Fine Line

Down 2-0 against the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Clippers face the tough task of needing two victories at home to keep pace with the NBA's hottest team. Making things worse are injuries to Chris Paul and Blake Griffin that have robbed the superstars of their effectiveness. "The mood is still pretty good," Griffin said Friday after practice and a video session. "We're not completely out of this. " Not yet. Game 3 on Saturday is particularly crucial for the Clippers because no team in NBA history has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a series.

Down 2-0 against the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Clippers face the tough task of needing two victories at home to keep pace with the NBA's hottest team. Making things worse are injuries to Chris Paul and Blake Griffin that have robbed the superstars of their effectiveness. "The mood is still pretty good," Griffin said Friday after practice and a video session. "We're not completely out of this. " Not yet. Game 3 on Saturday is particularly crucial for the Clippers because no team in NBA history has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a series.

In politics, all the world's a campaign stage, particularly for incumbents. Officeholders enjoy the unique advantage of regularly hitching their names to good works in newspaper and television ads, in government printings, at public events, all in the name of informing the public and all paid for with public dollars. Think Mayor Thomas M. Menino's name on construction project signs, Secretary of State William F. Galvin's name and picture on voter guides, and Governor Deval Patrick's name on Massachusetts highway signs, among many others.

In politics, all the world's a campaign stage, particularly for incumbents. Officeholders enjoy the unique advantage of regularly hitching their names to good works in newspaper and television ads, in government printings, at public events, all in the name of informing the public and all paid for with public dollars. Think Mayor Thomas M. Menino's name on construction project signs, Secretary of State William F. Galvin's name and picture on voter guides, and Governor Deval Patrick's name on Massachusetts highway signs, among many others.

A widely circulated video for Occupy Wall Street features rousing marchers beating on drums, grainy videos vilifying former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan, and a singular voice, held up as a clear-speaking hero: Elizabeth Warren. The video, filled with file footage of a Warren interview, has been viewed nearly 185,000 times since it was posted on YouTube on Oct. 3 and is one of many indications that some in the movement consider Warren, a Massachusetts candidate for the Senate, their standard-bearer.

WILMINGTON - A little more than a week ago, Marty Turco was between the pipes for EC Red Bull Salzburg in the first round of the playoffs against bitter rival Klagenfurt in the Erste Bank Hockey League, Austria's top league. The intensity was there - Turco had never had a dead fish thrown at him until he played in Austria - but his 10-year NHL career appeared to be over until the Bruins came calling after Tuukka Rask injured his lower abdomen/groin last Saturday. "The talent was good [in Austria]

YOUR ARTICLE about Elizabeth Warren claiming to be largely responsible for the Occupy Wall Street protests presents a bit of a stretch on her part ( "Warren walks fine line on Occupy movement: Backs message, avoids close ties," Page A1, Oct. 26). "I created much of the intellectual foundation for what they do," Warren said in an interview on the Daily Beast website. She is relatively new to the media and the public eye. The issues being raised by the protesters have been building up for quite a while.

Serves 12 The flavor in this updated classic comes from caramelized shallots. While they cook, don’t stray far from the stove; there is a fine line between browned and burned. A drop of truffle oil adds a warmth that you do not get in onion-soup mix. 1/3 cup canola oil 6 large shallots, thinly sliced 1 pint (1 pound) sour cream Small handful fresh chives, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, finely chopped Salt and pepper, to taste 1 teaspoon truffle oil (optional)

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff FORT MYERS, Fla. — Daniel Bard threw three innings tonight, the longest he has pitched in a game since 2007 when he was a starter in Single-A ball. He shrugged off the 48-pitch outing as nothing particularly taxing. "I really didn't feel much different. Body feels good," Bard said. "I feel like I had more pitches in me. Hopefully that feeling keeps up. I'm sure there will be some kind of ceiling I hit where I start to feel that fatigue.

Potluck parties sound so relaxed, don't they? Hey, let's all contribute a dish so we can enjoy one another's company without forcing the host to do all the work! Yeah, right. As the nation's relationship with food becomes ever more complicated, the potluck has turned into a minefield. As if allergy, sustainability, and food safety issues don't already pose enough of a challenge, reports are now coming in about controlling hosts, guests with performance anxiety, resentment toward the events themselves - and please, everyone, enough with the hummus.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Bobby Valentine believes 22-year-old Jose Iglesias is ready to play in the majors. But he did not say he wants him to be the Red Sox shortstop on Opening Day. There's a fine line separating those two ideas and the manager walked it carefully as he sat in the visitor's dugout at McKechnie Field this morning. "He's pretty close," Valentine said. "We've seen a lot. Now it's a determination of whether of not it's his time. I think he's played pretty well and showed some really good progress.

WILMINGTON - A little more than a week ago, Marty Turco was between the pipes for EC Red Bull Salzburg in the first round of the playoffs against bitter rival Klagenfurt in the Erste Bank Hockey League, Austria's top league. The intensity was there - Turco had never had a dead fish thrown at him until he played in Austria - but his 10-year NHL career appeared to be over until the Bruins came calling after Tuukka Rask injured his lower abdomen/groin last Saturday. "The talent was good [in Austria]

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff FORT MYERS, Fla. — Daniel Bard threw three innings tonight, the longest he has pitched in a game since 2007 when he was a starter in Single-A ball. He shrugged off the 48-pitch outing as nothing particularly taxing. "I really didn't feel much different. Body feels good," Bard said. "I feel like I had more pitches in me. Hopefully that feeling keeps up. I'm sure there will be some kind of ceiling I hit where I start to feel that fatigue.

As far as Ndamukong Suh can tell, there's a fine line between a good, aggressive play and a penalty. After a season-and-a-half of flags and fines, Detroit's star defensive tackle met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday. Suh requested the session in New York at NFL headquarters, and both he and Goodell said the visit was productive. On Wednesday, Suh spoke with reporters at Detroit's practice facility and said he doesn't expect to alter his style. "I'm not going to change the way I play," Suh said.

YOUR ARTICLE about Elizabeth Warren claiming to be largely responsible for the Occupy Wall Street protests presents a bit of a stretch on her part ( "Warren walks fine line on Occupy movement: Backs message, avoids close ties," Page A1, Oct. 26). "I created much of the intellectual foundation for what they do," Warren said in an interview on the Daily Beast website. She is relatively new to the media and the public eye. The issues being raised by the protesters have been building up for quite a while.

FOXBOROUGH - Long after a future Hall of Fame quarterback undressed him in front of a national audience, with touchdown bombs over his head and verbal bombs inches from his face, long after a raucous hometown Patriots crowd mocked him with a derisive cheer that sounded a bit like M-V-P, but upon further review was actually "Guar-an-tee," young Pittsburgh safety Anthony Smith stood at his stall in the hush of the muted Steelers locker room yesterday and...