ago.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology("TJ" for short) draws applicants from across five counties and two cities in Northern Virginia, selecting 500 students from a pool of several thousand applicants. Admission is based primarily on a general achievement test and prior grades. To give a sense of student caliber: Of the 432 seniors in the Class of 2007, 158 were National Merit semifinalists, more than any other school in the nation. And the average student SAT score was a 2155 (on a 2400 scale). When they aren't shouldering their science-heavy course load, TJ students participate in a slew of extracurriculars, choosing from some 25 varsity sports and 85 clubs, including the Investment Club, the Neuroscience Society, the Entomology Club, and the Forensics Sciences Society.

After they've graduated, many TJ alums keep up a network, and even if they lose touch, they say they know where to find one another. "Lots of TJ kids are running around elite academic institutions and also major new economy centers like Silicon Valley, New York, Washington, and Boston," says alum Andrew Winerman, class of 2000. He explains that TJ connections are like college connections, only perhaps deeper, because high school is even more formative and emotionally weighty than college for a lot of people.

Whatever the criticisms of TJ's admissions process, one thing is true: Once they get in, these kids work hard. And there's no better example of this than in their athletic programs. Unlike some private high schools that recruit athletic as well as academic talent, TJ can't rely on stars. The students find ways to win nevertheless. TJ particularly excels in endurance sports like cross country, crew, and swimming. ...Read full report here...

25 Skills Every Man Should Know: Your Ultimate DIY Guide

1. Patch a Radiator Hose

2. Protect Your Computer

3. Rescue a Boater Who Has Capsized

4. Frame a Wall

5. Retouch Digital Photos

6. Back Up a Trailer

7. Build a Campfire

8. Fix a Dead Outlet

9. Navigate with a Map and Compass

10. Use a Torque Wrench ...Read full article here...