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He had a shockingly strong rookie campaign, but his sophomore season got off to a start that went from rocky to worse. He wasn't hitting, he was sloppy and unreliable defensively, and then he was sitting.
And on May 11, he was optioned for the first time, shipped to AAA.
That was Rougned Odor, one year ago today.
Batting an anemic .144/.252/.233, Odor went down to Round Rock, took the demotion as a challenge rather than as a sentence, hit .352/.426/.639 over 30 games, and returned to Texas on June 15.
Odor hit .292/.334/.527 the rest of way for the Rangers, and then put up an .881 OPS in the ALDS. All told since his five-week trip to the Pacific Coast League that kicked off a year ago today, he's a .297/.335/.534 big league hitter.
When Odor was optioned last May 11, Texas purchased the contract of journeyman Tommy Field to help hold second base down. The move was clearly designed to get Odor going, not to get Field to the big leagues.
But when Odor returned in mid-June, the move was made, at least in part, based on something other than his own timetable. Delino DeShields had strained a hamstring, forcing a DL move.
It's May 11 again, and today's report is not about Rougned Odor. It's about the other guy.
It's May 11, and I'd like to see DeShields optioned for the first time, shipped to AAA.
For the good of the team and, hopefully, of the player.
The way you keep Nomar Mazara's bat in the lineup when Shin-Soo Choo returns from his rehab assignment is to put them on the outfield corners, and make Ian Desmond the everyday center fielder.
You won't lose anything defensively in center. Desmond — whose experience in the outfield isn't that much less than DeShields's — is the better defender of the two right now, in just about every category.
The arrival of Drew Stubbs, a capable center fielder for the bench, means you don't need to wait for Choo to farm DeShields out.
And I promise: This is the report I planned to write this morning well before Ryan Rua obliterated righthander Matt Albers's two-out, 1-2 fastball over the center field fence to give Texas its most dramatic comeback moment of the season, and its largest since August 1, 2012, when Rua was in his first full pro season, playing third base for Short-Season A Spokane, and DeShields was in his second, playing second base for Low A Lexington and High A Lancaster.
Coming into last night's eighth, which Texas entered down, 11-6, Albers had allowed one earned run in 15.2 2016 innings. He'd held righthanders to a .189/.250/.216 average in 40 plate appearances.
Rua, largely called upon against left-handed starters this year, had hit .160/.192/.200 off righties in 26 trips.
But he got the chance in the eighth, almost out of necessity, and he took advantage of it.
I'm more than OK letting Rua face anyone for a few days, while Choo rounds back into game shape.
But this report isn't about Ryan Rua, either.
I would option DeShields this morning. I've been leaning that way for a couple weeks.
He's taking third strikes and bad routes. He's swinging for the fences when that's not his game. He's tentative in the field and, suddenly and stunningly, tentative on the bases.
Call Andrew Faulkner up, and designate Anthony Ranaudo for assignment — I have doubts as to whether he'd be claimed on waivers, and regardless, given his five-walk fourth (immediately after Bryan Holaday's three-run homer tied the game), the manager and pitching coach aren't going to trust Ranaudo to get any pivotal outs anytime soon.
(Opposite case with Alex Claudio, who was sensational in what looked like mop-up duty and ended up absolutely earning the improbable win and the trust of the manager. If he gets optioned today to get a second fresh arm up here — hopefully not necessary given that Cole Hamels is starting and the team is off tomorrow — he'll be back.)
Moving Ranaudo off the 40-man roster allows you to purchase either Jared Hoying or James Jones, neither of whom in on the 40-man.
While Stubbs's presence doesn't make it as important to get another center fielder up here if DeShields is sent out, you do want another outfielder available aside from Stubbs, and while putting Hoying on the roster, especially if it's just for a few days (until Choo returns), means he could end up taking up a spot on the 40 all season, the 26-year-old (27 next week) can leave as a six-year free agent this winter if not on the roster. He's had a very good start to his fourth AAA season (.279/.391/.532, 15 extra-base hits and 19 walks in 30 games, plus seven stolen bases), plays all three outfield spots, and I'm not sure what DeShields does — right now, at least — that Hoying (who's played all three outfield spots this year, and primarily center) can't.
Hoying will be gone this winter anyway if he's not rostered in advance. He's earned an opportunity to compete for big league work, whether it's here or somewhere else. If he comes up here and, as 60-day DL players like Robinson Chirinos and Tanner Scheppers and Keone Kela and Josh Hamilton need reentry onto the roster, eventually gets designated for assignment and lost on waivers or traded, then his departure would be accelerated by a few months. OK.
Or maybe he does enough good things here in the meantime, and he stays.
But this report isn't about Jared Hoying.
It's about a player whose actions look tentative, whose confidence looks shot, whose body language suggests that he's not so sure he's the player he was a year ago, and whose production suggests just that.
Challenging DeShields with a AAA assignment could pay dividends down the road.
Hope so, at least.
That's what this report is about.
Desmond in center, Mazara in right, Rua in left. Stubbs and Hoying on the bench. One of them starting against certain lefties, with Rua moving to first base.
Mazara to left, and Hoying back to AAA, when Choo returns to reclaim right field.
Delino DeShields in Round Rock, leading off and playing center field every day. Asked to get bunts down. Running again. Taking charge defensively. Refinding the edge he played with last summer, when he was so important to this team's success.
The league has adjusted to DeShields. It's his turn to respond, and that process should start in the Pacific Coast League.
DeShields can return when the time is right. In the meantime, if a stint 200 miles south motivates the second-year player and gets him going again, much as a reassignment to AAA a year ago today did for another second-year player, then the big club will be better off for it in the long run — and, the way things have been going, may not suffer for it in the meantime.
On Friday . . . .
Richardson High School righthander Jose Padilla: Complete-game win (one earned run) in the Eagles' playoff opener, a 13-4 win over Irving Nimitz.
Low A Hickory righthander Erik Swanson: Goes 5-1-0-0-1-7, improving his record to 3-0, 1.03 with 14 hits — all singles — and six walks allowed in 26.1 innings (.151/.202/.151), with 26 strikeouts. He's making himself a legitimate prospect.
High A High Desert righthander Cole Wiper: Pitches into the fifth inning, holding Rancho Cucamonga to two runs in a 7-2 Mavericks win. Not his cleanest effort of the season, but he's pitching in a tough environment and working toward rehabilitating his prospect status.
AA Frisco righthander Connor Sadzeck: Improves to 4-0, 2.60 (.179/.263/.299) with a dominant 7-2-1-1-3-9 effort in San Antonio, punching out a career-high nine and helping to push the RoughRiders' record to 21-6. He'll pitch in the Major Leagues this summer. For someone.
AAA Round Rock righthander Yu Darvish: Ramps up to three innings, throws 50 pitches, sitting 94-96, touching 97. Looks great. He's going to return to the big league rotation, soon.
Texas Rangers lefthander Cole Hamels: Seven strong. Allows a hit to the first batter he faces (an Ian Kinsler single to right), and that's it (7-1-0-0-2-9). Season-high nine strikeouts. Career-best 11-game win streak in the regular season, which is the second longest active streak in the big leagues. Team undefeated the five times Hamels has pitched after a Rangers loss (4-0, 3.15, with one no-decision).
Seventh time in franchise history a Rangers pitcher allows one hit in seven-plus with at least nine punchouts.
The previous two were turned in by Darvish.
Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish, together for the first time.
Won't be long.
Paranoid fans.
Wednesday I was cleared to drive, for the first time in almost two months. It was weird and it was awesome.
The second time I got behind the wheel was yesterday afternoon. On my way to physical therapy, I flipped around XM Radio — which had been one of the casualties of having to rely on others to drive me around all this time — and the song that came on Channel 26, as I pulled into a parking spot, was "Destroyer" by the Kinks.
I smiled at the randomness of that 1981 song, which I'd wager I hadn't heard in 10 years (and which I always thought was called "Paranoia"), finding me a few hours before I'd be heading to an event hosted by the good folks at Paranoid Fan.
The gathering last night at the Blind Butcher was super cool and helped take the sting out of the most lopsided Rangers loss of the season. By time the Blues scored 10 minutes into Game 4 to take a 1-0 lead on the Stars, Derek Holland was already done for the night in Toronto, handing an 11-1 deficit off to Cesar Ramos with the third inning still going.
Hold on.
Stay in control.
It's been such a great hockey season. But when St. Louis stole Game 2 in overtime to tilt home ice advantage in its favor, and then in Game 3 took it to Dallas with more decisive force than the Jays' assault on Holland, the sense that the series and the season were slipping away was sorta tough to dismiss. Blues 6, Stars 1 felt uncomfortably conclusive.
And then, last night, 45 minutes after Cody Eakin and Patrick Sharp each missed point-blank opportunities to give Dallas a lead in the third, the same two connected three minutes into overtime. Dallas 3, St. Louis 2, home ice back in hand.
Ye (we) of little faith.
The hockey team washed Game 3 off, even if most of us couldn't.
Texas draws the insanely dominant Jordan Zimmermann in Detroit tonight.
But the Tigers draw Cole Hamels.
New day.
Zimmermann and Hamels were in the NL East together for seven seasons. Zimmermann faced Hamels's Phillies 14 times but matched up with him just once.
That was four years ago today. Hamels went eight strong and got the 9-3 win. Zimmermann went a decent six and took the loss.
That Phillies-Nationals game, you might argue, has as much bearing on tonight's Rangers-Tigers opener as Toronto 12, Texas 2. Game 4 in St. Louis wasn't exactly the foregone conclusion that Game 3 promised.
Getting around the great Jonah Keri last night made the baseball game easier to endure. No matter how much you think of that guy, and I think a whole lot of him myself, there's another level that he's headed toward. Fired up.
Same with Jake Kemp. Sky's the limit.
And the folks who launched Paranoid Fan. They're doing things that haven't been done and that should be, and they have the right people executing the vision.
Don't mean to leave you out of this, Sean Bass, but you can be strong to quite strong already and that's hardly a knock. #Elvisball
The baseball team has another gear, too. It's in the thick of the race, there are impact players close to returning, and there will be impact help arriving in July, too, as there always is around here.
The offense can be better. The rotation can be better. The bullpen can be better.
And yet, with all the warts, Texas is in a virtual tie for a playoff spot this morning.
This isn't the Astros, sporting the second-worst record in the league, or the Angels, who just lost their ace (and possibly another promising young starting pitcher as well) for the season and have baseball's worst farm system to turn to for help, either that kind or the other.
Things are good here, and there's all kinds of reason to believe there's another gear.
So much to live for.
So much to aim for.
So much to try for.
You're blowing it all with paranoia.
The song is older than Eakin and it's older than Sharp. It's older than Hamels and it's older than Zimmermann. I'm pretty sure it's older than Jake.
It's helpful this morning.
Paranoid Fan > paranoid fans.
Game 3 in St. Louis didn't spill over into Game 4. Lots of us worried it would. The local team didn't.
There's no reason Toronto 12, Texas 2 — or the two walkoffs that preceded it — should affect Texas-Detroit tonight, or this weekend. You know: slam dunk, two points, move on.
If there's one thing this hockey week has taught us as far as this baseball week is concerned, it's that washing the bad stuff off should be a whole lot more difficult for the players and coaches than it is for you and me. We'd be well advised to follow their lead.
Stop, hold on, stay in control.
Hang in, hang out.
Yes, Texas could have pushed another couple runs across, and that would have been better.
See just about every other competitive game the Rangers have ever lost.
The pitching staff, relying on the back half of the rotation and, necessarily, on the back half of the bullpen, could have issued fewer than a relatively acceptable three walks and would like to have one of its 135 pitches back in particular.
It's no fun to see a newly hated rival like the Blue Jays bounce around on the field after the final ball put into play.
But it's pretty cool to be a fan of a team whose rivalries go beyond geography.
That usually means you're pretty good.
The defense was good and the baserunning didn't crack and four of the lineup's nine reached base twice, including the reunited catcher whose arrival (and the AAA ticket that resulted for another player) seemed to bother some fans.
There was more evidence of what might just be an unexpected leadoff answer. An aging starting pitcher who needed to go deep, and rescue the pen, did. The one reliever who had pitched himself out of a key role over the first month looked really good. The cleanup hitter whose slug is lowest among the club's regulars is starting to square up the opposite way a little bit, and that's good.
It was a close game, well played on both sides, and, yes, you can point to a few moments, that if they'd just gone a different way . . . .
The other team, had they lost, would have been able to say the same thing.
Or don't.
The best teams in baseball history lost a third of their games.
That, for me, was as untroubling a walkoff loss as I can remember.
Derek Holland against J.A. Happ tonight, presumably a bullpen back at full strength, and a chance to split a road series with a good baseball team.
Come hang out and watch it with Jonah Keri and Sean Bass and Jake Kemp and me tonight. There will be free things to drink and free things to read and a ballgame on TV between two good clubs with a chippy recent history who have played three really tight games this week.
If Toronto 4, Texas 3 still has you worked up this morning, knock yourself out, I guess.
But don't be afraid to hang in there. It's cool.
Pained relievers.
The Rangers have that really shiny stat, the one about the starting pitchers logging at least five innings in every one of the club's 27 games, the longest season-opening streak in franchise history.
That's really impressive and very good.
Texas has 20 Quality Starts in those 27 games. Last year, the club's 20th Quality Start came in Game 44.
The Rangers rotation sports an ERA of 3.06. Only the White Sox have a stingier mark in the American League.
All this, without Yu Darvish.
No rotation in baseball has generated more double play groundouts. They've held baserunners well — they've allowed only four stolen bases, with five other attempts thwarted. They've been healthy, needing only one start from someone other than the regular five.
Here's the problem.
In those 27 starts, each of which has lasted at least five frames, only three times has a Rangers starter completed the seventh inning.
Cole Hamels went seven on Opening Day.
A.J. Griffin went eight a week ago.
Colby Lewis went seven two days after that.
Seven times those standard 5.0+-inning efforts failed to complete six.
In 27 games, Texas starters have logged 162 innings.
That's a clean six frames per start.
Easy math.
Uneasy otherwise.
There's residual damage, unsurprisingly.
The Rangers bullpen, believed to be a strength coming into the season — and objectively speaking, there was and is no reason to think of it otherwise — has the American League's worst relief ERA (4.95) and worst opponents' batting average (.278) and worst WHIP (1.44 baserunners per inning) and worst OPS (.846).
Texas is right in the middle of the AL pack as far as straight reliever workload is concerned, but a rotation ballyhooed thus far for not yet putting up a clunker hasn't really saved the pen like you might think.
Pick a Rangers reliever, any one of them, and you can point to a drop in velocity or a dip in command in the last handful of games, if not both. Losing Keone Kela to injury hurts, without a doubt, but really, outside of Tony Barnette and Phil Klein (last night's 10th notwithstanding), the men in the Texas bullpen haven't been as sharp lately as we're accustomed to seeing.
Sometimes it's been difficulty throwing strikes. Other times an inability to put hitters away, resulting in long at-bats and high pitch counts.
Last night, six Rangers relievers went a combined 4.1 innings. Before Klein's final pitch, the pen line was 4.1-4-1-1-3-7. Too many baserunners but ultimately effective in run prevention (though, of course, the one run, off Shawn Tolleson, extended the game) — still, in getting those 13 outs the pen needed 99 pitches, only 57 of which were strikes.
That's far too many pitches (nearly 23 per frame), and not enough strikes (an uncharacteristic 58 percent).
They're better than this. But they're getting worked hard, and when they're needed for a third of the game nearly every night, it adds up.
There are reinforcements who should be called on for help at some point, but none is banging the door down at the moment.
Luke Jackson is missing bats (14 strikeouts in 8.1 AAA innings) but he's issued seven walks and still hasn't been asked to work back-to-back nights, likely because his spring training was abbreviated due to a lower back issue.
Andrew Faulkner is getting straightened out (3.1-1-0-0-0-4 in his last four outings) but has had at least two days down between Round Rock assignments.
Matt Bush hasn't worked consecutive days since his first two Frisco appearances, and while he's been outstanding overall (.163/.245/.326, with 14 strikeouts and four walks in 13 innings), his readiness for the big leagues is being evaluated not only between the lines.
Plus he's not on the 40-man roster, an issue that's going to get stickier once Darvish comes off the 60-day DL.
Same goes for non-roster candidates like Michael Roth, Francisco Mendoza, Jefri Hernandez, and Carlos Fisher, each of whom has had an interesting start to the season out of the Round Rock bullpen.
Jose Leclerc, shifted to the Frisco bullpen a week and a half ago, has been more effective in that role, but he's getting three days of rest between outings as the transition takes hold. He's on the 40-man roster but not ready to help. The big league bullpen, under the circumstances, can't afford middle men who can't yet work more than once every three days (let alone two).
Connor Sadzeck, also on the roster, made a Sunday relief appearance for the RoughRiders after four starts — but that was only because he took the ball after Darvish's two innings were done. Some think Sadzeck's future is in relief, but he's being groomed as a starter for now.
Tanner Scheppers will eventually be an option, presumably, but he'll need a rehab assignment before returning to Arlington, and there's been no signal that that's imminent.
The Rangers rotation is on a healthy streak of not getting chased early, and that's cool and that's good. But every once in a while, a 7.1 or 8.0 would be really helpful, because the bullpen is on a workload streak of its own, and while consistently chewing innings up is what you want from your starters, it's the last thing you want from your relievers, especially as a unit.
Present, tense.
The Rangers rolled into Rogers Centre and took Game One of the series in what was, to date, the game of the year.
True on October 8.
True again, 207 days later.
Texas 2, Toronto 1, two days into May, had moments of mid-October intensity, palpably ratcheted up because of what happened the last time the teams took the field together.
At that time, Nomar Mazara hadn't played a baseball game in nearly a month, and was a month and a half away from getting a text letting him know he would be going to his first big league camp the next spring.
Brett Nicholas, who finished his Round Rock season with Mazara a few weeks before the Rangers-Jays ALDS, was days away from reporting to Estrellas de Oriente for what would be his first taste of the Dominican Winter League, as he was doing everything in his power to make his case for a big league chance.
No telling what A.J. Griffin, who hadn't thrown a professional pitch in four months (and even then, hadn't thrown many since 2013), was doing.
None of them were in Toronto for Game One, or Two, or Five.
Nobody was bigger last night than those three. If this were the Stanley Cup playoffs, no question who the Three Stars would have been as the Rangers took the opener of this four-game set.
There was Griffin on the mound, scattering five baserunners in six innings while punching out a career-high-matching nine (over 52 starts). Were it not for a brutal baserunning decision by a player whose greatest weapon is supposed to be his baserunning — all things considered, I'd be all for an assignment to Round Rock for Mr. DeShields, in hopes that he'd respond to it the way that Rougned Odor did when he was optioned last May 11, with Ian Desmond sliding over to center field and either Jared Hoying or James Jones coming up to give the team a fourth outfielder capable of playing center — Griffin might have earned another victory.
Those are just numbers, though, and instead the win went to Tony Barnette, his first in the big leagues, while Griffin's win-loss held at 3-0 and his ERA ticked down to 2.32.
Barnette, in mid-October, was getting ready for the Yakult Swallows' Japan Central League playoff series against the hated Yomiuri Giants.
There was Nicholas at the plate and behind it, giving Texas a one-run lead with a second-inning home run, helping preserve a one-run lead with a sensational play on the back end of a crazy-great 9-2 double play in the eighth, and catching Griffin, Barnette, Sam Dyson, and Shawn Tolleson as they combined to hold Toronto's formidable offense in check.
And there was Mazara at the plate and in the field, owning the eighth inning as he took Gavin Floyd deep to lead off the frame and gunned Michael Saunders down at home to end it.
Slow heartbeat.
Mazara's, that is.
Not mine.
I mentioned on Twitter last night that there are times I hate sports for making me love it so much — and that, at least as Texas took its 2-1 lead to the ninth — that wasn't one of them.
That was sports at its near-best.
The American League's Rookie of the Month for April — slightly unforeseeable as he was busy singling twice and homering in a 9-3 Express win over the Iowa Cubs on April 9 — may have just played his best baseball game yet. In May.
Three days after the Rangers signed Mazara for a controversial $4.95 million as a 16-year-old Dominican, he was in Arlington taking batting practice with Josh Hamilton. I was there, and I wrote this about it.
Two weeks after that, I wrote this feature on Mazara for MLB.com.
I'm prone, you might agree, to getting overly excited about prospects.
I wasn't excited enough about Nomar Mazara.
Which is not the same as being unexcitable, a really cool aspect of the Rangers' right fielder and number two hitter's game.
Not yet part of mine, not when the game is at its tense, intense, electrifying best, which doesn't always line up with the relative significance of its position on the calendar.
Since the last time Texas and Toronto met, a full 40 percent of the Rangers' 25-man roster has changed.
Since that ineradicably memorable meeting, a full 40 percent of the Blue Jays' 25-man roster has changed, too.
David Price has moved on, as has Yovani Gallardo, and if you think those two don't belong in the same sentence, think back to which pitcher had the other team's number last season.
J.A. Happ and A.J. Griffin are in, and while their handedness and their groundball tendencies and their initials are opposites, their records (3-0, 2.76 and 3-0, 2.52) and their place among the league's early surprises line up nicely, though it's not as if they hadn't done it in the past.
The Jays have replaced Mark Lowe with Drew Storen in set-up relief, and so far that hasn't gone as well as the shift of Aaron Sanchez from the pen to the rotation, while Texas has been forced to elevate Tony Barnette on the heels of the injury to Keone Kela, whose absence in this series eliminates at least one interesting storyline.
No Chris Colabello (the most productive hitter in the teams' October series) or Ben Revere, but Michael Saunders and Darwin Barney have given the Jays an early boost.
Shin-Soo Choo and Josh Hamilton out. Ian Desmond and Nomar Mazara in.
Until yesterday, the only time the Rangers had lost a Cole Hamels start in his last 16 times to take the ball was Game Five in Toronto on October 14, which ended one team's season.
Nobody's season is ending this week.
Marcus Stroman pitched yesterday, too, and so the Game Two and Game Five matchup doesn't get restaged this week, and in fact Hamels and Stroman will be the only starters to miss the four-game Rangers-Jays set that kicks off tonight at Rogers Centre, which now has a real dirt infield cut into the artificial turf, and if that were the case in October, specifically on the 14th, particularly in the seventh inning, especially in the bottom of the frame . . . .
Never mind.
Speaking briefly of which, new year, new rosters, new meaning to this matchup: Is the response to what happened in that ineradicably memorable B7 a simple "Never mind"?
Regarding the flip: What's past is prologue? Or is the focus these next four nights squarely and solely on playing good enough baseball to win an early May series against a solid team on the road, or at least come away with a split?
Flip the calendar?
Is all now forgotten, at least in a plausible deniability kind of way?
We will see.
Along with Cole and Marcus, and Kela and Colabello, we will watch.
And we will see.
Some hither, others yon.
Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to Hank Blalock:
The best development of the first month of the Rangers season is not the streak of five-inning starts or Adrian Beltre's health and production or the first-place perch or Nomar Mazara. It's Elvis Andrus playing as well in the field and at the plate as he's ever played, whether you base it on the numbers or what the approach looks like. Especially given how his 2015 season ended, it's just huge. He's not only gotten past October 14 — it appears at age 27 he's found a new level . . . . I'm not sure it's the second-biggest story, given that it's happening a couple hundred miles away, but the adjustments Joey Gallo's made in his own approach and execution at the plate in Round Rock are up there . . . . one of the best writing tips I ever got was when T.R. Sullivan encouraged shorter paragraphs . . . . so, oops.
* * *
My surgeon and P/T and at least two readers have given me the following advice in the aftermath of my quad injury: Do no more than your doctor tells you. And do no less . . . . I think that probably applies to what Elvis Andrus is doing right now, and it really fires me up . . . . The Rangers' team ERA since the Robinson Chirinos injury: 3.22. Slow clap, Bryan Holaday and Brett Nicholas.
* * *
What if even half of Ryan Rua and Ryan Cordell and Andy Ibanez and Travis Demeritte and Ronald Guzman and Pedro Payano and Yohander Mendez and Brett Martin and Connor Sadzeck and David Perez and Jairo Beras and Richelson Pena, each of whom is showing signs of taking that next step, have moved onto those lists other teams' pro scouts are responsible for keeping? None of them is going to carry a deal (and I don't mean a Yovani Gallardo-type deal — I mean a Cole Hamels-level deal), but neither could Jerad Eickhoff or Alec Asher or Blake Beavan. You have to have secondary pieces like that to close big trades, and a few weeks in, there just might be some Rangers prospects moving themselves into that range. That's good . . . . There's a reason I don't include Luke Jackson or Matt Bush in that list. Their value, at least during this season, is probably greater here than as trade chips . . . . It's early, obviously, but Houston is in a dead heat for the second pick in the June 2017 draft, though at the moment San Diego and Minnesota would draft ahead of the Astros because their 2015 win-loss records were worse.
* * *
Interesting usage pattern as far as Bush goes. Used on back-to-back days to open Frisco's season but, a week later, transitioned strictly to two-inning assignments, every four days . . . . Jackson, meanwhile, is getting one-inning assignments, but has yet to pitch on consecutive days (or even on just one day's rest) . . . . the opening to the syndicated "Tarzan" show was, by far, the best part of the show.
* * *
If Chi Chi Gonzalez is settling into a groove anywhere close to what he's shown in his last two AAA starts (13-5-2-2-5-10), then you'd feel better keeping A.J. Griffin in the big leagues once Yu Darvish returns, assuming the rest of the current rotation is all healthy at that point . . . . and assuming the club doesn't experiment with a six-man rotation, an idea Jeff Banister apparently addressed in a radio interview this morning on 105.3 The Fan . . . . the lead competitor for Griffin's rotation spot in camp, veteran Jeremy Guthrie, is 0-4, 11.50 (.342/.395/.539) in four starts so far this season — for San Diego's AAA club . . . . Why don't kids make salt maps in elementary school anymore? . . . . If I were a team in the AL East, AL Central, or National League, I'd rather play Texas in April, May, June, or July. That has nothing to do with the weather.
* * *
Ian Desmond before his three-day break (one day out of the lineup, one team day off, one rainout): .109/.180/.109. Desmond since: .379/.486/.759 . . . . Prince Fielder just got two days off (one day out of the lineup, one team day off), and there's heavy rain in the forecast in the Metroplex tonight . . . . Every single Progressive Insurance commercial is wince-terrible, except the "Sprinkles are for winners" one, and this extension of it makes me happy . . . . I think I'll be happy with a split of these first two at home with the Blues . . . . I say that now, of course.
* * *
Our neighbor Jones probably doesn't miss Progresso pizza sauce, Thomas Harris novels, Halleck's Chicken, those Dr. Haledjian two-minute mysteries, Jellyfish, Shasta soda, or Dan Wilson's bat flip nearly as much as I do, but I'm only guessing . . . . I will never miss that heavy-plastic thingy I had to wear over my entire quad-mangled leg while showering, which I hate at a level that would prompt me to welcome Rich Harden back to the rotation as an alternative, with apologies to the rest of you . . . . ESPN's Adam Schefter says Dallas offered its second- and third-round picks (number 34 and 67 overall) to Seattle, presumably to take quarterback Paxton Lynch, but were outbid by Denver's offer of a late first (31) and a third (94). That's gonna be interesting to track, for Denver and Seattle and Dallas, for a long time, especially once we see who was taken (and who was available) in those second- and third-round slots tonight . . . . the Dallas offer appears to have greater value than the Denver offer, of course, but one difference between the picks at 31 and 34 is that teams are allowed to guarantee one extra year (five rather than four, I think) with a first-rounder . . . . in the 302 regular season games between now and the end of the 2017 season, who will start the most games in center field for Texas, and who the least, among Delino DeShields, Desmond, and Lewis Brinson?
* * *
Not unrelated and in a more immediate context: Interesting that the frequency of the versatile Jared Hoying's center field assignments have increased lately at Round Rock . . . . if it's all the same, I'd like to see Jurickson Profar leading off for the Express . . . . I've mentioned this before, I know: I always thought Deion Sanders leaned toward returning punts to his right rather than his left because of his baseball experience. (I bet Apolo Ohno would take a punt return the same way.) Try one day to run from home to second clockwise, that is, rounding third instead of first — see which gets you to second faster . . . . Did you see last night's Ronald Guzman home run? You should see last night's Ronald Guzman home run.
* * *
The Rangers' farm clubs' records: 11-8, 15-4, 17-4, and 14-7. Meaningless to a very large extent — the Rangers' Low A club at Gastonia went 58-82 in 1987 with Juan Gonzalez, Sammy Sosa, Dean Palmer, Wilson Alvarez, and Roger Pavlik — but it's not like Texas sends 25-year-olds to leagues where the competition is three years younger. While development is a thousand times more important in the minor leagues than win-loss records, winning at that silly a rate is a lot more encouraging than losing . . . . One person cannot make a "concerted" effort . . . . Hope Cody Buckel gets another chance somewhere, if he wants it.
* * *
Speaking of that 1987 Gastonia club, two of its competitors in that season's South Atlantic League, the Macon Pirates and Charleston Rainbows, had a bench-clearing brawl that spring. One of Charleston's pitchers, a first-round pick playing his first full pro season, says of Macon's catcher, a 25th-rounder playing his first full pro season: "I didn't know him personally, but I knew what his fists felt like" . . . the Rainbow pitcher was Doug Brocail . . . the Pirate catcher was Jeff Banister . . . . journeyman catcher Jerry Goff played with Brocail on the Astros' AAA club in 1995 and was a fellow catcher in the Pirates' system with Banister in 1993 . . . Goff also played alongside Spike Owen and DeShields's father in the big leagues in 1990 and 1992, and with Tony Beasley in 1993 (Pittsburgh/AAA).
Godspeed, Beas.
Goff caught Brian Shouse in 1993 and 1994 (Pittsburgh/AAA) and Keith Comstock in 1989 (Seattle/AAA) . . . he was teammates with Rangers wormhole Esteban Beltre in 1990 (Montreal/AAA) . . . Goff was chosen by the Mariners in the third round of the 1986 draft, 63rd overall, four spots after Texas selected Palmer (whose goings-on I know more about these days than Blalock's), and 558 spots before Pittsburgh took Banister.
Goff's kid Jared was born in October of 1994, three years before Jerry retired from the game, and 22 years before Jared would be the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.
I know nothing about Carson Wentz's dad.
* * *
Three with the Angels. 4, 2, even, or –2.
Let's go.
* * *
There's going to be a really cool game-watching party (Rangers/Blue Jays and Stars/Blues) next Thursday night at The Blind Butcher on Lower Greenville, hosted by Paranoid Fan. Acclaimed baseball columnist Jonah Keri is the featured guest. At least a couple personalities from The Ticket will be there, and I plan to be there, too. You should go. Details: here and here . . . . Max has started falling asleep on schoolnights with Eric and Matt's radio call whispering from his nightstand, to which I suggest: My work here is done.
* * *
He used to finish his "Scattershooting" columns with a joke, so here's one:
The Angels' farm system.
* * *
RIP, Mr. Sherrod.
Bam! Pow! ZZZZONK!!
He's 3-0 with a 2.52 ERA in four starts, logging 25 innings.
That's Cole Hamels's line.
It's A.J. Griffin's line, too.
Opponents are hitting .227/.340/.409 off Hamels, compared to .189/.263/.333 off Griffin, who made the club's lengthiest start of the year in last night's hammering of the Yanks, and now owns the big league's third-longest active streak of starts lasting at least 5.0 innings (32).
Now, the point of the above is that I'll take both of them, thanks.
But what happens to Griffin when Yu Darvish returns in a few weeks?
Nomar Mazara: Another two hits last night, on his 21st birthday, ratcheting his line up to .365/.426/.519.
What happens to Mazara when Shin-Soo Choo comes back, even setting aside Josh Hamilton's own return?
Four of Brett Nicholas's hits have gone for extra bases (including the only home run — and only earned run — Dellin Betances has surrendered all season), and he's been really solid behind the plate.
What happens to Nicholas when Chris Gimenez, who is now playing on a rehab assignment in Frisco, is ready to rejoin the big club?
Could Delino DeShields (2 for his last 27 — a bunt single and an infield single — and 8 for 41 with 12 strikeouts and two walks since his April 13 home run) and Jurickson Profar (.324/.387/.471 at Round Rock) be teammates for the first time very soon . . . and not in Arlington?
Joey Gallo: .270/.413/.683 at Round Rock, with 16 walks (second most in all of AAA), 19 strikeouts (23.8 percent frequency, compared to 39.4 percent in AAA last year), three multi-homer games already, and significantly longer at-bats.
What got into Phil Klein (6.1-2-0-0-0-9)?
Have you taken a look at Tony Barnette's numbers since his debut outing?
Is this the real Ian Desmond?
Is this the real Elvis Andrus?
This feels like the end of an after-school "Batman" episode.
They're are real questions. Nothing rhetorical about them.
I don't know for sure who left the note on Mike's windshield (I have a good idea), but I can't wait to find out once "Better Call Saul" comes back around.
I have no clue what Radiohead's new album in June will sound like, but I'm on the edge of my seat.
These things will all sort themselves out.
Can't wait.
A chance to help.
Eduard Pinto is a 21-year-old outfielder in the Rangers minor league system. He signed a pro contract with the organization the same day that Nomar Mazara did.
No teenager had ever signed a contract out of Latin America for as much as Mazara got. Most of them fortunate enough to sign get a fraction of that. Pinto got a fraction.
The Venezuela native doesn't hit for power and isn't a burner on the bags. If he makes it to the big leagues, it will be because he's able to square up on the baseball. He's a career .305 hitter in five seasons on the farm, with more walks than strikeouts. One of his heroes is Endy Chavez, and if Pinto makes it to the big leagues, that could be the kind of player he turns out to be.
Pinto has left his teammates in Hickory to be with his family in Venezuela. Maria was expected to give birth to their first son in July. Five days ago, Gael was born — three months premature. He was born with respiratory complications that were too much to overcome. Gael passed away yesterday.
Minor league baseball players make very, very little money. Pinto is in his fifth year in the system, and his third in Hickory. His road is long, and in the meantime he and his family are faced with sizable medical bills for Maria and Gael's care and treatment.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help raise funds to help Eduard and Maria out. I'd encourage you to read this. If you're inclined to help out with a few dollars, every little bit would help.
I hope you'll give some thought to helping out a member of the Rangers family.


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Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Cahill is great! He is the P.J. O'Rourke of the outdoors! Fearless and hell-bent on overcoming all obstacles in his path, Cahill takes us to the oddest and scariest adventures nature has to offer.
About the Author
Tim Cahill is the author of four previous collections of travel writing, all published by Fourth Estate: Jaguars Ripped My Flesh, A Wolverine is Eating My Leg, Road Fever and Pecked to Death by Ducks. He also wrote a gripping study of serial killer John Wayne Gacey: Buried Dreams.

subset: commoncrawl


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Been a while since I posted anything. Did a quick logo for a friend's business this morning while drinking coffee.
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Show and tell for designers
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The entrepreneurship boom in New Orleans is a real phenomenon, and a crucial factor in the city's continued rebirth — but it must also be accompanied by more economic opportunities for the unsustainable number of jobless African-American men in the city, a panel of business leaders said Thursday evening.
"We can get there," said Rod Miller, CEO of the New Orleans Business Alliance. "We are a 'new' New Orleans, but we're not our best New Orleans." Continue reading »


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PIG is: a multi-genre mindfucking mix of blood, bourbon and blasphemy founded and led by the Lord of Lard, Raymond Watts.
The Swining is the information service for PIG and the various doings of Raymond Watts and his cohorts. We make and sell ephemera created to satisfy the propaganda needs of Piglets worldwide, and the proceeds support both our information service and Mr. Watts, a fully independent musician and soundtrack artist.
Unless otherwise noted, all items ship from The Swining US in Detroit, Michigan, USA. When items are noted as made to order, please note that they are literally made for you when you order. Any items listed as in stock are available to ship out the next business day.


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Hi, I've tried using either a checkbox or multiple select field in gravity forms and saving it to a custom field, but it's only saving the first value. (i.e. User checks Red, Green, and Blue in the form, but it just saves as "Red" to the custom field).
What's the proper form field type to use to send a comma separated list (or even an array value) to a custom field?
Thanks for the awesome plugin!


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Patricia A. SherwinNovember 26,2012Patricia A. Sherwin
LEICESTER Patricia Ann Sherwin, 72, died Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012, at her home.
Friends may call from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, at the Miller & Ketcham Funeral Home in Brandon.
The private graveside service will be held Thursday, Nov. 29, in East Clarendon Cemetery.
Memorial contributions, in lieu of flowers, may be made to Addison County Home Health & Hospice, PO Box 754, Middlebury, VT 05753.
A full obituary will be published in a future edition of the Rutland Herald.MORE IN ObituariesBeverley A. Full StoryClifford R. Jones, Jr.
Clifford R. Jones, 66, of Rutland, died Saturday at Lake Bomoseen. Full StoryMarion Turner
Marion Turner, 93, of Rutland, died Sunday morning, July 24, 2016, at the... Full Story
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I would like to configure Outlook 2010 such that when I receive an invitation for a meeting/event where I am listed as optional that a specific category is automatically assigned. Is this possible? How would I set this up as a rule?
When you are listed as optional in a meeting request, the message comes in with you in the CC field (required attendees are in the TO field).
You can set a rule with this description:


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I've just bought a Belkin N+ Wireless Router. When I plug it directly into my computer I can navigate to its setup page at 192.168.2.1 - however, when I plug it into a random part of the network it still functions as a wireless hub but I can't get to its setup page at 192.168.2.1
Now I'm guessing that the main router has given it an IP. How can I find out what that is? I've looked on the web page for the main router and listed all IP's that are connected to it and tried to access each one but that didn't work.


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Sevenoaks girl wins competition to re-design her car
Signage company, Creative FX, have announced the winner of their competition to design a vehicle decal. The winner is Georgia, 18, from Sevenoaks.
Winner Georgia, who is a student, has designed this black and white chequered pattern herself, and it has now been applied to her prized Fiat 500 using a removable vinyl wrap. She is very pleased with the outcome: "It was a great surprise as my Nan entered me in to the competition,"
Vinyl wraps are the latest trend in vehicle customisation and Georgia follows a long line of celebrities, including Wayne Rooney, in having her car 'wrapped.'
The competition was run in conjunction with a recent vehicle wrapping exhibition and demonstration at Bluewater shopping centre. Over 200 shoppers, eager to participate in the latest celebrity trend, entered the draw. Georgia'
# # #
Creative FX specialises in vinyl wrapping and personalisation of cars, vans, bikes and scooters. We also provide stone chip protection and window tints, as well as signage for shops and offices - and we are authorised suppliers of vehicle badging.
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Ain't Dead Yet
Credits & Info
- Uploaded
- Feb 15, 2012 | 6:01 PM EST
- File Info
- Song
- 4 min 18 sec
- Score
- 4.71 / 5.00
Related Content
Heard in 2 Entries!
View all submissions featuring this audio file.
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Licensing Terms
You may not use this work for commercial purposes without making specific arrangements with the artist UNLESS your work is a web-based game or animation, in which case you may use this freely.
- Score:
- Rated 4.71 / 5 stars
- Plays & Downloads:
- 16,363 Plays | 1,239 Downloads
- Share Links:
- Genres:
- Southern Flavor - Blues
- dead
- dark
- blues
- hound
Author Comments
Rated 5 / 5 stars
i really like this song evening of sun brought me here
Thanks man, I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
Rated 5 / 5 stars
I like the somber mood. Can I use it in a video I made for Fallout 3 (How fitting)? I really like this.
I don't see the problem. Just remember giving credit and sending a link :)
Rated 5 / 5 stars
The dark, dramatic mood and slow stomp kinda reminds me of some of Cash's later work, but only a bit. Great tune. Keep it up.
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Wow man, I gotta say, I really like this. Very atmospheric. I especially love the Tool-esque guitar part around 3:50. Sounds like a darker Black Keys/Jose Gonzales sound wave being shot into deep space. Keep it up dude!
Thanks man. I really like that description :)
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Awesome! Can I use this for a project I'm working on? If you want to know about more, PM me!


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Now Playing
Vatican Recalls Pope Medallions Because Of Typo
The Vatican minted thousands of medallions in gold, silver and bronze. A portrait of the pope was on one side and on the other, the Latin phrase that inspired Pope Francis to join the Jesuit order. The medals were promptly recalled after the Vatican discovered Jesus was misspelled as Lesus.


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I'm going to program a fancy (animated) about-box for an app I'm working on. Since this is where programmers are often allowed to shine and play with code, I'm eager to find out what kind of cool algorithms the community has implemented.
The algorithms can be animated fractals, sine blobs, flames, smoke, particle systems etc.
However, a few natural constraints come to mind: It should be possible to implement the algorithm in virtually any language. Thus advanced directx code or XNA code that utilizes libraries that aren't accessible in most languages should not be posted. 3D is most welcome, but it shouldn't rely on lots of extra installs.
If you could post an image along with your code effect, it would be awesome.
Here's an example of a cool about box with an animated 3D figure and some animated sine blobs on the titlebar:
And here's an image of the about box used in Winamp, complete with 3D animations:


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Jamie Mitchell • Times Record
Lisa Pittman unpacks kitchen wares for display Saturday for the Fort Smith Christian Women's Job Corps benefit yard sale at the Midland Heights United Methodist Church parking lot. FSCWJC, a nonprofit organization, assesses the needs and long-term goals of program participants and matches them with volunteer mentors. For more information, visit www.fscwjc.org or call (479) 353-7001.


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My server crashed and I had to hobble together things as they were. Mine's a blog and a podcast. Old feed was:
http:/audiolingo.org/?feed=rss2 and I'd like to keep that since I am logged into directories as such. When I re-enterred data, however, my new feed reads: feed=http://audiolingo.org/wp-rss2.php
I do not think my podcast #6 is getting out. If not, I think I need to go back to old feed, but don't know how to get there. Any suggestions?


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Don Button
phone: 916-558-2415
office: COS-111
Fall 15 Office Hours:
Mon: 11am – 12:30pm
Tue: 12pm – 1:30pm
Wed: 8am – 9am
Thu: 8am – 9am
Program Areas:
Graphic Design
Digital Imaging
Publication Design
Web Media
Digital Layout 1
Digital Layout 2
Digital Imaging 2
Digital Imaging 3
Introduction to Web and Interactive Technologies
Don is a full-time professor and former department chair for the Graphic Communication department at SCC. He has been teaching at city college since 2000 and has been a professional print and web designer, art director, design consultant and photographer since 1986.
The bulk of his experience is in publication design, having served in various design positions with the News & Review alternative weeklies for over 20 years. Don's design work has received over two dozen individual and group awards and has been featured in Print and How magazines. He also serves as art director / designer for the Harris Center for the Arts at Folsom Lake College, designing most of the center's brand and marketing materials since it's opening in 2011.
Don is an avid skateboarder and fan of loud, fast music. He has a wife who is much smarter than he is, two boys who are much cuter, and a dog and cat who are much fuzzier. You can see some of Don's personal work at www.designbutton.com.
LinkedIn profile.


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Rooms & Rates
Rated 3.4 out of 5 by 88 reviewers.
Rated 4 out of 5 by ChellRenae My quick trip This hotel is good for a quick trip. I stayed for two nights. Rooms are nice. The only thing I don't like is that they charge your card before when you check in. July 13, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5 by GG17 Aloft never disappoints I have stayed in many Alofts over the years and they never disappoint. The Frisco Aloft is a recent edition and certainly keeps the pace. It was a perfect 2 night stay. The shuttle driver was excellent as well. 5-Stars all the way. June 2, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5 by TrueTexan Great Experience - as usual I stay at this Aloft several times a year. Great location, fantastic staff, clean rooms, fun atmosphere. January 20, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5 by Denise56 Spa chic Can't say enough nice things, friendly staff,rooms are so quiet. It's just an experience on its on. Pillows soft, bed comfortable. And no tub yeah! Shower instead. So if your traveling with children that need a tub just be aware. January 1, 2016
Rated 2 out of 5 by GW2012 Good location Nicely located near offices and many restaurants. Aloft style is modern and clean as expected, but this specific stay had several inconveniences. Main one was the in-room A/C, which started and stopped all-night regardless of the setting; this interrupted sleep each night and was reported to the hotel. Hopefully this and all units are fixed to allow a steady fan setting without loud start and stop. Other topics: only 2 treadmills in small gym; too small of a fitness center for size of hotel in my opinion. Free coffee was out the first morning. Large event at hotel took up all parking and completely packed the lobby the last evening - no space for guests to use/relax in lobby. Elevator is blasted with perfume scent as others have commented. Room keys did not work after 3 reset requests at front desk. No Gold SPG recognition at check-in. Overall led to the impression of a hit or miss experience, so I will stay at other SPG options in the area during my next visit. November 21, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by jfleck24 Great Rest I sleep well In this hotel, loved how cold the a/c got. October 31, 2015
Rated 3 out of 5 by familyfun3 Not my favorite spg hotel Love the room but on checkout the customer service girl wasn't very helpful, and she was rude. The hotel charged a higher deposit and incidentals than what we even paid for our room. The charges for the room and deposit were posted, unposted, posted again on the credit card causing the card to be maxed out. If you have unlimited funds and can have your account tied up for a bit then stay here. I called to speak to the General Manager and it took 3 days for her to call me back - after the problem was resolved. August 20, 2015
Rated 2 out of 5 by Dennis1968 Service Although the hotel itself was good, the staff was not up to the level. Room wasn't ready after 3 and we had to wait until cleaning called in an available room. Cleaning was in no hurry. We went down for a cocktail in the bar and the bar manager was the rudest service person I have ever encountered. He rudely asked for an ID, I'm 65. He was so rude we said never mind and went out instead. I don't mind being asked but there is a polite way of talking to a guest. He acted like he was a bouncer. They was only one other guest in the bar, it ruined our experience. After that, we went out for everything, coffee/breakfast/etc. not what we expect in a Starwood property August 1, 2015


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You probably have questions – maybe lots of questions. The best way to know if you fit with Newman is to visit our campus; walk our sidewalks, try our coffee, and feel what we're about! It's easy to visit, and we're easy to get to!
Welcome Center Hours
Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Newman is open for visits on select Saturdays!
*Office hours are 9 a.m. - noon on Saturdays with information sessions starting at 10:30 a.m. This spring we are offering Saturday visits on January 23, February 6, March 5, April 23 and May 7.
Information sessions and campus tours are available during the summer months Monday through Friday at 10:00 am or 2:00 pm, depending on the day of the week. This visit includes a 30 minute small-group presentation from a counselor, plus a tour of campus. Visitors can also request one-on-one appointments with a counselor or professor. Click below to sign up, or click the calendar at the top to explore all available sessions.
Information sessions and campus tours are offered Monday through Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m during the academic year. This visit schedule will resume on Monday, August 22nd - check back soon if you are looking to sign up for a fall visit!
Transfer Thursdays are a great opportunity for students looking to transfer to Newman to take the next steps in learning about this process. You'll be able to connect one-on-one with our transfer admissions team, visit with financial aid, learn more about degree completion and more. Sign up for a two hour session and we'll customize a schedule for you!
More Information
Meetings with faculty or other staff members may not be available on Saturday. An appointment with faculty will be scheduled for your first listed academic interest unless otherwise noted in the comment section.
If you wish to visit with an athletic representative during your visit, please contact the coach or assistant coach to schedule a time before or after your campus visit. A list of contact information can be found on the NU Athletics website.


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american history time line
Today's Apps Gone Free: Space Qube, Camera Genius, Wubbzy Loves You And More
Today's AGF list includes a space shooter, an all-in-one camera app, and an interactive storybook.
Tyler Tschida
| January 30
Today's Apps Gone Free: Ninja, Spell Sword, Pocket Expense And More
Today's AGF list includes a board game, an arena-style platformer, and a finance app.
Tyler Tschida
| June 24
Today's Apps Gone Free: To Do Checklist, 3 Little Piggies, Directional And More
Today's AGF list includes a task manager, an interactive storybook app, and a matching game.
Tyler Tschida
| November 16
Today's Apps Gone Free: Marvel KAPOW!, Pocket Check-Up, Band Together And More
Today's AGF list includes an arcade game that will give you super powers, an app that will test your health, and a puzzling platform game where you must band together.
Tyler Tschida
| June 26


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Published on 12 August 2006 in Health - Bio Ethics Source: CCNews Portal
This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and pastor of Saddleback Church in California. In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:People ask me, what is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense. Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ-likeness.This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life,there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter owbad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain." But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God nd others.We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72. First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.In the happy moments, PRAISE GOD. In the difficult moments, SEEK GOD. In the quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD. In the painful moments, TRUST GOD. And, in every moment, THANK GOD.Visit Rick Warren's personal blog: http://www.rickwarren.com
In the news today was the story of Kelly Hildebrandt marrying Kelly Hildebrandt. The pair - the male Kelly and the female Kelly - found each other via Facebook. Got us thinking about "how many people with my name" are there in the U.S.? We were tipped off on the website www.HowManyofMe.com. In case you are curious, when it comes to the K-LOVE Morning Show here's how many there of us:
News Guy Dan Dillard - 17
News Gal Amy Baumann - 36
Producer David Fountain - 257
Eric Allen - 1,661
Lisa Williams - 6,145 (and here we thought she was one in a million!?)
When my family lived in Orlando, we worshiped at a church called Northland, with Pastor Joel Hunter.
Now that we live in California, we have a great church family we worship with each Sunday. But we are still able to be a part of live worship services on-line with Northland.
Tonight, while rocking my baby Jesse, I listened to Sean Cooper preach a message that gripped my heart. After the sermon, the singers and musicians led us in worship and all I could do was cry and worship God, and rock my sweet baby.
Sean closed the service with this scripture from Micah 6:8, paraphrased from The Message Bible...
"But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don't take yourself too seriously— take God seriously."
with love in Christ,
My boys are napping, so I thought I'd take a moment to ask you a question...
What matters most to you?
As we're building this blog, I'm realizing something very important: it's for you. So if we don't have things here that matter to YOU, we're wasting your and our time. And that's way too valuable a commodity to waste.
So tell me. When you have a moment, leave a comment below. (Or send us a message using the comment form on this blog.)
For me, spiritual things matter the most. My relationship with God, then my relationships with my husband, my children, and the rest of my family. My friends. My church. My family's health.
I imagine most of us share a similar set of priorities.
And then...what else matter to you?
Truly, when it comes to what happens on the morning show, what matters most to you is what matters most to us.
Thanks for your feedback.
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Tottenham Hotspur Message Board
essex yid, where've you been?
We've all missed you lad!Sort: Newest | Oldest | Most Replied Expand all replies
A Yahoo! User May 20, 2008 22:26 Flag
Allo sopps...I been about mate...just not as 'rabidly' vocal lately. A combination of not having much PC time and the end of the season. Nice to see a few more yids on here now holding the fort....got a bit lonely a few months back eh? I been lurking a bit but have still popped up with one or two posts now and then. The silly season of ludicrous transfer rumour is upon us so im keeping me head down a bit until it gets back to normal. Im still taking a peek over on your board now and then...see what the neighbours are saying about us lol!
- 1 Reply to A Yahoo! User
i love the old 'transfer season'
keeps me alive in times of non-football.
Not that I don't love my wife and kids and that, but they're not football are they?


text: Welcome to the forum. There are dozens of posts dealing with what kind of gun to choose for self defense and everyday carry. You might want to read them before you ask questions that have already been answered. It could save you quite a bit of time and be very helpful as you try to zero in on actually buying a carry gun. Best wishes.


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| September 24


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text: Situated on the outskirts of Mexico City, Shriners Hospitals for Children — Mexico, provides world-class care for a wide range of orthopaedic and neuromusculoskeletal disorders and diseases, to children from all over Mexico. Our hospital is light-filled and child-friendly, and designed to reflect the colorful character and cultures of our country. Every member of our staff—from surgeons to therapists, nurses to orthotists—is focused on providing the highest quality care that places the family at the center of the team.


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i want to know what size groups people are shooting at 15 yards with no rests, Standing and shooting
Printable View
i want to know what size groups people are shooting at 15 yards with no rests, Standing and shooting
Depends on the gun I am carrying. If I have my Mini Cougar 45 I dont want to shoot groups bigger than 8 to 10 Bad Guys. With the Taurus I can go 15 to 20 and both only from cover.:haha: :banana:
depends on which gun and how slow I am shooting. I go for rapid fire com hits usually . then some tight head shot groups too. Never really stopped to measure em.
...like Miggy, I post minute-of-bad guy groups that are good enough for gov't work.
I used to be concerned with this, but then got into more of the practical side of shooting.
My practice tends to be more focused on real-world scenarios. Draw and shoot, one to multiple targets.
As long as I'm hitting center mass or keep it in the head, I'm satisfied.
With my Taurus, I can get about a 4 inch group. With my Bersa, about 2-3 inches.
With my carry guns i also only worry about min of bad guy
You can be a target (bullseye) shooter, or you can be a self defense shooter, but don't make the mistake of thinking that they are the same thing...:hand10:
And I'm definitely NOT a bullseye shooter!
If they're lined up behind each other I can get 2-3 with one shot, if I have Buffalo Bore castcore 180's loaded in the .357, so it depends.
Originally Posted by Miggy
15 yards eh. Well if at any distance I am practicing at I can achieve ''minute of pie plate'' with the speed I want to use then all is well!! Even accept the odd ''flier''!
Honestly I do not these days measure this grouping - I keep that for sighting in and bench shooting really.
If I keep em all on the paper plate, good enough.
This is 25yds rapid fire from my Taurus 92. This is not typical. I was feeling exceptionally good that day and is my best group to date.
Controlled pairs from an EFMJ test I did. Range is about 7yds, paced off. Pistol was the Taurus 92 again.
I don't have any pics of what I can do with the PPK clone yet. First, I've only had it out a couple times. Second, I have a lot of practicing to do and I believe the sights may need adjusted. I'll do a range report on it soon enough as people have been asking for one. Seems this particular clone is something a bit unique.
Josh <><
Take a look at my avatar. I was using my Bersa Ultra Compact 45.
With my .45 I use outline targets, all in the chest or upper abdomen as of last week.
With my Mak, it's still new to me so no real data yet, only fired it twice and first time was just to get a feel for it, 100 rounds down barrel in it so far.
Yep, need more practice.
Intend to practice alot more w the .45 and will add laser to practice with and for stress situations.
With the Mak I'm going to experiment with point shooting since the sights suck and I only consider it for close range anyway.
Warm weather is here now so lots of practice coming up :)
Still new to CCW and handguns, about 4 months but a long time rifle shooter, 30+ years.
Pistol sure does seem alot tougher.


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YouTube has probably the biggest library in the planet plus completely free. It is only the name of a favorite artist or song title to be entered inside the look box and you may be killed literally inside the abundance of hits. The videos are found mostly loaded by people to the portal, nevertheless also big music labels to know the terrific advertising potential and make brand new music movie in HD quality. Sustained sounds cause trouble occasionally. Dance teachers will have the most perfect edit points with regard to counts, beats plus vocals nevertheless the edit doesn't sound advantageous because a vocal, guitar, horn or keyboard had a sustained note by the out-point and it really is not continued found on the in-point so it happens to be cut off on your edit. Many times it may be as simple because changing the out plus in point from being on count 1 to being about count 5 or use a word in the center of the chorus which is repeated. This is whenever referencing dance counts is fairly helpful. Since Dance Designer™ is non-volatile modifying you can undo and try different points. The iTouch DS is a ideal DS/DS Lite expansion card. The problem is many people purchase it, however, never understand how to utilize this wonderful gadget. Here is a guide on how to use the fabulous iTouch DS properly. Nintendo DSi
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Eden Brolin
1 Eden Brolin Articles
Happy Birthday, Josh Brolin! You're 43 Today, February 12!5 years ago 0
Josh has had amazing acting opportunites over the past few years and it will only get better for him! From The Goonies to True Grit, Josh Brolin has… Read Article ▶
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ôThen I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, ôYes, letĺs rebuild the wall!ö So they began the good work.ö Nehemiah 2:18.
Have you ever turned to God in prayer asking, ôWhat is your will for me?ö Or perhaps you may ask, ôCan you help me to fulfill the best plan for my future?ö
God has called each of us to important tasks. You are destined to succeed in life. And youĺre capable of more than you even think that Ĺyou can beĺ or Ĺcan accomplish.ĺ Regardless of challenges, believe in your extraordinary gifts, your dreams and your amazing future, and step onward with positive action toward what God has placed in your heart. Pray and begin. Stay focused on the vision. And let Godĺs will unfold.
One of my favorite Bible accounts is the story of Nehemiah. It is a narrative of perseverance, diligence and reliance on God. Although Nehemiah was under constant opposition, he had a God-inspired vision to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah could have ignored his heartĺs dream and thought, ôThis can never happen.ö He might have been distracted by the steady ridicule and said, ôIĺm not strong enough to accomplish thisůö ôI donĺt have the means to succeed,ö or ôIt is too daunting of a task.ö
Have you ever talked yourself out of pursuing your dreams? Is there something holding you back from living the abundant life that God wants for you?
It would have been easy for Nehemiah to disregard Godĺs calling. Then, he could have thought about all of the reasons why it wouldnĺt work out, until he convinced himself to just give up in despair.
But Nehemiah believed he could rebuild the walls because ôthe gracious Hand of Godö was on him. (Nehemiah 2:18). Despite obstacles, Nehemiahĺs trust, focus and confidence were in God.
So, Nehemiah prayed and forged ahead; putting together a group of people who could rebuild the wall along with him. He was bold, and miraculously, even the king granted Nehemiahĺs requests, reversed past policies, and gave Nehemiah what was needed to complete the monumental task.
As they rebuilt the wall, Nehemiah and the group were mocked. Yet, Nehemiah persevered. Even when the odds seemed to be impossible, Nehemiah didnĺt quit. Likewise, when we experience challenges, we should continue persisting forward. For when weĺre doing Godĺs work, often we face opposition. The key? Donĺt give up. Thereafter, in a record time of 52 days, Nehemiah and the people rebuilt the wall.
Godĺs gracious hand was firmly upon Nehemiah. And His Hand is on you, today. So push past the point of ĹI canĺt do this...ĺ to ĹI can do all thingsůĺ as the words you speak, like a boomerang, can come back to you.
n Past situation might have been unfair. However, today is a new day. So let it all go and declare, ôCircumstances can turn around for my good, since the gracious Hand of God is on me.ö
n People may have spoken negative words over you. Let those phrases go in one ear and out the other and speak with confidence, ôIĺm valuable and I will be successful, for the gracious Hand of God is on me.ö
n The future could be concerning. Stay calm and trust God to work everything out His way and utter, ôI am not going to worry; the gracious Hand of God is on me.ö
Perhaps, you need a healing miracle. Use the resources God makes available, while saying, ôI will get well, as the gracious Hand of God is on me.ö
n A door may have closed in your life. But when a door closes, a window opens. Thus, keep on trying and state, ôIt is just a matter of time before opportunity comes, as the gracious Hand of God is on me.ö
Use your words to say what you desire, being confident in Godĺs power rather than just your own. And in His perfect time, Godĺs hand will be shown to be upon you.
Years ago, I recall reading an article somewhere that was purported to be true. It was about a construction company who was contracted to build a new road through the countryside. As the construction progressed through the heavily rural area, the crew began taking down large trees.
As they were working, the foreman noticed a birdĺs nest. It was nestled in a cluster of branches in one of the trees. The foreman peered closer, and he saw there were baby birds within the nest. ôThose birds are probably newborn and canĺt fly,ö he said to himself. With that, he told his crew not to cut the tree. Then, to be sure his orders were followed, the foreman marked it, so that particular tree wouldnĺt be cut down until sometime later.
Weeks passed, and the foreman came back to the area with the marked tree. Before cutting it down to finish the road, he got into a bucket truck and a member of his crew lifted him up so he could look into the nest. The baby birds were gone. Clearly, they had learned to fly. The foreman then told his crew, ôItĺs now safe to cut down the tree and finish the road construction.ö
The crew followed his instructions. They took down the tree, and it fell to the ground. As the workers were clearing the branches, they noticed some of the bark, twigs and small objects that the birds had gathered to make their nest. One of the items discovered from the nest was a scrap of paper that was torn from a Sunday school pamphlet. On the piece of paper were the words, ôHe careth for you.ö
You are one of Godĺs chosen ones. He loves you, and His gracious Hand is guiding every area of your life. Miracles are in store for your future.
Email Galasso-Vigorito at email@example.com
To order a copy of her new book The Open Window, 8 Weeks to Creating an Extraordinary Life, visit www.anewyouworldwide.com or bookstores nationwide.


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Katie Holmes in Double Denim
Katie Holmes was spotted arriving via helicopter to New York City. She has been busily working away on The History Channel miniseries "The Kennedy's". Wearing a casual dual-toned denim ensemble, consisting of MiH jeans and a denim button up top, Katie proceeded to hop into a chauffeured SUV before being driven back to her and Tom Cruise's Big Apple pad.
Cameron Diaz had some nice words to say of Tom during an interview with TV Week. Diaz said, "Tom is all about family and it's lovely to see him now with Katie, as well as Suri, (and his two adopted children with ex-wife Nicole Kidman) Bella and Connor." You can buy these jeans here.
Ashley Greene in MiH
The very pretty and gorgeous Ashley Greene was seen running some errands in West Hollywood, California the other day. She first stopped off to get a smoothie and then dropped by the Body Factory. After running those errands, Ashley headed over to the Chris McMilan salon for a hair appointment.
Ashley was wearing a pair of MiH London Boy boyfriend style cropped jeans in Channel with a simple tee, a pair of flats and a Rebecca Minkoff crossbody boyfriend bag. I think she looks so cute! I really love Ashley's style and she seems really nice, I didn't know she was 23 years old either, she has great skin!
MiH + J. Crew Collaboration
J. Crew has come out with the "In Good Company" collection. In the collection, the J. Crew team has chosen what they call the "Legends in the Making" and one of those brands featured is MiH, Made in Heaven. The decision to collaborate came from the sight of MiH designer Chloe Lonsdale. J. Crew Creative Director Jenna Lyons was mesmerized by the high quality of the denim when she met with Lonsdale. Of MiH, Lyons has said, "they're the kind of jeans you'll wear forever."
For the collaborated jeans, the team stayed true to MiH's use of true selvedge denim in a soft, light, feminine way along with beautiful, aged stretch denims. It is a boyfriend fit with a great looking vintage light wash that is great for the summer weather. I think these are a great looking pair for women's boyfriend jeans, the denim is so well aged. They have the true vintage detailing with the button-fly and the wash. You can purchase these jeans at J. Crew for $249.
Kate Bosworth in MiH Jeans
After attending a cast party for True Blood, Kate Bosworth makes a departure from STK in LA, with her rumored boyfriend Alexander Skarsgard. The two have been spotted out together quite frequently recently but still have not confirmed or denied their relationship.
For the party, Kate kept it simple by wearing a pair of MiH Jeans and a white tee shirt. She chose MiH's Paris jean in bleached wash. Kate paired them with a simple white tee shirt and accessorized with silver pointed pumps and a Mulberry bag. I really like her outfit here. I think by keeping the rest of the outfit simple, it really highlighted how gorgeous of a wash the bleached wash is.


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For those of you who've had babies recently, and who breastfed... any of your Lo's want to BF again?! My 3yo has adjusted pretty well to the arrival of our new baby (6 weeks old), but of course sometimes likes to play 'baby.' During this play he insists he wants to nurse again.
I'm kinda weird out by it, though I'm not entirely sure why. He BF'd for a year. I'd like to go longer with this little girl. I'm not against extended BFing whatsoever, but him jumping back into it does weird me out a but. Some of it is supply worry (I don't want him to start, and then like it and want to drink more and more, creating less for #2--- a valid concern as I needed to supplement with formula with him because my supply dipped drastically upon returning to work). But regardless I still don't love the idea. I would be totally fine with giving him pumped milk, if I wasn't so concerned with my supply. One glass is fine, but again I don't want it to turn into a regular thing.
Did anyone else go through this??


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ODT Online
ODT /directory
"Like millions of people across the globe, my husband and I
are outraged and heartbroken over the kidnapping of more than
200 Nigerian girls from their school dormitory in the middle
of the night," Mrs. Obama said in the address.
"This unconscionable act was committed by a terrorist group
determined to keep these girls from getting an education -
grown men attempting to snuff out the aspirations of young
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said on Friday he
believed the girls, abducted by militant Islamist group Boko
Haram, were still in his country.
Militants stormed a secondary school in the village of
Chibok, near the Cameroon border, on April 14, and kidnapped
the girls, who were taking exams at the time. Fifty have
since escaped, but more than 200 remain with the insurgents.
The United States offered this week to send a team of experts
to Nigeria to support the government's response effort, which
has been criticized for being slow.
"I want you to know that Barack has directed our government
to do everything possible to support the Nigerian
government's efforts to find these girls and bring them
home," Mrs. Obama said.
"In these girls, Barack and I see our own daughters. We see
their hopes, their dreams - and we can only imagine the
anguish their parents are feeling right now."
The first lady noted that the school where the girls were
abducted had been closed recently because of terrorist
threats, but the girls insisted on coming back to take exams.
"They were so determined to move to the next level of their
education...so determined to one day build careers of their
own and make their families and communities proud," she said.
"And what happened in Nigeria was not an isolated incident.
It's a story we see every day as girls around the world risk
their lives to pursue their ambitions."
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About this Business
- HoursSun-MonClosedTue-Fri10:00 AM - 7:00 PMSat10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
From Our Editors
Once clients walk beneath the giant metallic "7" that hangs above the front doorway, they'll enter a bustling space that more resembles an urban art studio than a traditional beauty parlor. Renovated from a historic firehouse, the colorful unisex studio boasts the original glass-paned garage door, allowing in ample amounts of natural sunlight to illuminate local artwork and racks of Redkin and Dermalogica products.
Here, professional hair and makeup artist Rebecca Schembri works her magic on scalps and skin, creating head-turning hair and cosmetic makeover packages with a well-trained technique and a creative, fun-loving demeanor. Drawing from her years of experience working on film and television sets, style blogs, and photo shoots, Schembri instills self-confidence and elegance in each client with formal and bridal updos, polished men's cuts, and sexy face and lip makeup tips.


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Drake's Dad Stars in Arkells Video 'Drake's Dad'After Canadian band Arkells ran into Drake's Dad in a bar, they were inspired to write a song.
Kanye West Addresses Taylor Swift Feud at Drake Show"All I gotta say is I am so glad my wife has Snapchat," he told the crowd. "And now y'all can know the truth. And can't nobody talk s--- about Ye no more."
8 Amazing Instagrams from Drake & Future's 'Summer Sixteen Tour'Drizzy & Future will be on the road all summer, get a sneak peek at what you can expect.
11 Songs To Inspire, Heal, and/or Make You Dance!We've been consumed by too much hate in the world lately. Let's instead celebrate unity, peace and love! Music is a great way to accomplish this!
Did Drake Drop $1.9 Million on Gold Air Jordans?Drizzy's latest footwear is sure to dazzle.
Drake Shares Funny 'Dear Mom' Letter"Dear Mom," Drake wrote in 2006. "Thanks for temporarily funding my music and wardrobe."
Adele Started From the Bottom, Now She's HereThe mutual appreciation between Adele and Drake continues.
Drake, Rihanna Grieve Death of Make-a-Wish Fan"I know heaven is celebrating today. Thank you for the moments and emotions we share I am blessed to have known you in this lifetime."
Drake Speaks on Alton SterlingSterling, a 37 year old African American, was killed by police officers in Baton Rouge, LA.
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Prince Peers Wow the Crowd at 2016 BET AwardsBeyoncé electrified the audience with a spellbinding performance of "Freedom" featuring Kendrick Lamar.
Drake Cancels All Meet & Greets for Summer Sixteen TourPackages with Future are still available, but no Drizzy currently.
Drake Pays Tribute to Anton YelchinThe rapper posted a photo of himself with the actor from the set of the 2007 film 'Charlie Bartlett.'


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STATUE OF POET FERDAUSI:/Hakīm Abu'l-Qāsim Firdawsī Tūsī (Persian: حکیم ابوالقاسم فردوسی توسی), commonly known as Ferdowsi (or Firdausi), (935–1020) was a highly revered Persian poet. He was the author of the Shāhnāmeh, the national epic of Persian people and of the Iranian World. Ferdowsi, the son of a wealthy land owner, was born in 935 in a small village named Paj near Tus in Khorasan which is situated in today's Razavi Khorasan state in Iran.
nice shot
ferdausi is one of greatest poems in the world
greetings from Iran: mohammad
mohammad,thanks.I have traveled many countries including Iran extensively.
Photo taken in Tous, Khorasan Razavi, Iran


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* Note: I think that somebody is going to trade up to #2 to take the QB STL doesn't take; Seattle makes a lot of sense.
The way that the Top 12 shakes out, we're left with the tough choice of Joe Haden or CJ Spiller...we take Haden because its more of a need and we can get a return man in the 2nd or 3rd round. At 17, we're in a tough spot. The three best players on the board are Earl Thomas, Pierre-Paul, and Taylor Mays. Pierre-Paul and Mays are athletic freaks with a high bust potential. As a result, we draft a ball-hawk who can step in right away -- Goldson moves to SS (he's a better fit there anyway).
We go for a third-tier OT in the second round. There should be good value at that point, but we may opt for Golden Tate and go OT in the third round.
1. STL - Clausen/Bradford
2. DET - Okung
3. TB - Suh
4. WAS - Clausen/Bradford
5. KC - Bulaga
6. SEA - McCoy (DT)
7. CLE - Berry
8. OAK - Campbell
9. BUF - Williams (OT)
10. JAX - Dez Bryant
11. DEN - McClain
12. MIA - Williams (NT)
13. SF - Haden
14. SEA - Spiller
15. NYG - Derrick Morgan
16. TEN - Brian Price
17. SF - Earl Thomas


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- {{matchup.date.fullday}}{{matchup.date.month + ' ' + matchup.date.day}}
Southern Methodist Falls 72-69 to East Carolina - Recap
Akeem Richmond went off for 29 points and added 2 rebounds leading East Carolina over Southern Methodist, 72-69, on Saturday at Moody Coliseum.
East Carolina was the ATS victor, as they covered the 4-point spread as an underdog.
East Carolina got 11 points from Miguel Paul and another 11 points from Paris Roberts-Campbell. Prince Williams contributed 5 assists, while Robert Sampson cleaned the glass with 11 rebounds.
Southern Methodist got an 18-point performance from Jalen Jones, who was supported by 18 points from Ryan Manuel. Nick Russell had 9 assists in a losing cause for Southern Methodist, while Jalen Jones grabbed 11 rebounds.
East Carolina hit the break trailing 32-21 before taking care of business in the second half.
Southern Methodist won the battle of the boards, outrebounding their counterparts 36-34.


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Gaza/Jerusalem, Aug 23 (EFE).- More than 460,000 people, almost a fourth of the Gaza Strip population, have been forced to evacuate their homes and become internally displaced persons, or IDPs, inside Gaza due to Israeli airstrikes, according to figures provided by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Its statistics show that 279,389 people are sheltered in the 83 schools that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East has set up in the Hamas-controlled coastal strip.
"Another 34,602 IDPs were hosted in seven government shelters supported by UNRWA," the report says, adding that thousands of people have arrived at those centers over the past 24 hours.
In addition, another 10,241 people are being sheltered in schools managed by the Palestinian Social Affairs Ministry, while 137,411 have not yet registered as IDPs since they are living at the homes of relatives, in public buildings or informal shelters.
"Given the length of hostilities and the large numbers of IDPs, overcrowding, adequate protection and hygiene are growing concerns," says the situation report, which reveals the difficulty of using running water on the Gaza Strip, since numerous infrastructures have been bombed.
"All networks and wells providing water to the schools have been repaired, and all designated emergency shelters are connected either to a municipality network, to a water well, or to both. However, these sources do not provide sufficient amounts of water for the displaced," UNRWA warns.
It also warns of the growing amount of psychological damage caused by the war, and of the difficulties of providing enough food because "the number of IDPs seeking shelter in UNRWA installations as a result of the conduct of hostilities is unprecedented in UNRWA's history."
"The anxiety, the stress caused by the constant shelling, the loss of loved ones and homes, as well as the overall lack of perspective for a life in Gaza, contribute to increasing tensions in the overcrowded shelters," it says.
"The crisis has worsened an already extremely fragile environment in terms of food security and livelihoods (but) an exceptional one-off food distribution by UNRWA, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA), targeting families who do not regularly receive food assistance, is continuing with 415,000 out of a targeted 730,000 people," the report says.
Some 2,100 Palestinians have been killed, more than 75 percent of them civilians, in the 42 days of Israeli bombardments of the Gaza Strip. EFE


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