Rush

If you're a big fan, you already knew what was coming in the season finale. But it didn't make it any easier -- or less heartbreaking -- to watch. The majority of the Season 3 "Downton" finale, or the "Christmas special" as its called in the U.K., took place in Scotland, where the whole family (minus Branson) visits the Highlands home of the Dowager's niece, Susan, and her husband, Shrimpy. Most of the trip included bagpipes, hunting, more bagpipes and Scottish reel dancing. But more on that later (and more on O'Brien meeting her Scottish lady's maid doppelganger)

There is no doubt that fracking has created many needed jobs for the economy. However, wouldn't it be more sensible to see what possible damages fracking could do to the environment before we began doing it instead of just barging ahead for profit? I guess it is the American attitude of "shoot first and ask questions later. " Clem Gavenas, Carney Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

I appreciate The Sun's editorial in favor of going slow on natural gas drilling from shale deposits ( "Go slow on shale drilling," Feb. 14). This risky drilling practice involves injecting chemicals more than a mile deep at high pressure to fracture rock formations and extract natural gas. Experience shows that it can lead to contamination of drinking water supplies and other environment damage. Some people want to go forward with this type of drilling in Maryland as quickly as possible, as if we would lose the chance if we don't drill it all right now. But the gas has been there for hundreds of millions of years.

The acquisition of outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil creates questions about how the snaps will be divvied up amongst him, Terrell Suggs and Courtney Upshaw, but the Ravens' coaches will tell you that it's a good problem to have. Especially when defending in obvious pass situations. The presence of those three players, along with the addition of defensive linemen Chris Canty and Marcus Spears, will give Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees options when it comes to attacking quarterbacks in third-and-long situations this upcoming season.

Baltimore County CouncilmanKenneth N. Oliver is right to proceed cautiously in rezoning the former Solo Cup site in Owings Mills until more is known about its effect on traffic. State transportation officials have begun two major studies of traffic along the Reisterstown Road corridor, a key area that is already congested. Until we know what fixes are needed to relieve the gridlock - and how much it will cost as well as where the money will come from - the last thing Baltimore County should do is add another 400,000 square feet of retail space.

In response to the Sun's article "Some city teachers protest pact vote" (Oct. 12), I couldn't help but be concerned about the rushed persistence by the union to ratify a new contract. Beyond that I would like to add that it is shortsighted to believe our public schools would be better off if we rely only on the things that testing can measure. Not everything important to a meaningful education can be quantified. Should we simply ignore a student's ability to critically think, ignore their ability to raise creative questions, to seek alternative explanations, to pursue knowledge outside the rote preparation for tests?

Aboard the North Avenue bus — The woman in the khaki cutoffs with the close-cropped hairdo might not have expected her Hollywood moment to occur while she was riding the Number 13 bus. But if that was the venue chosen by Providence, she was determined not to miss her chance. "You should put me in your play," she told her two seatmates as they bent over a laptop, conferring seriously. She'd never met the pair before they all had boarded the bus together. But that was before the woman learned that Ira Gamerman and Jayme Kilburn were working together on a play.

The playoffs tend to bring out the best in players, coaches and teams, which is what Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is expecting from the Houston Texans when they visit M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday. Houston's defense finished the regular season ranked third against the pass, surrendering an average of 189.7 yards. The unit also ranked sixth in the league in sacks with 44 despite the loss of two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Mario Williams. “They're not afraid of bringing some pressure, lining it up and playing cover-1, playing man,” Flacco said Wednesday.

Just the other night, the local news reported two stabbings. In light of all the recent knee-jerk gun legislation, where is the outrage and legislation for knife control? Knives should be banned. Knife owners need to be licensed and finger printed - so that when someone stabs someone, as happens in Maryland on a regular basis, the police know whom to go after. There should be consistent and fair legislation for such crimes. If there have to be draconian gun laws here, then judging by the news there should also be equally strict knife control laws in Maryland.

The state's biotech tax credits drew more than 180 applications within three minutes of the window opening for the $8 million available this fiscal year, the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development said Thursday. The credits go to investors pumping money into fledgling Maryland biotechnology firms in need of capital. The credits will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis to those that qualify — thus the rush. Initial credit certifications will be issued within 30 calendar days, DBED said.

Just the other night, the local news reported two stabbings. In light of all the recent knee-jerk gun legislation, where is the outrage and legislation for knife control? Knives should be banned. Knife owners need to be licensed and finger printed - so that when someone stabs someone, as happens in Maryland on a regular basis, the police know whom to go after. There should be consistent and fair legislation for such crimes. If there have to be draconian gun laws here, then judging by the news there should also be equally strict knife control laws in Maryland.

Musician Jackson Browne's managers were so excited when they heard Maryland's high court had struck down Ticketmaster's unpopular user fees in Baltimore that they promised free lifetime tickets to the city resident who had filed suit alleging he'd been ripped off by "exorbitant charges. " The Ravens, Orioles and Baltimore concert venues - along with city politicians - didn't share the singer's jubilation. Concerned that Ticketmaster and other ticket vendors might refuse to handle events in Baltimore, the City Council is poised to carve out an exception to its long-standing anti-scalping law, which bars companies from charging fees in excess of 50 cents on top of a ticket's stated price.

Wind restrictions have been issued for the Bay Bridge by the Maryland Transportation as a cold front pushing through the region is expected to generate strong winds. Two-way traffic has been eliminated on the eastbound span for Wednesday afternoon and evening and motorists should anticipate rush-hour delays, officials said. Under a wind warning, where gusts or sustained winds reach 30-39 mph, drivers of high-profile vehicles - such as box trailers - and motorcycles and vehicles with roof-mount racks containing cargo are urged to use caution.

Another fast-moving dusting of snow could snarl the Friday evening commute, with a dangerous chill still not expected to lift until early next week. The cold snap has already contributed to some deaths, state health officials said, though an exact count wasn't available. An inch of snow that fell Thursday morning caused widespread crashes, and state highway officials are preparing for a similar situation Friday afternoon, though cautioned there is only so much they can do on crowded roadways and given the frigid weather.

Forecasters are continuing to model a passing snowfall expected Friday in the Baltimore area, and while odds of significant accumulation are decreasing, the timing could make for a messy end-of-the-week commute home. Meanwhile, a separate system could slicken Thursday morning's commute. Meteorologists have backed off predictions of a wintry mix Friday, with warm air aloft that could have brought sleet instead of snow no longer expected. Any snow that falls will be light and powdery given the frigid temperatures, said Tom Kines, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather.com.

Each Wednesday, blogger Matt Vensel will highlight five statistics that really mean something for the Ravens. three -- touchdown passes Joe Flacco needs in the Super Bowl to tie the record for most in one postseason. Joe Flacco can win his first Super Bowl in 11 days. He can join elite company in the record books, too. With eight touchdown passes and zero interceptions, Flacco is in the middle of one of the greatest postseasons a quarterback has ever had, at least statistically speaking.

In a game they desperately need to win, the Ravens will experience life without Terrell Suggs on Sunday. That it comes against the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts, with unstoppable Peyton Manning flinging touchdown passes, makes for an even more dire setting. It took nine games, three straight losses and a dreadful outing on "Monday Night Football," but the Ravens are back in a neighborhood they appreciate. Underdog is a profile that suits them. After 105 straight games, Suggs, a three-time Pro Bowl linebacker/defensive end, will sit out Sunday with a sprained right knee ligament.

I am appalled by the Baltimore Sun's coverage of the recent incident in which a black teenager was allegedly beaten up by a member of Shomrim ( "Tension in Park Heights," Dec. 5). Our justice system requires a presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a court of law. Yet your reporters chose to totally disregard that basic tenet, tried and convicted a young man with no prior criminal record and then chose to interview rabble-rousing clergymen to justify their "verdict" and try to create a rift between the black and Jewish communities.

Having grown up in Annapolis, Bill Belichick remembers watching quarterback Johnny Unitas , one of the NFL's pioneers of the pass, drive the Baltimore Colts up and down the field with their version of the two-minute drill. At the time, no one did it quite like the man with the golden arm. Nearly four decades after Unitas retired, quarterback Tom Brady often forgoes a huddle, racing to the line of scrimmage to exploit reeling defenses. Some suggest his New England Patriots are pioneers of sorts with what they have done this season, but Belichick spikes that notion.

With Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his top advisers visiting Washington this week, huge questions about the future of the NATO mission there consume Afghan and American minds. How fast can we draw down our current total of 68,000 U.S. troops (and another 30,000 or so from other outside countries) before the mission formally concludes at the end of next year? And how many forces do we have to keep in Afghanistan afterward? These questions come on top of other decisions we have been making lately, about the long-term size of the Afghan army and police and about foreign aid levels the international community will provide to Afghanistan for many years.