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wutbju · 7 days ago

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Dorothy Sledge, BJU Class of 1947 died at Brookridge Retirement Community in Winston-Salem, NC, on March 17, 2024. She was 101 years old. She is survived by her beloved husband of over 74 years, Randall Dothan Sledge of the home, three children and their spouses, Jonathan Edward Sledge (Deborah Norton) of Raleigh, NC; Richard William Sledge (Molly Sledge) of Ft. Collins, CO; and Martha Lee Sledge (Steven Hornsby), of New York, NY; 9 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; her brothers and their spouses, Edward Reeves Sewall (Barbara Overton Sewall) and Robert Winslow Sewall (Marlys Pearson Sewall); numerous nieces and nephews; and countless friends and colleagues.

She is preceded in death by an infant son, Timothy Randall Sledge; her parents, Edward Bradstreet Sewall and Lorena Reeves Sewall; and her sister, Mary Ida Sewall Finnie. Dorothy Sewall was born on August 5, 1922, in Minneapolis, MN, to Edward Bradstreet Sewall and Lorena Reeves Sewall, the second of four children. She shared the challenges of growing up during the Great Depression, moving several times during those years between Minneapolis and St. Paul, but in describing her childhood, she focused on fond memories: family trips to several of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes, including a lake trip for her 5th birthday for which her mother made a carousel birthday cake; Christmases with 3 of her aunts who lived together in St. Paul; dinners cooked by her maternal grandmother who lived with them; attending school through Grade 8 in a one-room school with a teacher (Miss Chase) whom she adored. She graduated high school from Minnehaha Academy in 1939, and then worked in the family business, Sewall Gear Manufacturing. She enrolled in Bob Jones University (then in Cleveland, TN), graduating in 1947 with a degree in Speech. While there she met Randall Dothan Sledge.

Their courtship began in the college dining hall. Upper-level female students were assigned as hostess to a dining table where the students ate family style, the rest of the students rotating every few weeks. Randall rotated to sit at the dining table where Dorothy was the hostess, and being the good hostess, she remained at the table conversing with everyone as the other students finished eating and left. Randall was typically the last student at the table: slow eater or already entranced? You be the judge. After a few months getting to know each other in person and two years of long-distance epistolary courtship with a few visits sprinkled in, she and Randall married on August 12, 1949, in St. Paul, Minnesota, on what everyone remembers as a blistering hot summer day for Minnesota.

And so they began their partnership in life and ministry. It is hard to talk about Dorothy without talking about Randall, as their love bonded them closely, but I hope you can get a sense of her here. Dorothy graduated from New Orleans Theological Seminary with a Masters in Religious Education in 1950, and with Randall began their ministry partnership. While Randall finished his Doctor of Theology degree and pastored churches, she bore and lost their first child and started her work as “the wife of the pastor” (a full-time job in those days, though unpaid), in south Louisiana churches in Iowa and Meringouin. She was a long way geographically and culturally from Minnesota. The couple began a peripatetic era, alternating between national and international living and work. While in Spanish Language school in Costa Rica, they added their son Jonathan to the family. Then through the International Mission Board (IMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention, they worked together in Peru and added their son Richard to the family. After four years in Peru, they returned to Louisiana, added their daughter Martha to the family, and Dorothy served again as the “pastor’s wife” in Shreveport, and Winnsboro, Louisiana, and was a leader in the Louisiana Women’s Missionary Union (WMU).

She was well-known around the state for her skits and character sketches that she wrote to accompany her presentations. A simple prop such as a hat or scarf could turn her into a completely different person. After their children were “flown and grown,” they returned to mission work through the International Mission Board, this time in Colombia, where Dorothy taught public speaking at the Baptist Seminary in Cali for 10 years. They loved their missionary families in both Peru and Colombia and developed life-long friendships, praying daily for everyone they had known by name, every morning. At retirement, most people seek a quiet life and settle down. Not Dorothy and Randall. During the first part of their retirement, they were based in Shreveport, Louisiana, where Dorothy regularly taught Sunday School, led in the WMU again, and spoke publicly around the state about their work overseas; she and Randall also volunteered in short-term positions with the IMB back in Colombia and in war-torn Bosnia. In addition to the travel for work, they also travelled extensively for pleasure: they finished off their 50-state checklist with a trip to Hawaii for their 50th wedding anniversary, and traveled in the Middle East, Europe, Scandinavia, Canada, and Mexico. Dorothy and Randall moved to Brookridge Retirement Community, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 2009, to live for their remaining years. They still travelled to see family and friends, welcoming grandchildren and great grandchildren with glee. Dorothy loved visiting with friends and family. COVID alone stopped their footloose traveling, though they still enjoyed shorter trips to the North Carolina mountains.

#Bob Jones University #BJU Obituary #BJU Hall of Fame #BJU Alumni Association #Bob Jones College #Dorothy Sewall Sledge #Class of 1947

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khoicesbyk · 4 years ago

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The Royal Romance.

A/N: I’ve decided to go into my own little TRR world and create an AU. This will be fun! So; Talley Ho! *in my Sherlock Holmes voice*

Rated: Explicit. | Contains sexual content and strong language. (You know? The usual from me. 😁) | Bolded and/or italicized words are conversations and thoughts of the characters. | Main Characters: King Marquise Rys (LI) and Queen Shanelle Dawkins (MC) | All Characters and names: (except MC and certain original characters, created by me) are property of Pixelberry.

Current Word Count: 1,500 words. (more or less. I stop counting after editing and re-editing. 🤷🏾‍♀️)

Song And Story Inspiration: NOLA-August Alsina | Away From Me/Control-Puddle Of Mudd

Prompt Time! Using @wackydrabbles prompt #76 “You’ll Feel Better In The Morning”. It’ll be in bold in black.

Tag List: @lifeaskim @choiceslady @secretaryunpaid @bebepac @pixie88 @txemrn @glaimtruelovealways @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30 @choicesfannatalie @hopelessromanticmonie @shanzay44 @wackydrabbles @choicesficwriterscreations

I AM UNAPOLOGETICALLY NSFW! READER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED AND ENCOURAGED!

If you’d like to be added to my tag list. Just reblog or DM me and I will gladly add you. 😁😘

Chapter 21.) Shadow Of The Crown.

(This is from My King’s POV)

Here I sit with a drink in my hand while staring at the documents on my desk. One is the hotel blueprints I showed Tariq and the other is the Royal decree of debt collection for Lord Winslow. All both needed was my signature and a few lives would be turned upside down. But could I really do it? Could I be that heartless? Short answer: yes! Long answer: hell yes!

They deserve it after all. They’re coming after me and what is rightfully mine. They’re coming for My Queen. And they would have succeeded had that idiot not sent handwritten messages to me and Shanelle. I have always been afraid of becoming somewhat of a dictator like my father and my grandfather before him. But, now I understand why they ruled the way they did. Their enemies stopped at nothing. And clearly mine aren’t either.

Sure, their challenge for the crown and throne doesn’t bother me. But what does bother me, is them thinking that they’re going to undermine or intimidate My Queen. I can’t have that. I have to protect and shield her from them. That’s my job as her fiancé and her future King. I serve her before I serve my people.

They pushed me to this point. I don’t want to be this way. But if I’m gonna be honest, I actually like being selfish. Making them fear The Crown and it’s unbridled power is quite satisfying. I now understand why my father enjoyed it so much. He loved when nations feared him as much as they respected him. He always said it helped to know who was weak and who wasn’t. Just like now.

And sure, the court won’t like my decisions should I decide to make them, but then again that damn court doesn’t like anything that specifically makes them look bad. As long as I fall in line with what they want, they’re happy. My happiness and sanity be damned. Which is why I fight so hard for Shanelle. I want them to see her as the queen that she will be for all of Cordonia. But their stubborn determination will never let that happen. They’d much rather I be with someone like Duchess Kaitlyn or better yet, they’d rather I’d reunite with Madeleine.

Poor Maddie truth be told we were doomed from the start. Not just because I couldn’t get over My Queen but, we just weren’t compatible. And it didn’t help that she was still somewhat in love with Leo. Yet and still we tried to make it work. But the court and their whispers of an heir needing to be produced the minute we returned from our honeymoon, became too much. I do think she was a great queen. But with her endometriosis, she could never have children. And with no true blood heir, our marriage failed. I don’t hate her and I sincerely hope that she doesn’t hate me. She was a queen for Cordonia, not for me. I need a queen for me and I found her in My Goddess.

She is everything I could ever ask and pray for in a woman. Which is why this whole ordeal is so frustrating. I found the queen that I need and want. And the court has their noses turned up at her. Instead they’re actually leaning towards the Duchess and her idiot of a fiancé. Preposterous to say the least. They’re worried Shanelle would bring the country to ruin. But they have no idea how much ruin this kingdom would be in if the parliamentary vote goes in their favor. And when and if it does, they’ll be sorry.

All of this makes me thankful for whiskey because without it, I’d be out of my mind. It’s also making my current decision making a lot more fun. So do I or don’t I? I know the risks that I’m taking by signing these but a clear message has to, no…a clear message needs to be sent.

But what would she think? How would she feel or respond? Will she understand my decision? Now I have no delusions. I know that she’d be furious with me, but I’m only doing this for her and her protection. I see the way the vultures in the media treat her. Like she’s a fresh carcass for them to scavenge upon.

And while I’m proud to see that she is doing a fantastic job in her lessons with Regina, she’s still vulnerable in the eyes of the court. I realize that but I also know that she is a brilliantly resilient woman and I have full confidence that she will make a great queen.

That’s why I choose her. Her resilience. She doesn’t know the meaning of the word quit. The way she faces, challenges and takes down adversity is awe inspiring. She makes me a better king and a better man.

But the more I think about it, the more I lean towards approving the documents in front of me. Because I know that they won’t stop until she leaves me and Cordonia forever. And that will be the moment that I become the dictator that it was rumored my father was.

Many in the court whispered that he changed after my mother’s death. Which is partially true, he became suspicious of our enemies and certain allies and with good reason.

Many in the court didn’t like or necessarily agree with my mother. They opposed her being for and about the people. They wanted her to be about maintaining the court and its image. That wasn’t my mother. Like Shanelle, my mother was not a native Cordonian but my father loved her. Dearly. And much to the courts objections, he married her and eventually they had me. They were happy. He was happy. Until she was stolen from us.

My sweet mother. I miss her so much. I just want to hug her. I want to hear her sing to me. I want to see her smile again. I want to tell her how much I love her. Don’t get me wrong, I love Regina and will move heaven, hell and earth for her. She’s been good to me and my brother and she was a saint to my father. I do love her but it’s just not the same.

The way the court treated my mother is how they treat My Goddess and as a king and especially as a son, it’s infuriating. Both are beautiful, fierce and compassionate. My mother would’ve loved Shanelle. And much like Regina, she would’ve done everything that she could to convince the court, that she’s the one. My mother was young and vibrant when she was killed.

I’ve known for years that it wasn’t accidental. But I never knew who murdered her or why, but I vow that I will find out and when I do I will crush her murderers.

I can hear her beautiful voice in my head.

She would be disappointed with me. She would say, “my son, I know that you want to protect your fiancée but this isn’t the way to do it. I raised you to be better than this.”

And she’d be right she did. I am better than this. But I am also a king. My rule is being challenged. So I must do what I have to do as king to protect myself and My Goddess. Which is why these documents sit on my desk. This is how I protect us. What people don’t understand is that being a king is not just a title, it is a responsibility. I am responsible for the health, prosperity and safety of my people and especially my queen.

And what kind of king would I be if I can’t and don’t live up to my responsibilities?

And sure I could just brush off Duchess Kaitlyn and Tariq as nothing. And I really should but I don’t want to. I want them to fear what I can do. All with the swipe of a pen. And well this kind of power is delicious and it makes me understand who my father really was as king.

So if I sign these I will be the dictator that many in court said my father was. And honestly, especially now that I’ve thought about it I don’t care. I’m at my limit and this keeps me from plummeting towards having public executions just for the hell of it.

I can hear both my mother and My Goddess tell me not to do this. They’d say “Marquise you’re upset. You’re not thinking clearly. This decision isn’t who you are. Go get some sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.” And they’re right I will as soon as I sign these decrees. And sure, Tariq and Lord Winslow will hate me. But that’s what happens when you cross me.

And with the stroke of my pen it’s done.

Long Live The King!

Forever I shall reign!

#choices #pixelberry #choices stories you play #khoicesbyk #choices fanfiction #fanfic #the royal romance #queen of cordonia #queen shanelle #king of cordonia #king marquise

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flauntpage · 6 years ago

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The Outlet Pass: DeMarcus Cousins and a Silly Summer of Free Agency

Let’s Talk About DeMarcus Cousins’s Free Agency

Boogie is back and Boogie looks good. He’s a fresh instrument added to the most surgical offense in history; a precise bulldozer who plunges through inattentive defenses that have no choice but to submit whenever he seals his man with 19 seconds still on the shot clock. As a roll man, whatever decision he makes—good or bad—tends to reverberate through the possession. He can pass on the move. He can drill wide-open threes. He can set the type of off-ball screens on whoever’s trying to cover Klay Thompson that will vegetate the defense.

Cousins is also his generation’s most rugged rebounder. He can protect the rim, and in pick-and-roll coverage he’s fine dropping low, forcing a long two, grabbing the miss, then kick-starting a fast break. Watching him execute anything and everything on this Golden State Warriors team is comical. He’s simultaneously superfluous and relevant.

Before his debut, the uncertainty surrounding Cousins’s health (and temperament) was the oxygen anti-Warrior hopefuls craved. It’s only been a few games and the human body is indeed unpredictable, especially when it’s that large, but Cousins looks spry for someone who’s not even in game shape yet. From here, what happens with his free agency is the next question worth considering.

Assuming Cousins keeps this up and Golden State wins a third-straight title, several teams will show interest, even if he won’t necessarily be their top priority. The Los Angeles Lakers need to keep their bag of assets full for Anthony Davis, but if the Boston Celtics trade for him do the Lakers then immediately pivot to Cousins as a respectable Plan B? The Los Angeles Clippers need a center no matter what Kevin Durant or Kawhi Leonard decide. If the New York Knicks swing and miss on Durant, Davis, and everybody else, do they splurge on Cousins or roll it back with healthy Kristaps Porzingis, Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, Frank Ntilikina, and their incoming lottery pick?

Do the Dallas Mavericks think about letting Boogie dance with Luka Doncic? (This is my favorite scenario.) Considering how well Luka moves off the ball, fitting him with a center who really knows how to pass could be fantastic. Going one step further, what if the Mavs offer Harrison Barnes, Dennis Smith Jr., and a lottery-protected 2021 first-round pick to New Orleans for Jrue Holiday before this year’s deadline, then swap Cousins in for DeAndre Jordan over the summer? It would allow Doncic to function as a point guard in lineups that protected him from actually defending the position, immediately shove Dallas into the playoffs, and be a generally awesome outcome for the NBA at large.

I'm throwing crap against the wall, but what if the Milwaukee Bucks get word that Boogie’s interested in teaming up with Giannis Antetokounmpo? Do they opt for that future instead of one that locks most of their current core in for the long haul? (Brook Lopez, Malcolm Brogdon, Eric Bledsoe, and Khris Middleton can all be free agents this summer.)

Cousins won’t hand pick his next team. There’s a small line of All-NBA-caliber players who need to make their own decisions before every door can open. He turns 29 in August and will (likely) enter the market healthy, humbled, freshly dipped in Warriors gold, and motivated to reclaim his status as the best center in basketball.

That doesn’t mean everything won’t go horribly wrong for whichever team decides to make a long-term commitment (if any do), but Boogie’s free agency deserves significant attention. This summer is going to be silly.

Russell Westbrook is Either Evolving or Declining

Most of the conversation about Westbrook’s season has deservedly centered around his crumpling efficiency. Now 30, his True Shooting percentage is 47.7 (about five points lower than the 30th-ranked New York Knicks) and, well, feast your eyes on this bad boy:

via NBA.com/Stats

But look past the porous shooting and watching Westbrook is still not quite the same experience it used to be. He’s slightly less selfish in a way that’s unclear whether that’s good or bad. Take this stat: Westbrook is ending his drives with a pass way more than he normally does. Right now, he passes the ball on 51.8 percent of his drives, which, among all players who average at least 10 drives per game, ranks fourth behind Ricky Rubio, Ish Smith, and Joe Ingles. If you’re having trouble imagining the significance of this number, think about what Chris Paul looks like whenever he takes off for the basket. Westbrook’s pass percentage is slightly higher than Paul’s. That’s not nothing! (Last year, Westbrook’s pass percentage on drives was 35.9. Two seasons before that it was 33.7. In 2015, it was 30.0.)

Now, Westbrook’s assist rate and field goal percentage on drives are more or less consistent with his recent past, and there’s nothing inherently terrible about him moving the ball more often than not. But it’s still curious. Westbrook-ian rage doesn’t yield perfect results, but lousy things happen when he disconnects from that identity. There are countless examples in every game and here's one. Like, short of accusing him of hunting assists, why doesn't Westbrook finish through Nikola Vucevic here instead of forcing a difficult pass to Nerlens Noel?

Generally, given Oklahoma City’s non-existent outside shooting, this sort of makes sense. Maybe help defenders are able to rotate earlier and make Westbrook be a facilitator more often than he should? But the Thunder were even less effective from deep two seasons ago and that didn’t stop Westbrook from going ballistic during an MVP campaign in which he averaged over 20 drives per game. (Also—this may mean nothing!—but the percentage of Westbrook’s dunks that are assisted is up to 54.5 this season. Last year it was 40.4, and in 2017 it was 34.7.)

Paul George wasn’t around then, and perhaps his MVP presence tilts Westbrook’s (and the defense’s) thought process just a little bit. It also makes you wonder if some sort of decline is starting to materialize. Physically, Westbrook looks ageless. He’s still able to turn his body into a pole vault and his field goal percentage at the rim is higher than ever before. But his increased passing percentage on drives without seeing that translate to more assists may be an open wound over his greatest strength.

An optimist will say he’s steadily maturing into life as a more refined floor general. Or that what he does during the regular season is less critical than how aggressive he’ll be in the playoffs. Maybe he just doesn’t want to get fouled as frequently as he used to. (Westbrook has been curiously bad at the line this season.) I have no idea what all this means and one stat doesn’t come close to painting an entire canvas, particularly when Westbrook is averaging 21.7 points, a league-high 10.8 assists, and a career-high 10.9 rebounds, but it feels somewhat important. Or maybe it’s not. (I’m so confused.)

Justise Winslow’s Three-Point Shot Changes Everything

Floor General Justise is a unique phenomenon that was created when Goran Dragic went down with a knee injury about a month ago. We’re a few weeks into Miami’s by-any-means experiment and Winslow looks more comfortable by the game. Since December 22, he’s averaging 15, 5, and 5 while correctly analyzing defensive schemes, tossing picturesque alley-oops, and even finishing with his right hand!

His quickness attacking off a ball screen still catches opposing bigs off balance, and Miami’s admirable drive-and-kick identity feels like it’s mutated into something even more distinct than before. But while “put the ball in Winslow’s hands then surround him with competent shooters/playmakers/lob targets and see what happens” is a fun idea, an even more significant development to keep an eye on over the long-term is his outside shot.

Not only is Winslow more comfortable behind the three-point line than ever before, but the carefree yet focused flick of his wrist has streamlined his developing offensive repertoire. He no longer murders promising possessions by hesitating for a beat too long after someone passes him the ball, or mulls over options that evaporate as he considers them. It’s the type of leap Miami has prayed for, and may have already widened the scope of what he can ultimately become. Winslow made 38 percent of his threes last season, but his volume was low (3.9 tries per 100 possessions) and he entered this year shooting 31.4 percent for his career.

Right now his volume is up to 6.1 attempts per 100 possessions and so is his accuracy (39.4 percent). “Drastic improvement!” Heat forward Kelly Olynyk joked after I told him the difference between last year’s percentage and what he’s shooting right now. “He’ll be shooting like forty-seven percent in year ten.”

Photo by Rhona Wise - EPA

Scale and situation matter, of course, and most of his teammates (including Olynyk) are taking notice. “He’s knocking down shots left, right, and center,” Olynyk continued. “I mean, he’s making multiple threes every single game now...He’s trusting his shot and going to it early. That’s something he hasn’t really done in the past, I don’t think.”

As someone who’s inevitable responsibilities on a good team are off the ball as often as on, Winslow’s ability to spread the floor really matters. In those situations he hasn’t seen defenses universally treat him differently, but there have been subtle shifts here and there that he’s still getting used to.

“Every game is different,” Winslow told VICE Sports. “There’s some games where they just leave me open and I just shoot it. Some games they close out, I still shoot it. Some days they close out, I drive. It’s just about making the right reads, but I think defenses are definitely closing out harder this year.”

Operating pick-and-rolls, Winslow is more willing to pull up when defenders duck under the screen (inside and behind the arc) than he used to be, and even though his percentages on those shots don’t rival Steph Curry, they’re trending in the right direction. Heading into this year he never attempted more than 48 pull-up shots in a season. He’s already jacked up 91 of them this year. (Going one step further, Winslow made one pull-up three in his first three NBA seasons. Right now he’s 4-for-17.)

“Defenses are much more concerned and aware of where I am but guys still are trying to go under on me,” he said. “That’s gonna be my thing for a long time is going under the screen so, just becoming more comfortable with that as time goes on, but I don’t think that’s going to change this year.”

Winslow is still only 22 years old, he just signed an extremely team-friendly three-year, $39 million extension (there’s a team option on the third year!), and he’s evolving in various ways that makes him ideal in just about any context. The swelling confidence in his three-point shot may prove to be more important than anything else.

“We’re going to push him out of his comfort zone to help him continue to grow,” Erik Spoelstra said. “But he loves it. That’s when he feels most alive.”

Tackling Trade Deadline Questions!

Will Anthony Davis get traded?

Probably not!

What will the Indiana Pacers do?

Before Victor Oladipo’s season ended, the Pacers were positioned to spoil the playoffs for teams that entered this season with higher expectations and more transparent ambition. The bad news? Those dreams have been dashed. But the silver lining is that Oladipo’s injury occurred before the trade deadline, allowing Indiana to choose if it wants to add or subtract from a roster that’s (mostly) built to win now.

Here is the list of Pacers who are about to enter unrestricted free agency: Bojan Bogdanovic, Thaddeus Young, Darren Collison, Cory Joseph, Tyreke Evans, and Kyle O’Quinn. Assuming Indy wants to avoid locking itself into this roster going forward, things will look a lot different next year, no matter what. The question is, do they sit tight and cross that bridge when they get there, or see if any optimistic playoff teams want a boost for the home stretch? Option 3: the Pacers attach expiring contracts to assets like Aaron Holiday, T.J. Leaf, and/or their own draft pick and search for long-term stability. Assuming Oladipo will return to All-Star form, why not sniff around and see if Mike Conley, Jrue Holiday, or Kevin Love can be had?

It’s unlikely they have enough for any of those three without including Domas Sabonis or Myles Turner—it’s still too early to split those two up—but catching an early glimpse of what Indy’s identity may be in 2019-2020 and beyond would be nice.

If I were Indiana, I’d field offers from probable buyers (Houston, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, Charlotte, Washington, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Utah, Minnesota, etc.) without any pressure to make a deal. If nothing comes my way, we’ll still probably make the playoffs and put up a fight. If someone offers a draft pick for Bogdanovic, Young, or Evans, terrific. But generally speaking I’m content rolling into this summer with cap space and (fleeting but still tangible) momentum.

Which teams should try to get under the tax?

Miami and Washington are two teams that can still make the playoffs even if they shed enough salary to get under the tax. The Heat is about $6.27 million above the tax and the Wizards are $5.78 million over it. Now, both teams want to make the playoffs and neither seems willing to tank. (According to FiveThirtyEight, Miami has a 57 percent chance of making it while Washington is slightly below a coin flip.) So there’s an obvious balance in play.

Let’s start with the Heat. To be honest, I’m not sure anybody on this roster should feel totally safe right now, and that includes Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow (though either one getting dealt feels highly unlikely). The logical compromise is Wayne Ellington, who hasn’t played in 18 of Miami’s last 25 games, but also started over Rodney McGruder in a win earlier this week against the New York Knicks. He makes $6.27 million this year, so shedding him for a second-round pick may be enough by itself to squeeze Miami under the tax.

Plenty of teams would be interested in that type of deal—Oklahoma City and Philadelphia are the two most obvious—but almost every team is capped out, complicating the issue. (The Thunder have a trade exception from the Carmelo Anthony deal that’s large enough to fit Ellington, but would spike a tax bill that’s already obscene.)

Washington should try and unload Trevor Ariza and/or Markieff Morris, but they’ll likely run into the same issue as Miami: there may not be any dumping ground this season.

What will the Sacramento Kings do?

This ties into the last question. Sacramento has a little over $11 million to fill. So, will they absorb an undesirable contract that would eat into their cap space this summer just to land an extra pick? (If Portland really wants to get under the tax, maybe they exchange their 2021 second-round pick plus the perpetually-hobbled Moe Harkless for Justin Jackson? The Kings can probably get way more than that somewhere else, but both sides might consider it.) Or will they go the other way and ship out assets for someone like Nikola Mirotic? As the only team with space right now, Sacramento can position itself as a pivotal trade partner. They're only two games back of the eight seed and making the playoffs would be pretty awesome for them.

Will anyone go after Kevin Love?

Um, this is a tough one. Love is 30 and guaranteed $120 million over the next four seasons. He's frequently hurt and may never make another All-Star game. That said, if Love and Oladipo were healthy, I could see the Pacers talking themselves into a deal that was centered around Domas Sabonis. But that's not realistic right now.

The Utah Jazz can move Derrick Favors and Dante Exum for Love, a deal that destroys their cap space but ostensibly makes them more potent for years to come. Love fits so nicely with Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, but I doubt the Cavs would give him up for this package, even though it doesn't push them over the tax and includes an intriguing 23-year-old on a decent contract.

Will the buyout market yield more interesting results than the trade deadline?

With so many good teams unwilling to mortgage their future during a season in which the Golden State Warriors still reign, this is a depressing possibility. Like, why would a team surrender even a second-round pick for Jeremy Lin if they know he’s probable to get bought out and it’s conceivable they can sign him outright? There’s obviously less certainty with this route, but I bet most teams are more than happy to roll the dice.

How Tony Parker is Actually Benjamin Button

Tony Parker isn’t the efficient swashbuckler he used to be, but as an established, entirely independent presence off Charlotte’s bench, he’s swerving his way through a surprisingly satisfying season that’s more impressive (and unusual) than it looks.

Now 36 years old, an age when players typically depend on teammates to do most of the heavy lifting, Parker’s literally more self-reliant than ever before. His usage is the highest it’s been in five years, his assist rate is highest it’s been in six years, and, most notably, a higher percentage of Parker’s baskets are unassisted than ever before. In fact, the only players who’re asked to create more for themselves are Chris Paul and James Harden. Wild.

Only seven percent of Parker’s shots at the rim have been assisted this season. Eleven years ago that number was 20 percent, which is the second-lowest it’s ever been in his career. Parker no longer sizzles down the floor for transition layups, but the guy is still able to turn defenders into traffic cones and get where he wants to go.

And when he can’t get all the way to the basket, Parker’s floater is still a machete.

Chew on this stat: Willie Hernangomez has passed the ball to Parker 336 times this season—more than any other Hornet—and only three were an assist. To those who thought Parker was washed, the man is doing so much more than treading water in a situation that banks on his minutes.

How Good, Exactly, is D.J. Wilson?

It's hard to say what D.J. Wilson is right now. There are moments where he looks like a critical piece of Milwaukee's puzzle—the unique defensive presence who can switch onto several positions and fundamentally alter a defensive scheme that may be better suited for the regular season than a lengthy playoff run. (Opponents who downsize and force Brook Lopez to the bench and opt to attack from the three-point line—where Wilson's quickness has already helped limit attempts—will have to switch things up.)

He's also someone who played 42 minutes last week and didn't score a single point. And if the Bucks need to rely on him in the playoffs it may put a dent in those championship aspirations. For now, Milwaukee has killed opponents when he’s on the court with and without Giannis Antetokounmpo. He has mouthwatering upside and is critical going forward as a resistant rubber band who can shoot threes (he's 20-for-45 from deep this season) and neutralize threats who give most opponents serious problems. Not many players can stay step for step with a Pascal Siakam bullrush (without fouling) like Wilson does in the clips below:

The amount of ground he can cover is marvelous, too. Here he cuts off a drive, forces a pass to Zaza Pachulia, then contests the inefficient floater.

Time will ultimately tell what Wilson is able to do in the playoffs, but on paper he's large and twitchy enough to give Siakam, Ben Simmons, and possibly even Al Horford (whose methodical post-ups broke Milwaukee's back in last year's playoffs) trouble for seven games.

(Partially-related: I'm morally opposed to Fiserv Forum playing the same Mannie Fresh “Go DJ” soundbite over their PA system that the Los Angeles Clippers once used for DeAndre Jordan whenever Wilson scores a basket. There are so many other options out there! Feel free to spark joy and go with "Hey Mr. D.J." by Zhané instead, Fiserv Forum in-game ops person. Let's make that happen.)

The Outlet Pass: DeMarcus Cousins and a Silly Summer of Free Agency published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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peabodyinstitutearchives · 8 years ago

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What appears to be a canceled check from [ unknown ] 8th, 1885 from Munroe & Arnold Express Company to H.F. [ unclear ]. The amount is for $121.12 and would come out of an account at the South Danvers National Bank.

Munroe & Arnold-Merritt Express Co. had locations in Boston, Salem and Peabody. It is unclear what the history of the company was before the 20th century. According to the "Municipal History of Essex County" in " 1904 the Munroe and Arnold Express Company bought the old established express business of David Merritt, and in 1905 acquired the J.H. Moulton Express Company of Salem." Later both of those businesses would merge into the Munroe and Arnold Express company. On September 1, 1905 was incorporated under Massachusetts General Law. William F. Munroe was president and George F. Felt, treasurer. The company would later organize on August 9, 1944 as Munroe & Arnold Merritt Express, Inc. with a ID number 041643870. Their principal office was at 183A Lafayette Street in Salem.

On October 31, 1914 there was a notice of threatened strike of teamdrivers as they are members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Stablemen and Helpers. There were issues in negotiations between management and employees according to the Annual Report of the State Board of Conciliation and Arbitration by Massachusetts State Board of Conciliation and Arbitration. An agreement was signed and all parties were happy with the arrangement. The company would close via voluntary dissolution on July 20, 1975.

William Frederick Munroe the son of William Calvin and Adeline B. (Jones) was born in Peabody on March 31, 1864. He married Clara Bailey Mansfield (daughter of Edward Galen and Rebecca Stacey (Breed) Mansfield) on September 14, 1868 in Wakefield, MA. He would become the president of Munroe-Arnold-Merritt Express Company. Munroe was a member of the Republican town committee for ten years. In 1896 he was elected as a Trustee to the Peabody Institute and 1906 a Peabody School Committee member. He was also a member of Jordan Lodge; F. and A.M.; Washington Royal Arch Chapter, Salem, Winslow Lewis Commandery, No. 18; Knights of Templar of Salem and in 1891 was a noble grad of Holton Lodge among other groups.

Little is known about Arnold and later Merritt.

The South Danvers National Bank was the established in 1825 and given the charter number of 958; the bank would be the first bank in South Danvers. The initial capital was $150,000 and would be limited to $300,000. The first president was William Sutton. Other employees included Warren M. Jacobs, president and cashier George A. Osborne.

In the 1872 Peabody Directory the price for a share of the bank was $100 and the president was E.T. Osborn; cashier, G.A. Osborne. The directors were: Edward W. Jacobs; E.T. Osborn; A.A. Abbott; I.B. Elliot; Jonathan King and Joseph Osgood. The main location of the bank was at 22 Main Street and was built in 1893.

An ad for the bank in "Salem, Beverly, Danvers and Peabody: their representative business men and points of interest," which was published in 1893 by Mercantile illustrating co. gives some insight to the financial health of the bank. The ad quotes that:

March 6, 1893, will be of interest: Resources - loans and discounts, $289,750.46; overdrafts, secured and unsecured, $ 459.68; U. S bonds to secure circulation, $50,000; due from other national banks, $2,385.33; banking house furniture and fixtures, $38,234.13; current expenses and taxes paid, $1,773.69; checks and other cash items, $3,112.73; bills of other banks, $394; fractional paper currency, nickels and cents,$57; specie, $4,842.80: legal tender notes, $200; redemption fund with U. S. treasurer (5 per cent of circulation), $2,250; total, $410,4.59.83. Liabilities-capital stock paid in, $150,000; surplus fund, $70,600; undivided profits, $16,339.60; national bank notes outstanding, $45,000; dividends unpaid $1,416; individual deposits subject to check, $119,702.97; due to other national banks, $8,101.25; total, $410,459.82.

The ad goes on to day that the bank is "very finely equipped, have all modern improvements for the accommodation of patrons and are so arranged and fitted up as to greatly facilitate the transaction of business and to afford all possible security against loss by fire or by burglary. The banking hours are from 8 to 12 a. m., daily, and from 3 to 3 P. M. every day but Saturday. Tuesday is discount day. The officers and directors include the following well known businessmen: President, William P. Clark ; Cashier, George M. Foster ; Directors : Horace Bushby, Wm. P. Clark, Henry G. Rice, Warren Shaw, Edmund A. Poole, B. F. Southwick."

The bank would close on September 19, 1900. According to a September 20th, 1990 article in "The New York Times" Irvin B. Sayles, The National Bank Examiner, which was a sub-division of the Treasury Department, would inspect the books once the bank became a National Bank "it handled a large part of the funds of local tradesmen and manufacturers; however business became limited it carried individual deposits of $233,529. Though when the "last statement was made to the Controller of the Currency the surplus and undivided profits were placed at $70,463." The president of the bank at the time was William P. Clark. According to the December 16, 1900 "New York Times" Benjamin G. Hall of Peabody was "appointed attorney for the insolvent South Danvers National Bank […] Major Hampton, now connected with the Globe National Bank as representative of the Controller" was appointed receiver of the South Danvers National Bank . On February 9, 1901 it was reported in "The New York Times" that George Foster, a former cashier, of the South Danvers National Bank was arrested by Deputy Marshal Waters because he had embezzled $3,600 from the bank. He was able to create overdrafts using and pocking the money. "Foster was hired at the Flax Fiber Company as a cashier. Though it appears that more money was missing, but Charles G. Dawes, Controller of the Currency stated that stockholders would receive 100%; though depositors will not receive more than 75% of their deposits and financial men who are conversant with affairs of the bank will not receive more than 50%. In addition, "it is understood that the entire capital of $150,000 together with the surplus had disappeared."

Among the losses was the Wallis School Fund, which invested in the Bank's stock. Because of the failure the fund was wiped out. Al the South Danvers Fire Insurance Company of Peabody and the Peabody Board of Trade all had investment with the bank. The Insurance Company had "111 shares and will have to pay $11,000 assessment besides losing the investment" according to a "The New York Times" article from February 10, 1901. The reason was because George Foster was involved in these institutions.

George M. Foster and depositor John W. Dickinson were charged with 15 counts of misappropriating funds relating to South Danvers National Bank. The jury deliberated for 32 hours returned guilty verdicts on 3 courts, not guilty on 7 and hung on 5. Though it appears that in 1913 those conviction were over turned.

#South Danvers National Bank #throwbackthursday #throw back thursday #Peabody Institute Library #Peabody Institute #Archives #Special Collections #1885 #History #Local History #Peabody #Peabody MA #South Danvers #South Danvers MA

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chadnevett · 8 years ago

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Books I read in 2016

This a list of books that I read this year -- or, more accurately, finished. I have at least four other books began in 2016 that are in some stage of reading. Maybe more. I've included a few brief thoughts on each...

1. Fish in the Dark by Larry David (January 2): I vaguely recall this. It had its funny moments. I wish I'd gotten a chance to see David in this.

2. The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow (January 9): Goddamn... this picks up pretty much where Ellroy's stuff stops and shifts gears just enough. Not as much mixing of historical figures, but it's the same broad strokes -- the same nasty sort of people. Really fucking good.

3. Stories I Tell Myself: Growing Up with Hunter S. Thompson by Juan F. Thompson (January 29): I got this for my birthday and read it that day. Funny book... a little surprising in parts... and ends with some bits of barely disguised bits about his issues with Anita. The Hunter/Juan stuff is something that had never really been explored too much anywhere and to have a whole book detailing one side of that relationship was cool.

4. The Man Who Sold the World: David Bowie and the 1970s by Peter Doggett (February 13): A bit of a chore after a time. It goes through every song Bowie recorded in the '70s and that sort of approach can grow tedious. But, there's a reason why I read it when I did and that's fine enough.

5. Baseball Prospectus 2016 ed. Patrick Dubuque, Sam Miller, and Jason Wojciechowski (February 18): A new yearly tradition. 2017's edition is already pre-ordered. My strongest memory of this one is sitting in this tiny Starbucks connected to the Indigo in Tecumseh while Michelle was at the gym (and Ryan at the daycare there). As it was around Valentine's Day, I had some raspberry chocolate coffee thing. I also got a croissant. It was overpriced and undergood. I do love reading the team essays. A nice primer on the upcoming season.

6. The Cartel by Don Winslow (March 6): The Power of the God was sprawling, while this was more contained. But, it covered more ground in its own way. It was heartbreaking in a larger way. This book hammers you. I don't know what a third one will bring, but I'm there.

7. Gone with the Mind by Mark Leyner (March 15): I liked The Sugar Frosted Nutsack, but that felt like a warm-up book. A bit tedious; a bit too involved with itself. This was the return to the Mark Leyner I know and love with himself as the protagonist. What surprised me was how fucking good his mother's section was. How affecting it was and how much it added to the book. Probably the best new book I got in 2016.

8. Et Tu, Babe by Mark Leyner (March 19): Still one of my favourites... always.

9. My Cousin, My Gastroenterologist by Mark Leyner (April 10): So hit and miss. You have to find a lot in the small moments and sentences. I'm not sure if this has aged well.

10. Launching a Leadership Revolution: Developing Yourself and Others Through the Art and Science of Leadership by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward (May 3): This year, I began a leadership development program at work. It's a two-year thing and one of the homework assignment is reading books. This was the first that I picked and it was a good place to start. It was very hit or miss with regards to things you probably already knew. But, kind of like what I said about Bendis's book last year: it's good to have it all in one place. Plus, there were some things that I learned.

11. Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty (May 8): I bought this to contribute to the leadership program's library. As my company/industry is, in many ways, female-dominated, I saw a lot of "woman's rise to the top of business in a man's world" type of books available and, hey, that's great, but I wanted something that seemed a bit more like a book I would choose to read. I also thought about the sort of leaders that I respect and anyone who can make a pro sports team with all of the egos and money and shit work -- 11 times! -- is someone I was interested in hearing from. My biggest takeaway is that coaches have one advantage: the shared goal. All of the players want the championship and I've been struggling to carry that over to my profession where there is no inherent goal like that. But, it's a good book.

12. Your Favorite Band is Killing Me: What Pop Music Rivalries Reveal about the Meaning of Life by Steven Hyden (May 29): Such a fun read. I love stuff like this. I can't wait for Hyden's next book. He fills a bit of a void that Klosterman has left as he's moved, with each book, to more high concepts and less about specific popculture. Not that that's a bad thing... it just leaves a void and I'm glad someone with Hyden's talent and smarts is able to fill it.

13. But What If We’re Wrong? Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past by Chuck Klosterman (June 22): Speaking of which... A really interesting read that goes in some unexpected directions. I'm not sure it carries as strongly through the finish, sometimes becoming a little repetitive. Some chapters really had me going...

14. Imperial Bedrooms by Bret Easton Ellis (August 18): A spur of the moment reread. No new thoughts really.

15. Predators by Jim Starlin and Daina Graziunas (August 27): This took forever to read. Lots of putting it down to read other things. It's an odd book that feels like book five in a series about this telepathic hunter of serial killers. The plot doesn't go anywhere you'd expect. Not as good as their first novel; way better than their second.

16. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami (September 18): My first time rereading this completely since it first came out. I'd reread some stories here and there over the years, but never the whole thing. I love the simplicity of his stories. And the variety.

17. Wicked and Weird: The Amazing Tales of Buck 65 by Rich Terfry (September 24): Picked this up from the bargin table. It was $4-$6. Not sure what exactly. The first two-thirds are great; entertaining and engaging. The final third just goes off the rails. I wish he'd make another album.

18. Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami (September 24): Another that I hadn't reread in a while. Not sure what I think about it.

19. What I Talk about When I Talk about Running by Haruki Murakami (October 2): I got the mind to read this after different people in the leadership program talked about running. I was also gearing up for the new Murakami book and the two seemed to intersect.

20. The Greatest Albums You’ll Never Hear: Unreleased Records by the World’s Greatest Artists edited by Bruno MacDonald (November 6): Informative in places. Books like this suffer a bit, because, if you know about a musician well, then you probably know about the album(s) discussed and learn little new. If you don't know about a musician a lot, then you learn lots, but don't necessarily care. Good book for what it is.

21. Absolutely on Music by Haruki Murakami and Seiji Ozawa (November 28): I'm surprised at how much I liked this. It definitely put me in the mind to want to listen to this type of music. My only complaint is that they didn't touch on topics I would have liked them to (orchestras playing with rock bands, for example), but that's not a fair criticism at all. This was two guys having some conversations with a purpose, but also because they enjoyed it.

22. Who Moved My Cheese? By Spencer Johnson (November 29): Another leadership book. It was alright. I read it while Ryan napped. It took half an hour.

23. Normal by Warren Ellis (December 3): Depressing and fun. I read this in one shot on a Saturday with the house empty. Ellis probably could have gotten more of the concept, but why push it? The brief flirtation with the campers take over the corrupt camp plot was fun. The final revelation is slightly disappointing at first, but it stayed with me. It sunk in a bit. Hmm...

24. Triggers by Marshall Goldsmith (December 5): Another leadership book. I really liked this one and have been working to implement some of its concepts into my daily life.

And that's it. I've finished one book in 2017 already.

#books #larry david #haruki murakami #mark leyner #warren ellis #chuck klosterman #steven hyden #jim starlin #bret easton ellis #don winslow

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thebookrat · 5 years ago

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Whew! Last month really flew by, didn't it? And with it, the time to enter ALL THE GIVEAWAYS. And man, they were plentiful! I seriously cannot say thank you enough to all of the many authors that made Austen in August so great, and all of you for showing up and chiming in. Below you'll find the complete* list of giveaways and winners. All winners have been contacted except for TWO who didn't provide a valid way to contact them, so if you think it's you mentioned on this list, check your email or email me! If any winners don't respond to claim their prize, I will choose a new winner or winners, and I will contact them -- I'm not one of those people who makes you tie yourself to a blog post in the hopes of winning something; I will seek you out. I will find you, and I will give you things. *at least, i think it's the complete list. there were a lot of giveaways to keep track of this year, guys! i might have missed something. But before I get into the list of winners, I have one final piece of Austen homework for you. Well, two. The first is, I want you to go out into the world and just JANEITE all over the place. Just, everywhere. Spread that Austen love around. And then come back here and tell me when you find something amazingly Austenesque out there, so I can help you share it! The second is; Let me know in the comments what you'd like to see more of (or less of), and any authors or books you think should be on my radar for next year! I normally do an end-of-event survey, but I think the comments section has more potential for conversation, so let me know. Now. Onto what you're really here for!

THE WINNERS

all winners are listed as they are in Rafflecopter,

not according to email addresses or blog/social media usernames

Austen in August Mega Prize Pack 1

Edel W!

Austen in August Mega Prize Pack 2

Kate B!

Austen in August Mega Prize Pack 3

Jan D!

Austen in August Mega Prize Pack 4

Patricia L!

Rational Creatures audiobook from Christina Boyd

Suzannah Clark ( I don't have an email address for you, Suzannah, please contact me!)

Kai C!

$15 gift card from Christina Boyd

Emmaline Lavender Fields (I do not have an email address for you, either, please contact me!!)

Hearts, Strings & Other Breakable Things from Jacqueline Firkins

Megan S!

Maria Grace audiobook prize pack

Darcy Bennet!

The Jane Austen Society from Natalie Jenner

Mary E!

True Love Never Fails from Debra-Ann Kummoung

Laura H!

Falling for Elizabeth Bennet from Debra-Ann Kummoung

Danya!

$10 Amazon gift card from Debra-Ann Kummoung

Bailey C! Renee G!

Regina Jeffers prize pack

Regina decided to add some extra prizes, so the following people

were chosen and already gifted with their prize(s):

Danielle C

Eva E

Marsha B

Peggy K

Luthien84

Debbie F

His Choice of a Wife from Heather Moll

Edel W.

The Flight Path Less Traveled from Leigh Dreyer

Sophia R!

Colleen L!

Darcy in Hollywood from Victoria Kincaid

Talia S!

Jane Austen Made Me Do It from Laurel Ann Nattress

Kelly W!

Cassandra D!

Amy D'Orazio book of choice

bn100!

Holidays with Jane prize pack from Jessica Grey

Buturot!

Janeite Swag Pack from Me!

Jessica C!

Custom Janeite bookmarks from Me!

Darcy B!

John S!

Nancy P!

Congratulations, winners!!

Didn't win anything? Don't forget, I made sure there was something for everybody!

BIG THANKS to the following people for contributing prizes, posts, and/or time this Austen in August:

Alexa Adams, Jennifer Altman, Christina Boyd, Marilyn Brant, Cara at Wilde Book Garden, Jennieke Cohen, Courtney at The Green Mockingbird, Karen M. Cox, Amy D'Orazio, Riana Everly, Leigh Dreyer, Monica Fairview, Jacqueline Firkins, Alyssa Goodnight, Maria Grace, Cecilia Gray, Jessica Grey, Regina Jeffers, Natalie Jenner, Nancy Kelley, Kerri the Book Belle, Victoria Kincaid, Debra-Ann Kummoung, Kara Louise, Heather Moll, MyNameIsMarines, Laurel Ann Nattress, Nikki Payne, Lisa Pliscou, Abigail Reynolds, Sophia Rose, Eliza Shearer, Joana Starnes, Shannon Winslow, Deborah Yaffe, and YOU!

And if I forgot anyone, I am sincerely sorry, but from the bottom of my lil' Janeite heart, THANK YOU!

Click here to return to the master list of Austen in August posts!

via The Book Rat

#IFTTT #The Book Rat

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nebris · 6 years ago

Photo

USS KEARSARGE (BB-5)

The second KEARSARGE, a battleship, named by act of Congress to commemorate the famed sloop of war, was launched 24 March 1898 by the Newport News Shipbuilding Company. She was sponsored by Mrs. Herbert Winslow, wife of Lieutenant Commander Herbert Winslow, USN, the only surviving son of John A. Winslow, commander of the first KEARSARGE during her famous battle with the ALABAMA. This battleship was commissioned 20 February 1900, Captain William M. Folger in command.

USS KEARSARGE became the flagship of the North Atlantic Fleet cruising down the Atlantic seaboard and in the Caribbean. She sailed into Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where, on December 10, 1903, the United States took formal possession of the Guantanamo Naval Reservation. From there she led the North Atlantic Battleship Squadron on goodwill calls to many European ports. In December 1907 the USS KEARSARGE, now commanded by Captain Herbert Winslow, following in the path of his illustrious father, became a part of the famous "Great White Fleet" of battleships sent around the world by President Theodore Roosevelt. The cruise, lasting more than a year, was an overwhelming success, showing the flag and spreading good will. This dramatic gesture impressed the world with the power of the U.S. Navy.

The USS KEARSARGE was at the Philadelphia Navy Yard for modernization for several years. On 17 September 1915, she left there to land a detachment of Marines at Vera Cruz, Mexico. She joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet in February 1916 and served as a training ship for Massachusetts and Maine Naval Militia until World War 1, then trained armed guard crews and naval engineers. In May 1919, she embarked Naval Academy Midshipmen for 3 months training in the West Indies. The second USS KEARSARGE was decommissioned 10 May 1920, for conversion to a crane ship and a new career.

Designated AB-1 August 5, 1920, the KEARSARGE received an immense revolving crane with a rated lifting capacity of 250 tons and rendered invaluable service for the next 20 years. One of the many accomplishments was the raising of the sunken submarine SQUALUS off the New Hampshire coast.

On November 6, 1941 the KEARSARGE was designated CRANE SHIP NO. 1, giving up her illustrious name which was to be assigned to a mighty aircraft carrier. But she continued her yeomen service and made many contributions to the American victories of World War II. As CRANE SHIP NO. 1, her name was struck from Navy List 22 June 1955, and later she was sold for scrap.

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years ago

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Friedel skeptical of Rooney hype ahead of Revolution's crucial visit to DC

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

August 16, 201810:30AM EDT

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Of course New England Revolution players have seen that Wayne Rooney play.

Yes, the one where he makes a lung-busting, 60-yard recovery run to stop Orlando City’s Will Johnson from scoring on an open net, then lofts an inch-perfect long ball for Luciano Acosta to head home in Sunday’s last-gasp 3-2 win for D.C. United.

“You need guys putting in effort like that to win games,” Teal Bunbury said. “I thought it was an unbelievable play.”

But head coach Brad Friedel, perhaps mindful of his 450 Premier League appearances, wasn’t as quick to praise Rooney. He called the former England national team striker a “world-class player,” but said all players should hold themselves to that standard.

“How can I put it? If you don’t do it, then you shouldn’t be playing the sport. Let’s put it that way,” Friedel said. “That’s a normal thing to try and accomplish. Then to have the technical ability to create and other things, that’s what differentiates a lot of world-class players, which Wayne most certainly is. But working hard? Anyone in the world can work hard.”

The dismissive tone is also indicative of what’s at stake Sunday night, when the Revs and D.C. meet for the first time at Audi Field (7:30 pm ET | FS1 – Full TV and streaming info).

New England enter on a six-game winless skid and have dropped to seventh in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, D.C. coach Ben Olsen’s team are trying to work their way back up the East standings after playing 12 of their first 14 games on the road as they awaited the opening of Major League Soccer’s newest soccer-specific stadium.

The importance of this match and potential playoff implications aren’t lost on Andrew Farrell.

“Maybe they’ll be not as fresh as we’ll be, and we just have to come in and get the three points,” Farrell said. “We have to get another win away from home.”

There will also be some familiarity, given the Revs beat United 3-2 at home on June 30. But that was before the summer window opened, and New England added defensive reinforcements in defensive midfielder Cristhian Machado and center back Michael Mancienne.

Conversely, D.C. made a splash with Rooney, brought former goalkeeper Bill Hamid back on loan from FC Midtjylland, and traded for left back Vytas from the Portland Timbers.

Despite the changes, Friedel still expects a hard-fought, stingy game.

“They’ll play the exact same way they did when they were here,” Friedel said. “There’s very little difference. They’re a good passing team, we’re a very good pressing team.”

Added center back Jalil Anibaba: “We’ve never looked at them as a team that’s rejuvenated or not dangerous in the earlier parts of the season. They’ve always been a team that we know can be dangerous.”

So for New England, tied with Orlando and D.C. for the fewest road points in the Eastern Conference, the task is corralling Rooney & Co. to avoid further falling out of the playoff hunt. And for D.C., it’s a win-at-all-costs approach as they try to salvage their season with a home-heavy second half.

“At the end of the day, if we play our game, we know we can win any game,” Diego Fagundez said. “We just have to make sure everybody is prepared, everybody is ready and when it comes down to set pieces and our chances, we need to finish them.”

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Friedel skeptical of Rooney hype ahead of Revolution's crucial visit to DC was originally published on 365 Football

#ahead #crucial #Friedel #hype #Revolution&039s #Rooney #skeptical #visit

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amtushinfosolutionspage · 7 years ago

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Here are a Few Unconventional Predictions for the 2017-18 NBA Season

Happy Holidays! After a June, July, August, and September that were as wild and unpredictable as any the league has ever seen, the 2017-18 NBA season is finally here! The excitement surrounding this particular campaign is undeniable, even though its end feels more foreseeable than a Seinfeld rerun.

If the Golden State Warriors were not so unfairly stacked, the amount of top-tier talent that was redistributed from one conference to another would be more significant than intriguing. But various predictions must still be made! Here they are, in all their subjectively erroneous glory.

Eastern Conference Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers over Boston Celtics Western Conference Finals: Houston Rockets over Golden State Warriors NBA Champion: Houston Rockets over Cleveland Cavaliers

We begin by going against the grain. Yes, the Warriors are deservedly unprecedented favorites to win it all, armed with more depth, talent, cohesion, and experience than they’ve ever had. They’re so good that it’s tempting to scoff at anyone who chooses another team, but what make sports (including basketball!) so much fun is their inherent volatility.

We know Golden State is the best today. Does that mean they’re a lock to stay healthy, survive a regular season plus three playoff rounds with a humongous target on their back, and qualify for their fourth straight NBA Finals despite several teams in the Western Conference building their own mini-juggernauts with the sole intention of taking them down?

The Houston Rockets are as well-equipped as any opponent Golden State has seen in the last three years. James Harden is magnificent. Chris Paul is historically brilliant. P.J. Tucker and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute unlock the kinds of talented, versatile five-man units few teams can legitimately cobble together to take on the Warriors’ small ball lineups. Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson are two of the best three-point shooters at their position. Houston adopted a style that led them to become one of the most efficient offenses in NBA history last year, and their defense is now sturdy enough to crack the top 10. This team may not defeat Golden State, but they can certainly go punch for punch.

On the bracket’s other side, Cleveland still has LeBron James, while the Boston Celtics, for the most part, are an unseasoned collection of super-talented individuals who need to prove they can unite as a balled fist. They have 82 games to discover a new identity, but in the end, their youth probably isn’t enough to overcome one of the greatest players in basketball history.

Western Conference Standings

1. Golden State Warriors 2. Houston Rockets 3. San Antonio Spurs 4. Oklahoma City Thunder 5. Minnesota Timberwolves 6. Los Angeles Clippers 7. Utah Jazz 8. Denver Nuggets

The West is a bloodbath, and leaving the Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, and Dallas Mavericks off this list was not easy. But I’ll believe in Derrick Favors until the day he retires, think Blake Griffin is still All-NBA good, and know the Nuggets have enough young assets to improve at the trade deadline.

Eastern Conference Standings

1. Cleveland Cavaliers 2. Boston Celtics 3. Washington Wizards 4. Toronto Raptors 5. Milwaukee Bucks 6. Miami Heat 7. Charlotte Hornets 8. Detroit Pistons

Nothing here should come as a surprise. The bottom of the Eastern Conference is trash, the middle is devoted to mediocrity, and the top is riveting yet flawed.

MVP: LeBron James

Thanks to Kawhi Leonard’s lingering quadricep injury, if LeBron wants to be the MVP—meaning he logs 35 minutes a night, doesn’t sit out, averages close to (or at least) a triple-double, and leads his team to a top seed in the Eastern Conference—he’ll be the MVP.

Sleeper MVP: Jimmy Butler

Narrative is one of the most powerful tools used to construct a case for/against any serious MVP candidate. If the Minnesota Timberwolves finish with one of the Western Conference’s four best records this year (not impossible), there’s a good chance Butler—the only All-NBA player on his team—will duly receive quite a bit of credit.

Butler, 28, and still improving, is in the best situation of his basketball career: a primary option surrounded by two elite youngsters who already know how to hoard points, a decent score-first point guard, and a coach he adores.

If Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins make meaningful progress on the defensive end, Butler’s influence will help explain why. Low expectations are a friend, and it isn’t inconceivable that Butler thrusts himself into the conversation if his individual numbers grow and his team finds success.

Coach of the Year: Quin Snyder

Carrying over from the theme about Butler, Snyder’s advantage over his colleagues is the ability to exceed low expectations. Dante Exum’s shoulder injury was a mushed cherry on top of a basketball-tragic summer. The Jazz lost Gordon Hayward, their only All-Star, but they maintain a bullish identity that will keep them in most games on a nightly basis.

If Derrick Favors stays healthy, Donovan Mitchell contends for Rookie of the Year, Ricky Rubio proves to be all-around upgrade over George Hill, and Rudy Gobert continues to evolve on the offensive end, the Jazz should make the playoffs. Snyder will deserves acclaim for getting them there, but also for installing and contorting a system that best suites all his players.

Sleeper Coach of the Year: Doc Rivers

Ten years ago, Doc Rivers was universally considered one of the NBA’s top three coaches. Today, after several disappointing seasons that were in large part due to his very own porous personnel decisions, the man’s stock is printed on pink paper.

But this year he’s no longer concerned with front office responsibilities, and isn’t pressured to cater to Chris Paul’s ball-dominant demands (which, by itself, isn’t necessarily a bad thing). There’s more versatility on Los Angeles’ roster than before, and for the first time since he left the Boston Celtics, his team isn’t widely considered a lock to make the playoffs.

If Rivers gets the best out of Blake Griffin, constructs an above-average defense, and circumvents the ostensible dilemma L.A. has with its gigantic frontcourt and thin backcourt, it’ll be interesting to see how many people are willing to admit they were wrong by writing the former Coach of the Year off as quickly as they did.

Scoring Champion: Kyrie Irving

Irving is already one of the 10 most dynamic scorers in the NBA, and putting him in the same system that saw Isaiah Thomas average an efficient 28.9 points per game last season could create a nightly fireworks display. Irving is surrounded by Gordon Hayward and Al Horford, two of the sport’s most selfless, talented players at their respective positions, and if his three-point attempts rise to seven or eight per game, there’s a decent chance the 25-year-old will average 30 a night.

Sleeper Scoring Champion: DeMar DeRozan

Why the hell not? He’s the league’s most established bucket-getter who also possesses a clear avenue for improvement. If DeRozan shoots (not necessarily even makes!) threes this season, his scoring average will rise above the impressive 27.3 mark he tallied last year.

Most Improved Player: Rodney Hood

This award is fundamentally about points, and with Hayward gone Hood’s opportunity to score will dramatically increase.

Sleeper Most Improved Player: Justise Winslow

Winslow went from a franchise star in waiting to a dime-a-dozen combo forward with a broken jumper. Is he Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Paul George? Make a few outside shots and suddenly it looks like the latter.

Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert

He probably should’ve won this award last year.

Sleeper Defensive Player of the Year: Joel Embiid

If healthy, he’s more a favorite than a sleeper, but Embiid’s body remains the most noteworthy variable in the league. He’s already a premier rim protector, elite rebounder, and quick enough to shuffle out and defend guards on the perimeter. Everything about this man is a nightmare for the rest of basketball.

Sixth Man of the Year: Marcus Smart

This award almost always goes to someone who scores a lot of points off the bench, and that’s very dumb. Smart is svelte and strong, able to impact final scores more than stat sheets. He’s smooth enough to manage an offense and rugged enough to defend four positions. As the NBA-watching community increases its collective intelligence, it’s high time to recognize an all-around contributor who will play over 30 minutes a night for one of the league’s best teams even though his three-point shot isn’t all the way there.

Sleeper Sixth Man of the Year: Patrick Patterson

Perpetually overlooked, if healthy, Patterson should be a member of Oklahoma City’s most dangerous lineups. His two-way complementary impact will be critical for a roster that needs as much shooting as it can get.

Rookie of the Year: Ben Simmons

The most talented player in last year’s draft class is also the most talented player in this year’s draft class. Simmons could’ve/should’ve been an NBA starter during the season he spent at LSU.

Sleeper Rookie of the Year: Malik Monk

The opportunity for big minutes will be there from the start, thanks to Nicolas Batum’s unfortunate elbow injury. Monk averaged 15.6 points in five preseason games, can shoot threes, and is surrounded by competence. He won’t be a net positive because very few rookies are, but numbers might be there to support a case for this award.

First Team All-NBA

Guard: Steph Curry Guard: James Harden Forward: Kevin Durant Forward: LeBron James Center: Anthony Davis

Second Team All-NBA

Guard: Russell Westbrook Guard: Kyrie Irving Forward: Kawhi Leonard Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo Center: Karl-Anthony Towns

Third Team All-NBA

Guard: John Wall Guard: Chris Paul Forward: Blake Griffin Forward: Jimmy Butler Center: Nikola Jokic

Apologies to Paul George, Kyle Lowry, Damian Lillard, Gordon Hayward, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Al Horford, Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMarcus Cousins and all the other very good players out there who didn’t make the cut.

Here are a Few Unconventional Predictions for the 2017-18 NBA Season syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6

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yahoo-roto-arcade-blog · 7 years ago

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Juggernaut Index, No. 6: Brady leads unstoppable attack, but Pats backfield a mess

Tom Brady, fantasy (and reality) legend. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Few athletes in any sport have delivered decade-long periods of dominance like the one Tom Brady produced from 2007 to 2016. It borders on total mastery of craft. Over the past 10 NFL seasons, Brady’s passer-rating was 102.5. He averaged 7.8 yards per attempt. Six percent of his throws resulted in touchdowns. He’s had the lowest interception rate in the league in four of the past eight seasons, including the last two. He’s led his team to seven conference title games and four Super Bowls in 10 years. Since 2007, his regular season record as a starter is 113-28-0.

Brady’s absolute ownership of the NFL can’t really be denied, even by those who view his franchise as a sort of roving Death Star. We’re under no obligation to like the Patriots, but facts are facts. Brady has been almost impossibly good.

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Just look at some of the key stats he produced to bookend his ridiculous 10-year run:

2007 – 300.4 YPG, 68.9 cmp%, 8.3 Y/A, 8.7 TD%, 1.4 INT%, 16-0 record 2016 – 296.2 YPG, 67.4 cmp%, 8.2 Y/A, 6.5 TD%, 0.5 INT%, 11-1 record

Absurd. Brady’s supporting cast has changed, but the numbers have not. He turned 40 in August, yet there have been no signs whatsoever of a decline in performance.

We can feel certain that a decline is coming at some point, of course. The full list of QBs who’ve produced quality seasons after 40 is basically just Brett Favre (2009) and Warren Moon (1997). There is no precedent for a quarterback playing well in the NFL for any significant, sustained period of time beyond age 41.

But Brady is an all-time talent with a legendary dedication to task, and a much-publicized, well-branded nutrition/training/lifestyle plan. There’s no arguing with his results. It would be madness to bet against him, at least for the next season or two. You shouldn’t need an expert to tell you that he needs to be among the top three quarterbacks selected in any fantasy draft, regardless of format.

Brady’s receiving corps took a hit when Julian Edelman (ACL) was lost for the season, but the Pats clearly have the talent and depth — and the otherworldly quarterback — to manage around the injury.

Where do all those Edelman targets go?

First of all, we need to reinforce the fact that these are not just any targets. We’re talking about 9-10 targets per week from one of the most efficient, productive passers in NFL history. If any single player were in line to receive them all, that guy would vault into must-start territory.

Unfortunately, it’s probably not going to be quite that tidy. We should expect Edelman’s 150-160 targets to be distributed broadly and unevenly, boosting the value of several players to varying degrees without creating an every-week star. Sorry. Rob Gronkowski, already the consensus No. 1 TE, jumped a few spots in my overall ranks to No. 15. Gronk was limited to a half-season in 2016, as he underwent another back surgery, but he was plenty valuable when he played. He’s healthy at the moment and reportedly living clean (or clean-ish).

Gronk only caught 25 balls last season on 38 targets, but it’s worth noting that he averaged by far the highest yards-per-catch of his career (21.6). His average depth of target was over 15 yards, so, in a small sample, he was used in a fundamentally different way. I’m not quite on board with Hribar’s prediction that Gronk will lead the league in receiving yards, but I appreciate the process behind the bold call. Gronkowski obviously didn’t need a bump in targets to cement his spot as our game’s top tight end; draft him anywhere in Round 2, with a mix of hope and dread.

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Brandin Cooks, acquired in the offseason via trade, previously figured to see 110-120 targets for New England, and that total jumps a bit on the Edelman news. Cooks is still a burner, a versatile receiver who can line up anywhere, running vertical routes and quick-hitters. He’s an unsolvable problem for opposing defenses within the context of this team’s offense, with Gronk on the field and a dangerous ground game behind Brady. No one should be surprised if Cooks finishes the season as a solid WR1 in PPR formats. His red-zone role is less certain, although Edelman actually led this team in targets inside the 10-yard line last season (9). Like Gronkowski, Cooks is a bankable second rounder.

Chris Hogan should have been on your fantasy radar a month ago, but his ADP has spiked over the past week. He too can line up all over the formation, and he’s a dangerous weapon on every route. Salfino gave you all the Hogan hype you should need a few days ago, and I’m basically on board. He was deadly from the slot. (Hogan, not Salfino.) Hogan should be the greatest beneficiary of the forthcoming target redistribution; we need to begin treating him as a top-30 fantasy receiver. It helps that he’s had a full season in the offense.

Danny Amendola has a clear path to 60-plus targets as well, which gives him a certain appeal in deeper formats. It’s tough to consider him a must-own, but he wasn’t even in the fantasy conversation two weeks ago. Today, he’s among the most added players in Yahoo leagues. Brady has made it clear he has a high level of confidence in Amendola, not that he would publicly say anything else.

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New England’s receiving corps is plenty deep beyond the marquee names, with tight end Dwayne Allen added to the mix and Malcolm Mitchell entering his second season. Un-drafted Northwestern rookie Austin Carr exactly the sort of player who could eventually pop for this team, too.

OK, the backfield. Gillislee, Burkhead, Lewis or other?

LeGarrette Blount produced a monster fantasy season for the Pats in 2016 despite averaging just 3.9 YPC. He converted his 299 carries into a league-leading 18 rushing scores, thanks to a massive workload near the goal line. His 71 red-zone carries led all backs by a wide margin; David Johnson was second with 58. Blount also comfortably led the NFL in carries inside both the 10 and 5-yard lines (42, 29). Even an inefficient runner like him couldn’t screw up that workload, not in this offense. And now, of course, he’s gone.

If any single back in New England seemed likely to claim Blount’s full rushing workload, that guy would obviously be an early first-round fantasy selection. But no such player exists. Instead, we’re confronted with one of the league’s murkiest backfield depth charts, a spin-the-wheel situation in which we feel compelled to invest, even though four different players could receive 90-110 touches each. (The lack of a clear featured runner is the primary reason, in fact, that this elite offense isn’t a top-three team in these meaningless fantasy power rankings.) Let’s meet our contestants, arranged in the order in which I prioritize them…

Rex Burkhead makes a preseason house call. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Rex Burkhead, ADP 124.3 – Burkhead is the cheapest of the four New England options, and he’s had the cleanest and most encouraging summer on the field. The highlight of his preseason was this 22-yard score.

Burkhead was buried on the depth chart in Cincinnati over the past four years, but he did well with limited late-season opportunities in 2016, averaging 4.6 YPC on 74 attempts and catching 17 balls for 145 yards. He doesn’t have great straight-line speed, but he has plenty of lateral quickness and athleticism — he was a beast at the combine back in the day (39-inch vertical, 6.85-second three-cone). Burkhead is a capable receiver and, at 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds, he appears built to handle a substantial workload. He converted 10 touches into 70 yards and a score in the preseason, running with New England’s varsity offense. He’ll play, no doubt. Again, he carries the best price in this backfield by far. He’s a terrific lottery ticket.

Mike Gillislee, ADP 73.1 – Gillislee is the most expensive of the Pats backs by far, and arguably the most talented runner when healthy. But we’re required to include the words “when healthy” because he is, in fact, only rarely healthy. He missed multiple weeks of camp with a hamstring issue, a problem that’s plagued him throughout his career. He missed the entire 2014 season with a hamstring injury. Gillislee also averaged 5.7 YPC on 148 attempts over his two seasons in Buffalo, so we know he’s a gifted runner. He’s a bit larger than Burkhead and faster, if not necessarily shiftier.

Here are a few of Coach Belichick’s comments on Gillislee, after the new acquisition made his first preseason appearance days ago:

“We were able to get Mike a few carries and a few plays in the game,” Bill Belichick said Saturday on a teleconference. “I think he still has quite a ways to go. He has missed some practices this fall and missed some practices last spring. … He works hard to stay on top of things and to stay caught up and we’ve worked hard to catch him up, but he still has some ground to make up. We gained some on it.”

As everyone knows, this franchise is notoriously secretive regarding health and playing time considerations, so you can’t expect Belichick to give us any additional intelligence. My assumption, as of this writing, is that Gillislee is still running behind Burkhead, if only slightly. We can expect both to play. Rex is going 50 picks later than Mike, and both are obtainable at reasonable costs in drafts. It now feels as if Gillislee’s odds to reach 250 touches are poor.

James White, ADP 121.8 – White really should have been the Super Bowl MVP after his three-touchdown performance, but whatever. I’m sure he’ll happily take the win and concede the award. He’s the safest bet in this backfield, because his role is well known. He’s caught 100 balls over the past two seasons, including 60 last year. White is a nice mid-rounder in PPR formats, a back likely to see 100-110 touches over 16 games. It’s not crazy to expect a small increase in opportunities for him, actually, with Edelman out of the mix. Don’t be surprised if he gives us 750-800 scrimmage yards and perhaps a half-dozen TDs. If those numbers work in your league, get him.

Dion Lewis, ADP 118.9 – This guy hasn’t had a noisy preseason, but he’s been fine (11 carries, 45 yards). Lewis has alternated between the Brady-led squad and the Jimmy Garoppolo group. He’s played only 14 regular season games over the past two seasons after tearing an ACL in 2015. Availability is key in the NFL, and it hasn’t been a strength for Lewis. When active, however, he’s been great, averaging 4.6 YPC for New England and catching 53 passes on 74 targets in 14 games. For now, he remains in the team picture; he’d seemed like a cut candidate after the additions of Burkhead and Gillislee. We have to think of him as a plausible late flier in deeper formats.

So yeah, this is a mess. But we can’t ignore this particular mess, because the team is going to average roughly 30 points per game. None of these RBs are poorly priced, so I’d urge you to take a shot with at least one of them. Burkhead has been my guy, but I’ve got no beef with Gillislee at his Yahoo ADP. This is the rare case where it makes some sense to target two backs from the same offense, then see if September brings clarity. We have to prepare for the possibility that New England will ultimately produce three flex-worthy backs and no every-week rock solid RB1.

New England’s D still belongs on your cheat sheet.

This defense ranked eighth in yards allowed (326.4 YPG) and first in scoring (15.6 PPG) last season, but only mid-pack in turnovers (23) and sacks (34). The team doesn’t offer a standout IDP, but the team as a whole remains a top-10-ish fantasy asset. Think of the Pats as a luxury matchup D, generally benefitting from game flow. Opening matchups with the Chiefs and Saints aren’t ideal, and it’s a letdown to see one of the two Jets games in Week 17, when respectable fantasy leagues will be finished. Still, this team will see Jay Cutler twice in the final five weeks, which should result in plenty of takeaways.

2016 Offensive Stats & Ranks Points per game – 27.6 (3) Pass YPG – 269.3 (4) Rush YPG – 117.0 (7) Yards per play – 5.9 (6) Plays per game – 67.7 (3)

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Previous Juggernaut Index entries: 32) NY Jets, 31) San Francisco, 30) Cleveland, 29) LA Rams, 28) Baltimore, 27) Chicago, 26) Minnesota, 25) Detroit, 24) Denver, 23) Jacksonville, 22) Buffalo, 21) Philadelphia, 20) Miami, 19) Indianapolis, 18) Kansas City, 17) Washington, 16) NY Giants, 15) Tennessee, 14) LA Chargers, 13) Carolina, 12) Houston, 11) Arizona, 10) Oakland, 9) Tampa Bay, 8) Cincinnati, 7) New Orleans, 6) New England

#Juggernaut Index #_author:Andy Behrens #_uuid:a60552fe-7cb5-3d09-81ac-6f054c207688 #_category:yct:001000854 #_lmsid:a077000000CFoGyAAL #Tom Brady #New England Patriots #_revsp:54edcaf7-cdbb-43d7-a41b-bffdcc37fb56

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natakova15-blog · 7 years ago

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Thriller Writer Matt Richtel in Conversation with Lee Child

Back in 2014, Matt Richtel wrote a mesmerizing, compulsive, and very well-researched nonfiction book about a young man who drifted out of his lane on a Utah highway while texting and killed two rocket scientists coming the opposite way. The book was called A Deadly Wandering, and Amazon Senior Editor Jon Foro described the book this way: "Richtel has combined his savvy as a New York Times science reporter with his skill as a writer of technology-infused thrillers to weave two separate, if related, stories together: the tragedy-and ultimate redemption-of Reggie Shaw, and the deleterious effects of technology on our brains, bodies, and culture. A Deadly Wandering is a riveting blend of humanity and science, and a masterful work of narrative nonfiction."

This month, Matt Richtel's latest thriller Dead on Arrival made our list of the Best Mystery & Thrillers of August, and caught Lee Child's attention. He interviews Richtel below:

Lee Child: I'm impressed by the early buzz on this book. Multiple comparisons to Michael Crichton, and classics likeThe Stand? Big shoes, and you seem to fill them. Are these your influences?

Matt Richtel: Candidly, Lee, you're among the influences, and so is Crichton. This reflects my two cents about central pillars of successful thrillers: they don't make it hard for the reader to suspend disbelief. In your case, what works so well for me (as a reader) is that your hero is so believable, even while playing the superhuman. Crichton derives premises that are one click beyond reality, but close enough. Andromeda Strain took my breath away. One final attribute I cherish is the seamless quality of great writing. Here I speak of folks like Don Winslow, T. Jefferson Parker and Dennis Lehane (along with dialogue masters Jim Thompson and Elmore Leonard).At my own long-toothed age, I really don't try to emulate but appreciate, and hope these greats have mingled with my bloodstream. Together, they capture the ethos of great mystery: the more real, the more thrilling and terrifying.

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Lee Child: Speaking of terrifying, some people fear flying.With your book's opening, now you're going to make them scared of landing. Where did these extraordinarily creepy early chapters come from?

Matt Richtel: I'll rankle some feathers here: I love flying (well, not that part where the airline drags you off the plane). At 30,000 feet you're disconnected from the world. One time, a few years ago, I landed and the airport looked desolate. For an eye blink, I wondered: did something happen while I was in the air? Those hours spent in suspended animation are time enough for the world below to go wrong. In the case of Dead on Arrival, very, very wrong.

Lee Child: Exactly. Being in the air is a kind of disconnected limbo.You expect the world to be there, waiting for you, when you disembark.In this case it isn't.But a great start doesn't make a great book.I think what makes Dead on Arrival so compelling is that it reeks of the real. It could happen does that come from your work for the New York Times?

Matt Richtel: Guilty as charged. Years talking to scientists and Big Thinkers has filled my notebooks with all kinds of theories and ideas not yet fit to print. People speculate, or identify trends. The science and medicine in this book, the infectious principles and political and social impacts come from real ideas turned up to 11 on the volume. This is the front-page story that hasn't happened, not yet. Insert creepy music.

Lee Child: Speaking of politics, the backdrop here is a world coming undone with hostility and tribalism.Some people say mysteries and thrillers are now where we find social realism and commentary.Were you aiming for that?

Matt Richtel: Storytelling is such great medium for tackling questions that have left even talking heads speechless. I've wrestled in particular to understand how so many good people can be so ticked off at each other and be calling late-night radio to tell the rest of us. This book unfolds one explanation. By the final pages, I hope the reader will include in his/her thinking another perspective; we're being overtaken by infectious forces of our own making. We're infecting ourselves. We can undo it.

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Lee Child: Your protagonist is terrific - a wildly talented infectious disease specialist with a misanthropic streak.Where did he come from?

Matt Richtel: First, that's high praise from the inventor of Jack Reacher. The brainiac at the center of this story, Dr. Lyle Martin, borrows ideas and sense of conflict come from a handful of docs I've spoken to over the years. These docs mourn how human beings treat each other. One surgeon really underscored the point, noting he was sick and tired of stitching people up who cause drunk driving wrecks, shoot each other, take drugs, knife fight. Humanity rides a line, and the protagonist in this book wrestles with which side to ride himself.

Lee Child: Wait, isn't your wife a doctor?

Matt Richtel: I promise I'm not talking about her, Lee. You think I'm suicidal?

Lee Child: Point to Richtel. Last question: by the end of this book, it's clear you're suggesting that technology, and how we use it, has a profound impact not just on how we live, but our brains themselves.Is that part fiction?

Matt Richtel: That part is all meat, no fat. All real. I'd put this shift up there with the industrialization of food, that significant. We. Are. Always. On. It is changing us, and how we relate, vote, how physically active we are, friendly and hostile. One of the most chilling stories I did for the Times last year recounted the latest thinking about the subject by the head of the National Institutes for Drug Abuse. She's investing in research to try to show that the significant drop in teen drug use is happening because teens are, rather than experimenting with drugs, getting stimulated and distracted by their devices. Whether you think this is good or bad, it's a sign of the extraordinary social and neurological potency of our gadgets.

Lee Child: Which is why I love to fly - I get a few hours of peace. But now you've got me worried about landing.

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