#DICKERSON RD

[endlesshunger]

STEREO LEFT ON PT. 2, NASHVILLE, TN. 2023

[reveal-the-news]

Small businesses in Reno gear up for Small Business Saturday

Small businesses in Reno gear up for Small Business Saturday

Reno, Navy. (KOLO) – Black Friday is over and local businesses are eager to welcome customers for the busiest day of the year Small Business Saturday is all about giving back to our community. Samantha Stremmel, owner of Sierra Water (2055 Dickerson Rd) SBS is having a special day for her business. “Everybody goes out with a lot of purpose, and I can’t tell you how much that means to a small…

[u-seerosie]

I don’t love you like I used to This gets better every time you kiss me like this It’s stronger the longer I’m with you More than every single day before Didn’t know I could ever love you more Than I did, but baby I do I don’t love you like I used to

Russell Dickerson - Love You Like I Used To

[shannonparis29]

Miss USofA Diva Nationals 2017

             March 5-7 2017, Miss USofA Diva Nationals

Nationals is a big deal, and the fact that I qualified was amazing. There were 24 that qualified and 23 showed up to compete for the National title. I left on March 2nd and we arrived there early March 4th (the day before the pageant and the day of the “sash” party). Our plan was to be on time and we were early. Arriving in Dayton, Ohio, it was snowing. It wasn’t heavily snowing, but it was the only the fourth time I’d seen snow. Twice in Corpus, once in San Marcos, and once in Ohio. Jackie, Levi and I all went to eat at Bob Evans, since it was literally in front of the hotel and we had to wait a little bit for our room to be “ready.”

After “breakfast” and checking in, I rested all day, I found myself rested after an eventful trip. After resting, I dressed for the Sash Party. The sash party is an event (usually before the pageant) where everyone meets and mingles. Most of the time, this is where meet our fellow competitors for the first time-unless you’ve met them previously. (i.e. at a prelim or the year before). That day we had pizza and drinks and it was our treat. It was great and even my friend Sara from Kentucky came by. She used to live in Corpus, but she moved to Kentucky with her boyfriend. She drove to Dayton and hung out with us afterwards in the hotel room. At the dinner, I received my 2nd alternate sash for Iowa there, and I was happy, a memento of my USofA Journey for the 2016-2017 season.

Then, it was time to rest for Nationals. Nationals is three days. The first two nights are what they call “prelim” nights and the last night is the “final” night, where they announce the top 12, the top 12 compete in evening wear and talent one more time, to determine the winner. But if you choose to, you may swap your evening wear/talent for a different or better one. Most top competitors have a “prelim” evening wear/talent and a final night one, just in case they make finals. However, if you feel like your talent is strong enough to win, you are not “required” to change it. But most do. Pageants are not cheap (trust me I know) and I’ve seen people change their evening wear/talent for final night and win and some do not. However, most people’s strategy these days is to be “clean” prelim night (to make top 12) then go big for final night. However, sometimes it is better to go “all out” both nights, because truthfully you only get once chance to impress at Nationals. For, what if you do not make finals? It truthfully depends on the person.  Nothing is guaranteed or truthfully you never know who is going to bring on that day. Some people use the same talents from prelims, some do not. It is really on the person and what the judges see.

Registration was noon on the 5th of March. We would check in, draw our numbers and the promoters of Nationals-Devin and Gage would give a speech about being at Nationals. (Levi told me that part) But sure enough, he was right about that. The “best in the country” and “honored that so many were able to make the journey” The journey was 22 hours by driving but it also took me three prelims, thousands of miles across the country to be there.

The way preliminary nights work is that divide us into groups. This year, there are four groups. Day 1 group 1 and 3 do interview and evening wear, and groups 2 and 4, compete in prelim talent. On Day 2, it is the reverse, group 2 and 4 compete in interview and evening wear, and group 1 and 3 compete for talent. I drew contestant number 13, group 3. So, on day one, I would knock out two of my categories.

Once I knew my position, it was time for me to head back to the hotel, and Sara De La Hoya, my makeup artist, did my natural makeup and my hair in a bun. I wore my black and red suit, tights, and heels. It looked very professional, and some of the other girls were dressed similarly. I went into interview, and I still had nerves. I remember talking about my journey (doing three prelims, trying to feature myself, and so on). I also was asked questions about the USofA system-how the scoring works, etc. I felt like that was one question that I knew well. After my interview, I had to rest a bit and then prepare for evening wear that night. My evening wear was purple iridescent gown, that my drag sister Jackie and I stoned fully. I mean, it was a lot of work to stone that gown. And as expected, it looked stunning on stage. In fact, I even had the matching jewelry and shoes. I stoned the shoes and Jackie and I did the gown. It was stoned with ab crystal stones and I was so glad that I decided to do that. I ended up wearing that gown and even though it was not “creative” it was so gorgeous, and it fit me well, minus a few things that could have been altered, but we ran out of time to do so. My evening gown music was “Halo” by Beyoncé. I ended up being cinched to the Gods. I modeled the gown, walked the runway and did one last model before finishing my gown category.

After gown, I changed in my walkaround dress and I could enjoy the rest of the pageant, the remaining entertainment as well as group 2 and 4’s talents.

After the pageant, we were finished by midnight, and ended up going to Steak and Shake for a late-night dinner. It was delicious and after that we were exhausted and ready to head back to the hotel, for tomorrow would be yet another busy day.

Day 2

Day 2 started off with talent soundcheck, as I had talent on Day 2.  I witnessed so many wonderful talents during the rehearsal. I marked my talent, to save my energy for that night’s show. I will say that Nationals is exhausting. A few tips: If you’re a

Diva/Mi or any pageant contest, please make sure you eat a good meal, get a good night’s sleep and DRINK LOTS OF WATER. You will sweat a lot, especially backstage. I hardly ate on Day 2 and but I was able to eat a couple sandwiches after going back to the hotel room. Then, it was time to be painted for prelim night two for talent. Sara did my makeup for talent, and I had plenty of time to “enjoy the show” while I waited for my turn. After evening wear and several talents, it was my turn.  My talent was the same, as before, the SNL skit, and it went well, at least in my opinion. A few of my press-on nails flew off during my number. I mean, even with super glue, it can happen. Nothing is truly fool-proof. After everything was finished, night two was over. And it was time for another night of rest, before final night.

Final Night

Final night day, they had a luncheon and announced prelim night awards. I unfortunately did not receive any awards in my group. But having group or category awards prelim night does not guarantee you a place in the top 12. So, for all of you are wondering how scoring works as far as final night and prelim nights go. Prelim nights are cumulative Each judge can give 1-12 points in evening wear/talent and the most one can receive total is sixty points (a perfect score) . In talent each judge can give 2 to 24 points. The max you can receive total is 120 pts (which is a perfect score). It’s based on everything the judges look for in each category. The highest and lowest scores are dropped as well.On final night, however, you are judged against your competitors. Final night is comparative. So, for example, if a judge has you 1st in talent, you will receive 24 pts from that judge. Sometimes they agree, sometimes they do not. It truthfully depends on the judges.  

Comparative  Scores

Talent  (2-24 from each judge)

Evening  Wear (1-12)

 1st  24 pts

1ST  12 pts

 2nd  22 pts

2nd  11 pts

 3rd  20pts

3rd  10pts

 4th  18 pts

4th  9 pts

 5th  16 pts

5th  8 pts

 6th  14pts

6th  7 pts

 7th  12 pts

7th  6 pts

 8th  10 pts

8th  5 pts

 9th  8 pts

9th  4 pts

 10th  6 pts

10th  3pts

 11th  4 pts

11th  2pts

 12th  2 pts

12th  1pt

Of course, your final score is based overall, from all judges. It doesn’t mean you’re “bad” because you get 12th at Nationals. It just means on that day, someone was better but you made the top 12. However, there are some exceptions, in classic, where pageants are “one night only” they end up using the comparative-as they are competing one night. If there are 14 contestants then it’d be 1-14, 2-28, I think.  And for Diva 2020 Nationals, there would be only one night, but we shall get to that later.

On Final night, during the day, we have a quick presentation rehearsal, then we get two minutes to mark the stage in case, we make finals. We were instructed to come in our presentations and leave our “final night” package in the car, if we make finals.

Turns out, I did not make top 12 at Nationals. Was I upset? Disappointed? Could I have done better? Yes, yes, and yes. However, this year, truly was a trying year, as I reached my goal-I went to Nationals and represented well. I would watch the top 12 battle it out and in the end Seduction Dickerson won, with Ruby Scott (from Texas, yay) 1st alternate and 2nd alternate went to Jamison St. James.

I knew I would take any critiques and apply to my next season. It was back to the drawing board and back to competing again for next season. One critique that I received from Tommie Ross was that I wasn’t “being myself” in my interview. I should’ve worn a dress, similar to what I wore in my talent. I wore a suit because that is what most people wear to interviews. But maybe that was a wrong approach. I’d soon learn that I need to be myself. Easier said than done. I looked professional, yes, and truthfully, none of my critiques in interview have been about wardrobe. That ended up being something I worked for next season-but again that ended my 2016-2017 season.

[monroe-nc-near-blog]

City Living

Monroe is a small city in North Carolina that adapts a country-style living. It gives you the relaxing feeling of living away from the hustle and bustle of development. But while it is a quiet place, development is very evident when you move around the city proper. The neighborhood creates a relaxing ambiance along with the friendly smiles of people. Some people say that Monroe has a lot of untapped potential. But residents say that they like the city this way - low profile yet very progressive. So, if you wish to start a family in the city, Monroe can be a great choice.

Whether you need lawn mowing service, landscaping, leaf removal, or lawn maintenance, Performance Lawn & Landscape got you covered. This one of the premier companies in Monroe, North Carolina who delivers excellent results. For more than a decade, they are known for exceeding the expectations of their clients. The well-experienced and licensed team are top rated. The company offers affordable and flexible terms like weekly, monthly, or seasonal package that is fit for your home or business needs. If you are hesitant because of the price, you can always call them for a free estimate. You will then be surprised that the price is not bad at all.

Suspect arrested for armed robbery of prescription medicine in Monroe

MONROE, N.C. (WBTV) - Police say a suspect was arrested after pointing a gun at a pharmacy clerk and stealing prescription medicine in Monroe Thursday. Just before 3:00 p.m., police say the suspect robbed the Walgreen’s Pharmacy on Dickerson Boulevard at gunpoint of prescription medication. Officers from the Monroe Police Department assisted by Union County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived on scene and took the suspect into custody as he was exiting the store. Read more here.

Crime rates have dropped in many cities as home quarantine is being implemented. The news of robbery in a pharmacy is surprising. I wonder what specific prescription medication is the suspect trying to steal. But whatever it is, pointing a gun to a clerk is definitely unacceptable. He has to face the consequences of his behavior. I pity the pharmacy assistant. The person must have been very terrified to see people acting this way amidst the crisis that everyone is going through. In the meantime, this is a warning for everyone to still remain vigilant and alert since criminals can still attack anytime.

Jesse Helms Center in Monroe, NC

Getting old can be a little worrisome if you do not know where to go. But if you are living around Monroe, the Jesse Helms Nursing Center is available. This is a 70-bed nursing facility in North Carolina. Apart from its regular nursing facility, it features landscaped grounds, public living area, and media area. Elderly people can enjoy daily exercises, religious, and social activities, health and wellness programs, arts and crafts, and even off-site outings. The center has a team of professionals who care for their clients’ holistic needs like nutrition and spirituality. The center is very near to hospitals, pharmacies, and churches.

Hosting a party can be demanding. You need to prepare your whole house including your lawn or garden to accommodate your guests. Definitely you do not want them to see your space messy. But since you may be busy preparing the menu and other party needs, you may not have enough time to work on your lawn. This is the best time to call the Performance Lawn & Landscape. They do lawn maintenance at very affordable price. On your scheduled day, a dedicated team comes to your home to do the lawn mowing, shrub pruning, and so much more. They ensure that your place is picture perfect for your guests.

Link to Map

Jesse Helms Nursing Center 1411 Dove St, Monroe, NC 28112, United States

Take E Sunset Dr to Lancaster Ave 7 min (2.7 mi)

Continue on Lancaster Ave to Buford 13 min (9.8 mi)

Turn right onto Tom Greene Rd Destination will be on the left 21 s (0.2 mi)

Performance Lawn & Landscape 3315 Tom Greene Rd Monroe, NC 28112, USA

[harry-o-balls-blog]

Acoustic Jam with MATT-MANN Solo Artist and Current Frontman Of The Live Rock Band MEATBANANA TONIGHT 7-10pm 1204 Dickerson Rd NASHVILLE TN

[iloveyoupittsburghpirates-blog]

You Have Lost Me, Pittsburgh Pirates

My Dearest Pittsburgh Pirates,

I should be much more upset right now. This week had the ability to be the worst one in recent memory until you escaped with a win yesterday. Before that, this was one of the most embarrassing weeks to be a Pirates’ fan. I went to all three games at Dodgers’ Stadium and I watched you get swept in a by an overall score of 31-8. That included a mind-numbing 17-1 loss on Monday. After that series, I didn’t think the week could really get worse. Then on Friday you managed to exceed my expectations. You gave up 17 runs AGAIN to the Philadelphia Phillies in a 17-5 loss. What the hell? I didn’t look up the stats on this because it’s too depressing, but I can’t remember any Pirates’ team giving up 17 runs twice in one week. I honestly can’t remember any team doing that ever, though I’m sure (hope) they have. That was followed by a 3-2 loss in a game that you led 2-0 going into the 7th inning and that we will discuss more later. You salvaged the series with a win yesterday, but you have looked terribly out-matched by any viable team over the past two months. You are currently 41-48, you’re 12 ½ games out of first place, and 9 games out of the Wildcard spot. Barring some amazing progression, you will miss the playoffs for the third straight year and the 26 of the last 29 seasons. Great job…

Clint Hurdle made another questionable decision that arguably cost you a game on Saturday. Jameson Taillon had been cruising with a 2-0 lead until the seventh inning. With one out, Taillon gave up an infield single. He got a force out to get the second out before a triple and a single tied the game. There were still two outs and he was only at 77 pitches, so I figured you would just leave him in. Instead, you went to your laughably awful bullpen with a man on first and two outs rather than stick with Taillon who had only made two bad pitches the whole afternoon. Edgar Santana, who has seemed to give up a run every outing over the last six weeks, was brought in and gave up an RBI double on the first pitch and you lost 3-2. Your argument was that Taillon’s numbers his third time through the order have not been good enough and I can agree with that. OPS 1st time through - .673, 2nd time through - .620, and 3rd time through - .837. I think sometimes you should look at how this particular game has progressed to determine a decision like that. My bigger issue is how unequivocally bad your bullpen has been recently. You don’t trust Taillon to go the third time through the order, but you do trust anyone in that bullpen not named Crick or Vasquez? Makes no sense. Santana, Glasnow, and Brault have all struggled as of late and you’ve had to resort to using guys like Neverauskas, Smoker, and Holmes, none of which should even be in the majors. I’ll say it again, Taillon was at 77 pitches. I don’t care if your trust is wavering. He arguably has the most talent in your rotation and your bullpen has been a joke. I’d keep him in the game every time.

(Wild pitch count add) Fun-da-mentals. I literally can’t say it enough. I know I harp on this but after this week if felt necessary to mention again. Case in point: Monday night against the Dodgers. I was there in person to watch Nick Kingham’s first start since returning to the majors for an injured Chad Kuhl. I like Kingham a lot and his performance yesterday was definitely an improvement, but his first inning on Monday was as bad as it gets. The inning led off with him dropping a ball thrown right to his chest while covering first, putting the runner at second. He balked to send the runner to third and then a dribbler single in front of home plate scored the run. After another single puts runners at first and third, I saw something I’ve never seen in a major league baseball game previously. After a pitch, Elias Diaz threw the ball back to Kingham on the mound. Kingham was a little off balance and the throw was far from perfect. It hit off the top of Kingham’s glove and rolled towards third base allowing a run to score. You barely ever see that in Little League games, let alone a high school or college game. Allowing it to happen in a major league game is beyond embarrassing. I was speechless. Whether it was JHay fumbling a ball in the first inning on Friday, or a pop up directly in the front of the plate on Saturday that four players stood around and watched fall in (fortunately they could still get the force play at second), or the major league leading 59 wild pitches you have uncorked this season, you are a nightmare when it comes to doing the little things correctly. I’m not even surprised anymore when these things happen. The blame goes from top to bottom in the organization. I apologize for harping on this issue so much but these type of botched plays are the difference between good teams and bad teams.

The older I get, the less I care about the All Star game. The fact that fans pick the starters has always been an issue for me because the most popular players get picked even when they aren’t having a great year, like Bryce Harper. But maybe that’s the whole spirit of the game. It’s just for fun anyway. Why shouldn’t the fans be able to pick their favorite players? In that case, the prestige of being named should take a hit, but that’s another conversation. All Star teams were announced yesterday and I honestly couldn’t think of who on your team was deserving. Cervelli has been one of the best catchers in baseball this year but, probably because of his recent DL stint, he just missed it. Felipe Vasquez will be your lone representative in the 2018 All Star game. His 3.38 ERA and 1.31 WHIP are far from dominant. He has struck out 51 batters in 37 1/3 innings and opponents are only hitting .218 off him with a .571 OPS against plus 18 saves in 22 opportunities. I believe he is the only player on this roster who actually has the ability to be a top five player at their position, maybe even top three. That alone could technically make him our All Star. I’m not vehemently opposed to this choice especially when the ERA leader in the American League didn’t make it. In a year where no one on your team is truly deserving, except for maybe Cervelli, makes me conclude once again that the respect given to the people who make this game should only hold so much weight.

Here comes yet another week with the potential to go terribly wrong. The wildly under-performing Washington Nationals, a game over .500 and five games out of first place and the final Wildcard spot, come to town after winning three out of four this weekend against Miami and scoring 14 and 18 runs in two of those games. With our pitching woes recently, it seems like this could be a bad matchup. After that, the first place Milwaukee Brewers, who currently hold the best record in the National League, come in for a rare five game series with a double header on Saturday. They have won 7 of their last 10 and are a legitimate contender to represent the NL in the World Series with how they have been playing. This week is your last chance. It’s the week before the All Star break and, barring some miraculous week, you will be selling at the deadline. It’s what you should do. Trade Cervelli, Nova, Dickerson, Mercer, Freese, and JHay to get whatever you can in return. It’s time. A small market team can’t afford to be middling. Either you’re all in or you’re rebuilding. That should be it. I always root for you and I just want what’s best for you. Selling your assets to see if these young guys actually have any potential is the right move. Have a good week and get ready for some much needed rest. I know I will. Love you!

                                                            Exasperated For The Foreseeable Future,

                                                                                               Brad

P.S. If you do trade JHay and Mercer, then your most likely scenario is bringing up Kevin Newman and Kevin Kramer. People aren’t very excited about them right now but there is upside. Newman has an OPS of .748 and hit only his second homer of the season yesterday. He is batting .307 with an OBP of .355 and, most importantly, has 21 stolen bases on the season. If he can bat close to .300, play solid shortstop, and steal 30-plus bases, I’m totally fine with him as my everyday shortstop. Kramer has 11 homers and currently holds an OPS of .818. He does strikeout too much and has been slumping as of late, but even he has 7 stolen bases. I don’t think these two will be superstars but they could be decent at two positions where you rarely expect much offense anyway.

[endlesshunger]

STEREO LEFT ON, NASHVILLE, TN. 2023

[u-seerosie]

Russell Dickerson - Love You Like I Used To (Unofficial Video)

[satwell]

935 Old Dickerson Rd Goodlettsville TN 37072 https://youtu.be/o3jC2QuKuO4

[kevincadletrophy-blog]

The Kevin Cadle Trophy 2017 - Week 3 Recap

Week 3 was a crazy week for many reasons. Donald Trump urged NFL team owners to fire any player who kneels for the anthem and players responded in audacious fashion. Four games came down to the last 30 seconds of play; briefly curtailing the perception the league’s quality of play has taken a downswing. Brady mounted another 4th quarter comeback to squeak past the Texans. Golden Tate’s non touchdown lead to a 10 second run off to end the game and a heartbreaking loss for the Lions. Eagle’s rookie kicker Jake Elliott (yes, more kicker chat) hits a miracle 61 yard field goal to sink the Giants comeback and the pathetic unsportsmanlike conduct call on Von Miller sets up the Bills for a chip shot to put them out of sight against the Broncos. Sadly the Kevin Cadle Trophy didn’t see this level of drama as 5 of the 6 games ended in a blowout and most contests were a forgone conclusion by bedtime.

From an entire league of men on their knees to one fantasy owner. Here comes the week 3 recap.

Cyborg Justice tops the league at 3-0 after defeating Kent Exiles. GCT lose at the hands of Cecil Martin’s Mavericks and find themselves in a gulch of torturous despair and the sole owner of last place at 0-3. Going into the season GCT were the 2nd most consistent regular season team with a 0.586% winning percentage. Owner Lloyd is certainly on the hot seat and is surely the favourite for first coach fired this season. Wadstar Wildebeests could not defy their week 3 destiny as the curse continues to decay and fester, losing out to Rochester Jeffersons who also notched their first win. The Fail Marys bludgeoned Coolhand to fantasy death, beating them by an enormous 63.18 points. In the week’s big grudge matches the Cleveland Clowns finally got on the board taking down hated rival The Lynn Swann Crybabies and Uncle Sam’s Family Feedbag failed to get revenge against league overlord Dave’s Cliffe Woods Packers (much to the chagrin of the other league owners). Both were highly anticipated matchups which disappointed in week 3. Tight end continued to be a chasm of agonising sorrow and kickers once again decided at least one game.

Week 3 Stats, Stats & Milestones

Cleveland Clowns reaches 20 wins in regular season history.

Cyborg Justice starts out 3-0 for 3rd straight year. Only 4 teams have ever reached 4-0. Goodfellas (2014), The Lynn Swann Crybabies (2014) and Cliffe Woods Packers (2015).

Cecil Martin Mavericks rack up the highest score of the year so far with 126.50 points.

Week 3 In Quotes (#newrule)

“I’m considering ruining Dan’s weekend with Cooper Kupp’s first outing” Aaron

“Oh Hyde is dead then lol…Amazing…The Wildebeest curse rolls on…Hold me Mark” Greg

“I just danced naked to the fridge lol…To Carlos” Greg

“If I hear the name Sammy Watkins again today I’m going to impale myself on the local park fence” Matt

“Why is Sammy on your bench Matthew? (No surname as I don’t want to see you on that fence…)” “A combination of historically low scoring, poor management and Michael Fabiano” Mark & Matt

“Kupp half empty” Danny

“Gurley make me angury” Luke

“Greg, Verrett is on IR, Kelce is going to kill everyone. Either that or they double team him and leave Hill open all game” George

“COME ALONG, BORT!” Luke

“Love that cheerleader’s arse behind the Ray Lewis interview” Mark

“Kickers forever” Greg

“Got to love a 50 yard field goal from NO. Lutz of points” Matt

“43.06 points. What a beautiful morning to wake up to” Luke

“Eat shit Dan” Aaron

Week 3 Standings (Record/True)

Week 3 Fantasy Fiascos

Ravens D/ST -4.00 Points (44 Points Allowed) (FBAG) Travis Kelce 0.10 Points (1 Receiving Yard) (CYB) Terrance West 0.60 Points (26 Rushing Yards, 1 Fumble) (COOL) Amari Cooper 0.60 Points (6 Receiving Yards) (CYB) Michael Crabtree 0.70 Points (7 Receiving Yards) (COOL)

Week 3 Fantasy Phenoms

Tom Brady 35.72 Points (378 Passing Yards, 5TD, 6 Rushing Yards, 1 Fumble) (GCT) Todd Gurley 32.90 Points (113 Rushing Yards, 2TD, 36 Receiving Yards, TD) (FAIL) Stefon Diggs 29.30 Points (173 Receiving Yards, 2TD) (WILD) Brandin Cooks 27.10 Points (131 Receiving Yards, 2TD, 1 2PT) (JEFF) Jordan Howard 26.40 Points (138 Rushing Yards, 2TD, 1 Fumble, 26 Receiving Yards) (CYB) Chris Thompson 24.80 Points (38 Rushing Yards, 150 Receiving Yards, 1 TD) (JEFF) Kareem Hunt 24.30 Points (172 Rushing Yards, TD, 11 Receiving Yards) (FBAG) Dalvin Cook 22.90 Points (97 Rushing Yards, TD, 72 Receiving Yards) (CWP)

Marcedes Lewis 24.20 Points (62 Receiving Yards, 3TD) (FA) The Kevin Cadle Trophy 2017 – Week 4 Preview

Matchups

Cyborg Justice (3-0) @ Wadstar Wildebeests (1-2) H2H Record: WILD 3-2 CYB

Although Cyborg Justice have started 2015, 2016 and 2017 3-0 they have never got to 4-0 in that time span. Will the curse relent this week for the Wildebeests or will bragging rights be at an all-time high? This matchup is historically terrible with the lowest H2H matchup average of the week (82.30). The Justice are a lowly 1-4 in week 4 games. In week 11 of 2015 the two teams clashed to produce the lowest winning score of all time. This is also a rematch of Fantasy Super Bowl IV where Wadstar Wildebeests triumphed and denied Cyborg Justice the chance to be a 2 time Super Bowl champ.

ABOVE: A pitiful winning score from Cyborg Justice.

Matt Prater travels to Minnesota for a dome game this week and the Vikings are giving up most points to kickers so far this season. Waiver adds Wendell Smallwood and Ryan Griffin will see the field this week in a situation sources are calling “Trustgate”. (Expect a dog fight in this one.)

ABOVE: Mark lies to Greg about playing waiver adds. The curse does things to a man.

Kent Exiles (2-1) @ Cecil Martin’s Mavericks (2-1) H2H Record: MAVS 3-1 KEX

History favours the Mavericks in this matchup and coming off the back of a huge win in week 3 Matt will be looking to cement his place as one of the league’s most consistent performers (0.557% regular win percentage).

Kent Exiles are still smarting after a devastating loss in week 3. Can George select the correct core from his dynamic selection of receivers in week 4 or will screams of “delete the league” echo across the league’s Whatsapp Monday morning?

Uncle Sam’s Family Feedbag (2-1) @ Coolhand (1-2) H2H Record: COOL 3-2 FBAG

With Kareem Hunt on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s rookie rushing record, spirits are high in the Feedbag camp for the first time since the Obama administration. Big Bad Bilal is back to make up this RB duo of death. Those F-Bags average a colossal 117.92 in week 4 games.

After week 1 Coolhand was looking like a franchise poised to make a playoff run. Now 1-2 an all too familiar pattern is forming for the 4th year team. Owner Luke may have to lean on the Oakland offence in the no fly zone, a scary proposition after the Raiders meltdown last week.

The Fail Marys (2-1) @ GCT (0-3) (BREWDOG’S GAME OF THE WEEK: Sponsored by Punk IPA) H2H Record: FAIL 5-5 GCT

A strange quirk of scheduling sees these two teams in their 11th meeting in only 5 seasons. The two met in week 11 of 2013 and produced the 6th highest scoring game in league history and the dubious honour of highest losing score ever (127.40). This is a must win game for GCT. All eyes will be on Todd Gurley who lit up the scoreboard last week.

ABOVE: Crushing defeat for GCT

Cleveland Clowns (1-2) @ Rochester Jeffersons (1-2) H2H Record: JEFF 3-1 CLE

Rochester Jeffersons leads the all-time series 3-1 as both teams try to get back on track after slow starts. NFL.com predicts a close game and there are sure to be floods of tears on Sunday from one of the owners. Both teams are coming off emotional wins and whoever settles into the game first takes this matchup.

Cliffe Woods Packers (2-1) @ The Lynn Swann Crybabies (1-2) H2H Record: LYNN 5-4 CWP

When these two titans of the league battled in week 4 of the 2015 season, it was to be forever known as “The Batting the Ball Game”. Another highly suspicious plot hatched by the league’s answer to Roger Goodell. The game ended Cliffe Woods Packers 66.76 – 66.22 The Lynn Swann Crybabies. CWP had the Seahawks D/ST who finished on 7.00 points. Please read the following link to see what happened at the end of the game. A highly controversial play which potentially could have swung this matchup. Revenge will be on the agenda for the Crybabies.

https://www.sbnation.com/2017/1/7/14183816/seahawks-lions-illegal-bat-batgate-nfl-playoffs-wild-card

Week 4 is traditionally a high scoring week. Fire emojis are a certainty.

May all your labrums tear, Cyborg Justice

[nflfanpointii]

Ingram vs Murray

Looking at running backs with each game’s long run removed (eliminate games with fewer than 7 carries)

2018 Murray 102-356 3.5

2017 Murray 182-499 2.7

2015 Murray’s best season 250-745 3.0

2018 Ingram 122-434 3.6

2017 Ingram’s best season 214-702 3.3

Look for some comparisons

2018 Kamara 179-633 3.5

1984 Eric Dickerson 363-1368 4.5 (!!!)

2018 Saquon Barkley 245-793 3.2

I looked at Football Outsiders – DYAR is a measure of overall value and DVOA is a measure of value per play – success rate is getting 4+ yards on 1st down, half the yards to go on second down and getting the first down on 3rd/4th

Ingram 20th DYAR 20th DVOA and 3rd with a success rate of 55%

Murray 28th DYAR 27th DYAR and 31st with a success rate of 46%

Kamara 3rd DYAR 4th DVOA and 3rd with a success rate of 58%

So Murray is a lesser back than Ingram and that’s reflected in his annual salary of $3.6m versus Ingram’s $5m.  Ingram’s agent’s failure to realize that $5m was Ingram’s value cost his client the ability to stay in what was an excellent situation for him.  Ingram tried to negotiate as if $5m was the home team discount and he was wrong.  Murray is certainly an upgrade over anyone the Saints used other than Kamara while Ingram was suspended and Murray has never played behind a line as good as the Saints line when healthy.

[iloveyoupittsburghpirates-blog]

Keeping Your Head Above Water, Pittsburgh Pirates

My Dearest Pittsburgh Pirates,

That could have been a lot worse. It’s hard to forgive getting swept in a four-game series but Washington was due for some good games and that’s a very talented roster. You faced arguably the best pitcher in the game in Max Scherzer and probably a top 15 pitcher in Stephen Strasburg. They also have Bryce Harper, one of the best hitters in the game. This was a team that, even with injuries, was under-performing. They were bound to have a great series especially at home. You took the hit, got your clock cleaned, and lost four in a row. Things honestly felt even more dire than normal afterwards because you were headed to Milwaukee where you have barely won a game over the last decade even when the team was mediocre unlike the formidable opponent that exists there now. Kudos on bouncing back to win two out of three in Milwaukee. You got another big series from Corey Dickerson, who is your best player right now. You averaged six runs in the three game series thanks mostly in part to a 9-0 win earlier today. You might have even had a chance to win all three if Clint Hurdle could remotely manage a bullpen but more on that shortly. Either way, this is about as happy as I could be with a 2-4 week. You are currently only two games out of first place and you at least appear to be on par with the other teams in your division. So far, the season is still a welcomed surprise but there are certainly still glaring issues that won’t soon go away.

Saturday night’s loss was particularly infuriating and it’s because of Clint Hurdle’s inexplicable decision making with the bullpen. In a 1-1 game in the bottom of the 7th, Hurdle brought in Kyle Crick to pitch which was fine. Crick got into trouble putting men on 1st and 2nd with two outs and one of the Brewers’ best hitters, Christian Yelich who the Brewers acquired from monster offseason trade with Miami, coming up to the plate. Yelich is a lefty and Crick is a righty. I don’t think it’s always necessary to bring in a lefty to face a lefty but this seemed like a no brainer with Steven Brault, a lefty, back in the bullpen. Yelich has a career OPS of .840 against righties and .705 against lefties so bringing in a lefty made logical sense especially with Brault, who lefties have a .635 OPS against in his career. Hurdle left in Crick and Yelich singled in the lead run. Hurdle stuck with Crick who then threw a wild pitch to make it 3-1 before Hurdle finally yanked him for Brault. Brault faced Travis Shaw, a lefty, and got the final out. It was maddening. Then miraculously Polanco walked and Marte homered in the top of the 8th to tie it and all was (somewhat) forgiven. Then came the bottom of the 8th when Hurdle brought in George Kontos. Kontos has been OK as the 8th inning guy this year but it was obvious he didn’t have it this game. After a double, he walked Eric Sogard, who was in an 0-24 slump, on four pitches to make it 1st and 2nd with one out. The Brewers decided to pinch hit with Pirates’ killer Ryan Braun and I assumed you would bring in Richard Rodriguez who has actually pitched quite well since joining the team. No such luck. Kontos stayed in and Braun roped an RBI double. I can’t fathom why Hurdle would let Kontos face a hitter of Braun’s caliber when he was so obviously struggling. Kontos had pitched the last two days so when he showed signs of fatigue it’s incumbent on Hurdle to get him out. Hurdle bullpen management has always been questionable and yesterday it was down-right inexplicable.

Sooooo, Gerrit Cole has basically become the best pitcher in baseball since leaving you. He is the front runner for the AL Cy Young award right now and is on pace to have the most strikeouts in a single season in the last 130 years. Yes, that’s 130. Charlie Morton has also become utterly dominant since going to Houston so it seems like there is a pattern. There have been rumors and discussions that the use of pine tar and how that affects their spin rates could be a factor but for now let’s focus on facts. The fact is the Astros’ method to pitching is to throw more off-speed pitches than fastballs and the fastballs they do throw are more in the top of the zone. Your philosophy is the exact opposite. You want pitchers to throw more fastballs low in the zone in order for them to induce groundballs and to keep pitch counts low allowing starters to go deeper into games. Obviously, for a while, your philosophy worked given how much respect Ray Searge gets and for how many pitchers he fixed over the years. I do know you’ve had pitchers focus a little more on fastballs in the top of the zone this year because baseball has found that’s a good way to offset launch angles. It seems like the game is changing again allowing pitchers to throw more off-speed pitches and it’s something you might have to address. I’m sure you will say the hesitancy is the likelihood of increased arm injuries especially for young, minor leaguers if this became more of an organizational philosophy. I can understand that concern. All I see right now though is that you couldn’t remotely get the most out of a number one overall pick and that’s very concerning. You can’t afford to miss on any first round pick, let alone an early one. But you equally can’t afford to fall short of developing a superior talent. That’s arguably more devastating.

Speaking of not developing superior talents, that’s becoming a legitimate problem for you. Cole is obviously the premier candidate for this argument. How can someone go from being barely above average the last two seasons to the most dominant pitcher in baseball? The more disturbing element is that this hasn’t only happened with Cole. Gregory Polanco has become a concern. After his scorching hot start, he’s been a dud. Over the last month, he has a .198 average with a .300 OBP. He still lacks plate discipline and, even with improvement over the last two weeks, doesn’t appear to be anything in the realm of an elite player. The same could be said for Jameson Taillon. Rather than stepping up into a different stratosphere, he seems to almost be regressing with his strikeout rate decreasing and his dominance wavering. Tyler Glasnow was a top 20 prospect in all of baseball at one point and now he can’t go two innings without getting rocked. We could go even further with the theory by discussing Josh Bell’s pathetic start but I’m far from deeming him a problem. The point is elite talent is not coming to fruition and that can’t happen when you are a small market team. It costs you years. This isn’t something you can blame on a cheap owner. You have the talent and you need to find the people that can develop it properly. Cole and Taillon are both top two picks in the entire draft. I know Taillon has had injury problems but I need to see something more encouraging to believe in the people in charge of bringing out the best talent in people. So far, it’s been below acceptable.

This is an important stretch of games for you. I mentioned last week that your next fourteen games are against teams with a combined record of 49-98 (.363). Nine of those fourteen games are at home and three of those home games are against the only team you will play in that stretch with a winning record, the 19-15 San Francisco Giants. Take them out of the equation and you play eleven games against teams with a combined record of 30-71 (.297) who currently hold three of the worst six records in all of baseball and two of the worst three. This week also offers the you a chance to catch up on some rest which could affect the rotation. Nick Kingham has pitched well in his first two starts but it might behoove you to rest him now if he has an innings limit in case you need him to start important games in September. Tomorrow is a day off, followed by a two-game series in Chicago against the 9-23 White Sox, and then another day off on Thursday. Following the day off, the former face-of-the-franchise, Andrew McCutchen, makes his first return to Pittsburgh for a weekend series with the surging San Francisco Giants. It will be an emotional event for everybody from Cutch, to his former teammates, to all of the Pittsburgh fans. Cutch did start out a tad slow, like usual, but has been great the last month (.436 OBP with 3 homers) and on fire the last week (.500 avg with a .636 OBP) so expect his best. In a five-game week, you need to nurse some injuries and get some rest. You also don’t need to be stingy with your bullpen, Clint! Sorry. Harping on that a little bit. Either way, you have two weeks to take advantage of lesser opponents. You weren’t able to do that in years past so here’s hoping your string of consistency with that this season will continue. Glad to see you on another resurgence and hopefully talk to you after a (no pressure) 4-1 week. Good luck and lots of love as always.

                                                                                Treading Water Beside You,

                                                                                                     Brad

P.S. stands for Pens’ series (Though please check out the radio play, sunshine noir podcast I co-wrote with Chris Maxwell titled DEATH AT SUNSET: HARD TIMES AND SOFT DRINKS. It’s a detective story that follows P.I. Jack Dime as he tracks down the secrets behind a missing busboy and a LA booze shortage in four, 20-ish minute episodes. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, Google Radio Play, and SoundCloud.) Unfortunately, the Pittsburgh Penguins are on the brink. After tying the series with the Capitals 2-2, they blew a 3-2 lead in game five in the 3rd period with stupid mistakes and sloppy play. Tomorrow, they will fight for their playoff lives at home to try and force a game 7. Let’s Go Pens!

[endlesshunger]

The Brother Z, Nashville, TN, 2021

[nuclearblastuk]

WIDOWMAKER RELEASE DEBUT EP ‘Widowmaker’

SharpTone Records recently announced the signing of Huntsville, Alabama’s own WIDOWMAKER. Today, the band have released their self-titled debut EP!

 You can purchase the album digitally, here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/widowmaker/id1252222836

 Check out WIDOWMAKER’s latest video ‘The Nihilist’ here: https://youtu.be/MEBlAR_vRJA

To kick everything off, the band is currently on the road in the US with Born Of Osiris, Volumes and Betraying The Martyrs.

 US dates for ‘The New Reign Tour Part II’: 7th Jul – Austin, TX @ Come & Take It Live 8th Jul – Corpus Christi, TX @ House of Rock 10th Jul – Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall 11th Jul – Orlando, FL @ The Social 12th Jul – Jacksonville, FL @ 1904 Music Hall 13th Jul – Birmingham, AL @ Zydeco 14th Jul – Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre 16th Jul – Easton, PA @ One Center Square 17th Jul – Freehold, NJ @ Gamechangerworld 18th Jul – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater 19th Jul – Albany, NY @ Upstate Music Hall 20th Jul – Toronto, ON @ Opera House 21st Jul – London, ON @ London Music Hall 22nd Jul – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Stache 23rd Jul – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave

  WIDOWMAKER

are:

Matt Childers - Vocals

Tyler Stansell - Guitar

Hagan Dickerson - Guitar

Sean Landman - Bass

Kurtis Stoneking - Drums

More Information on WIDOWMAKER

www.facebook.com/WidowmakerAL/

www.twitter.com/WidowmakerAL

www.instagram.com/widowmakerband

More Information on SharpTone Records

www.sharptonerecords.co/

www.facebook.com/sharptonerecs/

www.twitter.com/sharptonerecs /

www.instagram.com/sharptonerecs/

[nwbeerguide]

Portland Cider Company expands distribution throughout Washington state

Press Release CLACKAMAS, Ore.  ... Portland Cider Company has announced a new distribution partnership with NW Beverages of Washington. Effective immediately, craft cider fans will discover a greater selection of Portland Cider products at their favorite retailers in NW Beverages distribution territory, which covers Washington state west of the Cascades, including the peninsula and islands. In conjunction with Portland Cider Co.'s existing distribution relationship with Dickerson Distributors, which covers the Northern Washington distribution territory, Portland Cider products will now be available to purchase in the majority of the state. "Washington is the state of apples, so of course craft cider is a popular choice, and we've enjoyed being in the market for the last two years," explained Jeff Parrish, owner of Portland Cider Co. "We're looking forward to expanding our distribution footprint and are excited to be working with NW Beverages to grow in Washington in 2018." A wide range of Portland Cider Co.'s award-winning ciders will be available year-round, along with seasonal and limited release favorites like Concord Grape, Pineapple, Pumpkin Spice, Cranberry, and more. Portland Cider Co. fans in the Seattle Metro area will be excited to see the new six-pack cans of the cider maker's popular Sangria, Hop' Rageous and Apple brands."We are very excited about our new partnership with the Portland Cider Co.," said Kevin McCourt, cider brand manager at NW Beverages. "The craft cider industry continues to grow in the Pacific Northwest, and Portland Cider's traditional English style ciders, using Northwest ingredients, is a great fit for the NW Beverages portfolio and our expanding network."Portland Cider Co. will be bringing its year-round and seasonal ciders to launch events in April and May, to be announced within the next few weeks. Follow @PortlandCider on Facebook to stay up to date.About Portland Cider CompanyPortland Cider Company was started in October 2012 by an Oregonian and a family of British expats with the mission of bringing cider, handcrafted in the English tradition, to the Northwest. It has two taproom locations: Portland Cider House at 3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214; and Taproom & Cidery at 8925 SE Jannsen Rd, Bldg. F, Clackamas, OR 97015. Visit www.PortlandCider.com and follow @PortlandCider on social media. About NW BeveragesNW Beverages, LLC is a joint venture between Stein Distributing and The Odom Corporation, founded in April 2017. The company represents a world class portfolio of craft and import beer, cider, fine wine, artisan spirits and non-alcoholic beverages. Learn more at NW-Beverages.com from Northwest Cider Guide http://bit.ly/2GrgW0r