#Marlon Mosley

[xtruss]

The promise of beaver pelts drew European trappers to what the Lenape people called Manhatta, the hilly island on the Hudson. History has taught centuries of Kids that today’s Super-Valuable Real Estate was Bought by the Dutch for $24 and Some Beads. Illustration By Stock Montage, Contributor, Getty Images. They have purchased the Island of Manhattes from the savages for the value of 60 Guilders. It is 11,000 Morgens in size.” A historian in 1846 calculated that 60 guilders were equivalent to $24 for that time. This $24 figure has been frozen in time and is where this part of the story originates.

The True Story of the Sale of the Island of Manhattan

Manhattan is considered the cultural, financial, entertainment, and media capital of the world. The borough hosts the United Nations Headquarters as well as Wall Street. Many multinational media conglomerates reside in Manhattan, and it’s been the setting for many books, films, and tv shows. The value of the island of Manhattan, including all of its real estate, exceeds over three trillion dollars. Median residential property sales prices in Manhattan equals to $ 1,600 per square foot in 2018. Fifth Avenue, which also resides in Manhattan, commands the highest retail rents in the world, commanding a whopping $ 3,000 per square foot.

An often-repeated story throughout History is that the Dutch bought the island of Manhattan from the Native Americans. The price paid was $24 worth of beads, trinkets, a jar of Mayonnaise, two pair of wooden clogs, a loaf of wonder bread and a carton of Quaker oats. It is considered one of the biggest business mistakes in History. Here’s the thing did it really go down the way we were taught? Let us explore, shall we?

On May 4, 1626, Peter Minuit arrived in New Amsterdam (modern-day NYC) as the new director of the Dutch West India Company (DWIC). The Dutch West India Company was a charted company of Dutch Merchants. Its goal was to expand the Dutch trade reach globally. It dabbled in trading many goods, including participating in the Atlantic slave trade. Minuit had been sent to diversify the trade coming out of New Netherland (Modern-day New York), they traded in mostly animal pelts then. Minuit was authorized by the DWIC to settle any disputes with any local Native American tribes over trading and land rights. Soon after Minuit’s arrival, he agreed with a local tribe for the land rights to Manhattan. There is no proof of an original title deed. The only evidence we have is a DWIC internal communication from 1626. The communication states:

“Yesterday the ship the Arms of Amsterdam arrived here. It Sailed from New Netherland out of the River Mauritius on September 23. They report that our people are in good spirit and live in peace. The women also have borne some children here. They have purchased the Island of Manhattes from the savages for the value of 60 Guilders (The Basic Monetary Unit of the Netherlands 🇳🇱, Until the Introduction of the Euro, Equal to 100 cents). It is 11,000 Morgens in size.”

A historian in 1846 calculated that 60 guilders were equivalent to $24 for that time. This $24 figure has been frozen in time and is where this part of the story originates. Modern historians have calculated that 60 guilders were equivalent to $951.08 in that time frame. Now $951 is much better than $24, but it’s still too low of a price for the whole island of Manhattan.

One thing the correspondence doesn’t cover is what Native American tribe or on whose behalf was a deal with Minuit made. Historian Nathaniel Benchley found that Minuit was dealing with the Canarsees, a Lenape tribe primarily located in south Brooklyn. For those of you who are familiar with New York Geography, south Brooklyn is not Manhattan far from it actually. Benchley claims that the Weckquaesgeeks, a closely related Wappinger tribe, actually occupied most of mid and Northern Manhattan. That’s great except Minuit made a deal with the Canarsees.

That explains the low price! Manhattan was never the Canarsees to sell away. They were traveling through Manhattan and was approached with an offer they couldn’t refuse. They were happy to agree to anything the Dutch proposed hell it wasn’t their land. The Canarsees happily took the goods which were more than just trinkets and beads and went back to Brooklyn.

To further emphasize this point, there was a series of bloody battles between the Wappinger tribes and the Dutch settlers during the early 1640s. It seems someone didn’t respect the “deed” that was signed in 1626. Before these battles and the Dutch encroachment, the Wappingers lived peacefully on Manhattan.

If you were wondering how Manhattan eventually became part of the U.S. A.. The English conquered New Netherland and renamed it New York in 1664. After being regained buy the Dutch it was ceded back to England in the Westminster Treaty of 1674. The U.S.A won it from the English with the win in the revolutionary war.

Mistakes Were Made

Often throughout History, we are taught inaccurate stories. Especially when the story makes Europeans look Smarter, more intelligent, and wiser than whatever minority or “savage” culture they were dealing with. This story turns that line of thinking on its head and shows it as a false construct.

The Dutch were the ones who made a mistake in this story. They never did their research or homework on who had the right claim to Manhattan. They probably just stopped the first Native Americans they saw and proposed a deal to them. The problem was those Native Americans were the Canarsees, and they didn’t have a claim to Manhattan. Sure the Dutch paid a low monetary price, but they paid a much higher price in bloodshed with the battles they had to fight with the Wappinger tribes over the actual ownership of Manhattan.

The native Americans were not as dumb or naïve as they are portrayed, and the Europeans are not as intelligent as they are portrayed; the truth is somewhere in the middle. This tale is one of many stories from the past, that has been whitewashed, and the real story is finally coming too light.

— Posted on September 15, 2019 By Marlon Mosley, MWMBlog.Com

[doormouseetcappendix]

Afro-Futurist Reading List Vol 2.

Afro Futurism Reading List Vol 1:

Afro Futurism Reading List Vol 2:

Black Speculative Fiction Breakdown by Genre

African Fantasy (early myths and fables from the continent): Forest Of A Thousand Deamons: A Hunter's Saga by Daniel O. Fagunwa The Palm Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts by Amos Tutuola Simbi and the Satyr of the Dark Jungle by Amos Tutuola The Brave African Huntress by Amos Tutuola Feather Woman of the Jungle by Amos Tutuola Ajaiyi and his Inherited Poverty by Amos Tutuola The Witch-Herbalist of the Remote Town by Amos Tutuola

Utopia (alternate histories written during the jim crow & antebellum eras): Blake Or The Huts Of Africa by Martin Delany Imperium In Imperio by Sutton E Griggs Light Ahead For The Negro Edward A Johnson One One Blood by Pauline Hopkins Black No More by George Shuyler Lord Of The Sea by MP Sheil

Space Opera (far future sci fi worlds of interplanetary travel): Nova by Samuel R Delany Stars In My Pocket Like Grains Of Sand by Samuel R. Delany Binti Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor An Unkindness Of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkinson Rayla 2122 Series by Ytasha Womack Trouble On Triton by Samuel R. Delany Babel 17 by Samuel R Delany Empire Star by Samuel R Delany The Galaxy Game by Karen Lord The Best Of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord Ancient Ancient by Klini Iburu Salaam Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden Ascension: Tangled Axon by Jacqueline Koyanagi Teleportality by T Cisco Nadine's Bible Seris by T Lindsey-Billingsley Nigerians In Space Series by Deji Bryce Olukotun

Aliens (alien encounters): Lilith's Brood Trilogy by Octavia Butler Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor Rosewater Trilogy by Tade Thompson The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbell The Wave by Walter Mosley

Dystopia (oppressive futures and realities): Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjie Brenyah Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi War Girls Series by Tochi Onyebuchi Sunshine Patriots by Bill Campbell Gunmen's Peace by Milton J Davis Dragon Variation by T Cisco

Experimental (literary tricksters): The Ravicka Series by Renee Gladman The Freedom Artist by Ben Okri The Structure Of Dante's Hells by LeRoi Jones The House Of Hunger by Dumbudzo Marachera Black Sunlight By Dumbudzo Marachera Yellow Back Radio Broke Down by Ishmaeel Reed The Last Days Of Louisiana Red by Ishmaeel Reed The Sellout by Paul Beatty Koontown Killing Kaper by Bill Campbell The African Origin Of UFOs by Anthony Joseph Quantum Black Futurism(Theory & Practice Volume 1) by Rasheeda Philips by Rasheeda Philips Spacetime Collapse: From The Congo to Carolinas Spacetime Collapse II: Community Futurisms by Rasheeda Philips consent not to be a single being trilogy by Fred Mot

Post-Apocalyptic (worlds falling apart): The Purple Cloud by MP Shiel Dhalgren by Samuel R Delany The Parable Series by Octavia Butler Brown Girl In The Ring by Nalo Hopkinson

Dying Earth (far future post-apocalyptic worlds + magic):

The Broken Earth Trilogy by NK Jemisin The Einstien Intersection by Samuel R. Delany The Jewels Of Aptor by Samuel R. Delany The Fall Of The Towers Trilogy by Samuel R. Delany Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorofor The Book Of Phoenix by Nnededi Okorofor The Prey Of Gods by Nicky Drayden

Alternate History (alternate timelines and what-ifs): Mumbo Jumbo by Ishmael Reed Everfair by Nisi Shawl The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates The Insh'Allah Series by Steven Barnes Ring Shout by P Djelia Clark A Dead Djinn In Cairo by P Djelia Clark The Black God's Drum by P Djelia Clark Washington Black by Esi Edugyan Pimp My Airship: A Naptown By Airship Story by Maurice Beaudice The Dream Of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer Pym by Matt Johnson, Dread Nation Series by Justina Ireland From Here to Timbuktu by Milton J Davis

High Fantasy (magical kindoms and high adventures): The Neveryorn Series by Samuel R. Delany Black Leapard Red Wolf by Marlon James The Deep by Rivers Solomon & Clipping Imaro Series by Charles R. Saunders The Children Of Blood & Bone by Tomi Adeyemi The Children Of Virtue & Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi The Sorcerer Of The Wildeeps by Kai Ashai Washington A Taste Of Honey by Kai Ashai Washington Beasts Made Of Night Series by Tochi Onyebuchi A Place Of Nights: War & Ressurection by Oloye Karade, Woman Of The Woods: A Sword & Soul Epic by Milton J Davis Temper by Nicky Drayden They Fly At Ciron by Samuel R. Delany Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman The House Of Discarded Dreams by Etakterina Sedia

Magic Realism (literary naturalism with surreal, dreamlike, and mythic imagery): The Echo Tree & Other Stories by Henry Dumas The Kingdom Of This World by Alejo Carpentier General Sun My Brother by Jacques Stephen Alexis The Famished Road Series by Ben Okri The New Moon's Arms by Nalo Hopkinson The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson Montaro Caine by Sydney Portier Mama Day by Gloria Naylor Redemption In Indigo by Karen Lord Mem by Bethany C Morrow

Urban Fantasy (modern citybound fantasy): The City We Became by NK Jemisin  Sister Mine by Nalo Hopkinson The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead Blue Light By Walter Mosley Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright

Time Travel (stories unstuck in time): Kindred by Octavia Butler Version Control by Dexter Palmer Recurrence Plot by Rasheedah Phillips

Horror (nightmare, terrors, and hauntings): Beloved by Toni Morisson African Immortals by Tananarivue Due Fledgling by Octavia Butler The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez Lakewood by Meggan Giddings The Ballad Of Black Tom by Victor Lavalle Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff The Changeling by Victor Lavealle Zone One by Colson Whitehead The Between by Tananarive Due The Good House by Tananarive Due Ghost Summers: Stories by Tananarive Due Unhollowed Graves by Nunzo Onho Catfish Lullaby by AC Wise

Young Adult (books for young adults): Akata Witch Series by Nnedi Okorofor Zarah The Windseeker & The Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorofor Long Juju Man by Nnedi Okorofor Ikenga by Nnedi Okorofor Tristan Strong Series by Kwame Mbalia A Song Below Water by Bethany C Morrow Daughters Of Nri by Reni K. Amayo A River Of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy 47 by Walter Mosley

Comics (graphic storytelling) George Herriman Library: Krazy & Ignatz (1919-1921) by George Herriman The Boondocks Complete Collection by Aaron Mcgruder Birth Of A Nation by Aaron Mcgrudger, Reginald Hudlin, & Kyle Baker Prince Of Cats by Ronald Wimberly Concrete Park by Erika Alexander & Tony Puryear Incognegro Series by Matt Johnson Your Black Friend & Other Stories by Ben Passmore Bttm Fdrs Ezra Clayton Daniels & Ben Passmore Sports Is Hell is Ben Passmore LaGuardia by Nnedi Okorofor & Tana Ford Bread & Wine: An Erotic Tale Of New York by Samuel R Delany & Mia Wolff Empire by Samuel R Delany & Howard Chaykin Excellence by Brandon Thomas Bitteroot by David F Walker, Chuck Brown & Sanford Greene Black by Kwanza Osajyefo Niobe: She Is Life by Amandla Stenberg & Sebastian A Jones Black Panther by Christopher Priest Black Panther by Reginald Hudlin Black Panther by Ta-Nehisi Coates Shuri by Nnedi Okorofor World Of Wakanda by Roxane Gay Truth: Red, White, & Black by Kyle Baker House Of Whispers by Nalo Hopkinson & Neil Gaiman Naomi by David F Walker, Brian Micheal Bendis, & Jamal Campbell Far Sector by NK Jemison & Jamal Campbell

Short Stories (collections by single authors): Driftglass by Samuel R Delany, Distant Stars by Samuel R Delany Bloodchild & Other Stories by Octavia Butler Unexpected Stories by Octavia Butler Falling In Love With Hominids by Nalo Hopkinson Skin Folk by Nalo Hopkinson, Kabu Kabu by Nnedi Okorofor, How Long Til Black Future Month? by NK Jemisin Nine Bar Blues by Sheree Reneee Thomas

Anthologies (collections from multiple authors) Dark Matter edited by Sheree Renee Thomas So Long Been Dreaming edited by Nalo Hopkinson Conjure Stories edited by Nalo Hopkinso Whispers From The Cotton Tree Root: Caribbean Fabulist Fiction edited by Nalo Hopkinson Afro SF: Science Fiction by African Writers edited by Wor. W. Hartmaan Stories For Chip: A Tribute To Samuel R Delany edited by Nisi Shawl Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories From Social Justice Movement edited by Adrienne Marie Brown & Walidah Imarisha Mothership: Tales of Afrofuturism and Beyond edited by Bill Campbell The City: Cyberfunk Antholoy edited by Milton J Davis Steamfunk edited by Milton J Davis Dieselfunk edited by Milton J Davis Griots: A Sword & Soul Anthology by Milton J Davis & Charles R Saunders Griots: Sisters Of The Spear by Milton J Davis & Charles R Saunders

Non-Fiction (histories, essays, and arguments) Afrofuturism And The World Of Black Sci-Fi & Fantasy Culture by Ytasha Womack Afrofuturism 2.0: The Rise Of Astral Blackness edited by Reynaldo Anderson & Charles E Jones The Black Imagination: Science Fiction, The Future, and The Speculative by Sandra Jackson & Julie E Woody-Freeman Afro-Futures & Astral Black Travel by Juice Aleem The Sound Of Culture: Diaspora & Black Technopoetics by Louis Cude Soke Black Utopia: The History Of An Idea From Black Nationalism To Afrofuturism by Alex Zamalin Afrouturism Rising: The Literary Pre-History Of A Movement by Isiah Lavendar III A Pure Solar World: Sun Ra & The Birth Of Afrofuturism by Paul Youngquist Where No Black Woman Has Gone Before: Subversive Poryrals In Speculative Film & TV by Diana Adesola Mafe Black Kirby: In Search Of The Motherbox Connection by John Jennings & Stacey Robinson Super Black: American Pop Culture & Black Super-Heroes by Adilifu Nama Black Space: Imagining Race In Science Fiction Film by Adilifu Nama Black Super-Heroes, Milestone Comics, And Their Fans by Jeffery A Brown Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changin Worlds by Adrienne Marie Brown

*cover image from Ytasha Womack’s “Afrofuturism: The World Of Black Sci-Fi & Fantasy Culture”

(please post anything I might have left out in the comments) 

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Respect

I honestly think the most difficult and sometimes dangerous films to make are biopics. So much time and care is devoted to recreating an entire life of a historical figure and you don't want to screw it up. You could make a safe type of film that skims over the internal demons the icon experienced and just focus on the best parts of their life or you can dig in deep and show the humanity behind the icon. For this film, I was hoping to get the real story behind the Queen of Soul and to see a side of her I never knew. I wanted to see the creation of the Queen we know her to be and the powerful civil rights activist she was for Black people and especially Black Woman. This film gives you that and slivers of those amazing accomplishments and I was okay with it. Aretha Franklin's life was so massive and to bring it together into one cohesive film was a daunting task. I loved that the film did focus on her entire evolution and growth as an artist and the demons she had to face. I just felt that something was missing from the storytelling. This is a great film, but its missing an important ingredient and that is soul. Somewhere in the middle of the film it lost its way of what it was trying to accomplish in making it a staple among other biopics. It just was missing that “umph” factor and just kind of floats through the greatest hits of her life struggles, victories and just makes it so paint by numbers. Performances across the board were astounding, but I just felt that this film could've been tighter and not so uninspired.

Skye Dakota Turner was amazing as the young version Aretha Franklin! She had so much power in her voice, such warmth in her heart and she carries all the pain in her eyes. She is gonna be a superstar if she continues in film. Audra McDonald was excellent and powerful as her mother Barbara Siggers Franklin. In the trailer you get a taste of their relationship, but in the film you feel their bond. Forest Whitaker knocks it out of the park as Aretha's overbearing and strict father C. L. Franklin. He was strong, kind when he needed to be and beyond scary as he tried to control his daughters growth into a woman. Marlan Wayans delivers an unforgettable dramatic performance as Aretha's very abusive and manipulative boyfriend Ted White. I love when comedians depart from their known skill set and show off their dramatic prowess and Marlon excelled in that. Marc Maron is always great and as Jerry Wexler, he was no different. Mary J. Blige was a queen herself as Dinah Washington and you see another side of her in this film. She was influential and helped light a fire in Aretha. Aretha's sisters Erma and Carolyn Franklin were portrayed brilliantly by Saycon Sengbloh and Hailey Kilgore. They elevate so many of the emotionally charged scenes and I truly felt like they were all sisters.

Now, the most intimidating role to take on was the portrayal of the most influential Black Woman of all time and Jennifer Hudson was hand picked by Aretha Franklin to play her. They say that a long life will grant you wisdom and that was true of her choice. Jennifer delivered another career defining performance as Aretha and she nailed her speech patterns and movement. I loved that she portrayed her timidness and indecisive nature during her younger years. It was a perfect departure of what was to be expected and she was astounding and charming. Her chemistry with her sisters, her father and her vicious boyfriend were all electric and kept you engaged the entire time. There were a time where she was on the line between being Aretha and doing an impression in a certain scene, but it is followed up by another dynamite scene. Aretha has a one of kind voice that is impossible to compete with, but Jennifer has an equally powerful voice. We know the hits and Jennifer performs those hits live and she channels every ounce of Aretha's emotion and intentions behind each note. This is by far Jennifer's best performance to date and if she wanted to retire, this would be the time to go out on top.

The score by Kris Bowers was excellent and punctuated the more emotional and sometimes violent scenes. What was smartly done with Aretha's songs is that they help tell the story and you see the meaning behind the words. In the recording scene of "Ain't No Way", the song illustrates the story that is happening in the room and later, "Freedom" is performed and it tells a story on stage. Excellent use of her hits are all over the film and that was I think the problem of the storytelling as well. Aretha may have been a performer, but she was so much more than that. The film focused on the "hits" of life achievements, independence and it all becomes a stereotypical biopic in the end. If possible, I would've like to see this film without as many songs and just have it focus on her activism as well. Overall, it is a very well done biopic, but it wasn't as impactful as it could've been in my opinion. Stellar performances all around, but it was just missing that proverbial emotional core that touches your soul. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

[kulkulcan]

Greatest Boxers of Welterweight

I try to make a ranking of the best welterweights in boxing ever:

1. Ray Robinson

2. Jake Britton

3. Henry Armstrong

4. Ted Lewis

5. Pernell Whitaker

6. Emile Griffith

7. Felix Trinidad

8. Thomas Hearns

9. Kid Gavilán

10. Mickey Walker

11. Floyd Mayweather

12. Jose Napoles

13. Ray Leonard

14. Terence Crawford

15. Lloyd Honeyghan

16. Carmen Basilo

17. Shane Mosley

18. Donald Curry

19. Pipino Cuevas

20. Ike Quartey

21. Barbados Joe Walcott

22. Wilfried Benitez

23. Marlon Starling

24. Manny Pacquaio

25. Luis Manuel Rodriguez

26. Antonio Margarito

27. Mark Breland

28. Vernon Forrest

29. Fritz Zivic

30. Oscar de la Hoya

31. Roberto Duran

32. James McGirt Sr.

33. Cory Spinks

34. Carlos Palomino

35. Milton McCrory

36. Miguel Angel Cotto

37. John H. Starcy

38 Crisanto Espana

39. Barney Ross

40. Ricardo Mayorga

41. Simon Brown

42. Keith Thurman

43. Angel Espada

44. Erol Spence

45. Zab Judah

46. Curtis Cokes

47. Daniel Santos

48. Johnny Saxton

49. Timmothy Bradley

50. Jimmy McLarnin

[plusorminuscongress]

2020 National Book Festival: Hearing Black Voices

2020 National Book Festival: Hearing Black Voices By Neely Tucker Published September 18, 2020 at 09:00AM

The “Hearing Black Voices” topic thread at the 2020 all-online National Book Festival brings nearly 30 authors to speak about some of the most pressing issues in American life, from police brutality to social injustice to soaring literature about the way we live now.

It’s the second of three threads we’ll be showcasing – the other two are “Fearless Women” and “Democracy in the 21st Century” – and like the others, it ranges from children’s books to complex non-fiction, from poetry to fantasy. The festival, running Sept. 25-27, is entirely online this year due to COVID-19, but you can plop down in front of your screens – instead of at a single stage – and spend each day watching some of the world’s biggest names in publishing. You’ll also get the chance to talk with authors via interactive chats throughout each day. At the close of the festival, the live Q&A sessions will be available if you missed any.

Colson Whitehead. Photo: Madeline Whitehead

There are 26 presentations in “Black Voices,” headlined by Colson Whitehead, the two-time Pulitzer winner and this year’s Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction honoree. The 50-year-old native of Manhattan will be talking about how his identity – as an American, a Black man, a New Yorker – shapes his literary vision and what he chooses to write about.

Two of his heroes as a teenager, he says, were the musician David Bowie and the filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. He approximated their gifts for reinventing new styles and personas from project to project and, so, shaped a unique approach to novel writing, which varies from genre to genre, from voice to voice and from era to era. “The Underground Railroad,” is a surreal slave narrative, “Zone One” is a zombie novel, “Sag Harbor” is a coming of age story and so on.

“You can definitely say something is Philip Roth-esque and you can definitely say ‘I hear Toni Morrison, that must be Toni Morrison,’ ” said Marie Arana, the Library’s literary director, naming two previous PAF winners. “But you cannot really say ‘I hear Colson Whitehead’ because there’s nothing Colson-esque about Colson. He’s the essence of reinvention every time.”

The science fiction and fantasy category is a marvel this year, with N.K. Jemisin discussing her novel “The City We Became,” Marlon James talking about his “Black Leopard, Red Wolf” and YA author Tomi Adeyemi talking about her sensational West African fantasy epics, “Children of Blood and Bone,” and “Children of Virtue and Vengeance.”

National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jason Reynolds, always a crowd favorite, will talk about “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You,” which he wrote with Ibram X. Kendi. The latter will also be in conversation with Saeed Jones, author of “How We Fight For Our Lives,” discussing their work combating racist beliefs across American society.

Finally, James McBride and Walter Mosley, two long-time masters of the form, will be here to talk about their latest works.

McBride is a chameleon, like Whitehead. He’s a professional musician who’s worked with jazz greats, written (among others) a best-selling memoir, “The Color of Water,” and won the National Book Award for “The Good Lord Bird,” a fanciful retelling of the raid on Harpers Ferry by abolitionist John Brown. He’ll be discussing “Deacon King Kong,” his newest novel, a darkly comic take on Brooklyn in the 1960s.

Mosley, likewise, has written prolifically over the years in multiple genres. He started out with a mystery series set in Los Angeles (“Devil in a Blue Dress” was the first title) but has gone on to write science fiction, erotica, non-fiction essays and screenplays. He won a Grammy for his liner notes to a Richard Pryor collection and has half a dozen credits as a television or film producer. For his crime novels, he was recognized with the Grand Master Award by the Mystery Writers of America (also known as the Edgars), and the National Book Foundation will award him the 2020 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters later this year. He’ll be talking about his newest collection of short stories, “The Awkward Black Man.”

Finally, as a reminder, PBS stations will broadcast “The Library of Congress National Book Festival: Celebrating American Ingenuity,” a two-hour program featuring some of the biggest names at the festival, launching on Sunday, Sept. 27, 6-8 p.m. ET/PT (check local listings) and continuing through the fall. It will be hosted by Hoda Kotb of NBC News’ “TODAY” show and the daughter of a long-time Library employee. The program will also be available for on-demand streaming online and through the PBS app.

Follow the festival on Twitter @libraryofcongress with hashtag #NatBookFest, and subscribe to the National Book Festival blog at loc.gov/bookfest.

Read more on https://loc.gov

[wsmith215]

NFL ultimate all-conference teams – ACC and SEC

Just because sports is on hiatus doesn’t mean the competition needs to end. While we wait for the live action to return, ESPN has assembled a collection of “ultimate all-conference teams” that should intrigue college football and NFL fans alike.

Our panel of NFL analysts, college and NFL Nation reporters — Andrea Adelson, Matt Bowen, Courtney Cronin, Turron Davenport, Jeff Legwold, Adam Rittenberg, Mike Triplett, Jake Trotter and Field Yates — selected 22-man starting lineups of current NFL players based on their college conference. Notre Dame was paired with the ACC because of its affiliation.

2 Related

The criteria: Choose rosters for the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC and non-Power 5 that are best suited to win the next Super Bowl.

We then ranked the teams to determine which group deserves the ultimate bragging rights. We will roll out the all-star lineups by region Monday through Wednesday, then reveal the final rankings on Thursday. On Friday, we will rank the top three lineups from individual schools.

Each offense had to include a quarterback, running back, two receivers, a tight end, two offensive tackles, two guards, a center and a flex player from any of the skill positions. Each defense had to include two edge-rushers, two interior linemen, two linebackers, four defensive backs and a flex spot that could come from any spot of the defense.

It all kicks off Monday with the NFL’s ultimate all-conference teams for the ACC and SEC. Let the second-guessing begin.

SCHEDULE Monday: ACC | SEC Tuesday: Big Ten | Big 12 Wednesday: Pac-12 | Non-Power 5 Thursday: Final rankings Friday: Teams for top individual schools

The SEC shined at the skill positions and defensive back with Julio Jones (left) and Stephon Gilmore (right), but the ACC boasts one of the NFL’s top QBs in Lamar Jackson. ESPNNFL ultimate all-conference team: ACC

OFFENSE

QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville RB Dalvin Cook, Florida State WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson WR Larry Fitzgerald, Pitt TE Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame Flex DeVante Parker, Louisville OT Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame G Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame C Rodney Hudson, Florida State G Zack Martin, Notre Dame OT Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame

DEFENSE

Edge Chandler Jones, Syracuse DT Aaron Donald, Pitt DT Grady Jarrett, Clemson Edge Bradley Chubb, NC State LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech LB Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame Flex Calais Campbell, Miami CB Jalen Ramsey, Florida State CB Jaire Alexander, Louisville S Derwin James, Florida State S Harrison Smith, Notre Dame

Toughest choice: Quarterback. Jackson, the NFL’s reigning MVP, won comfortably with seven out of nine votes. But the ACC had plenty of notable candidates, including Deshaun Watson, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers and Jameis Winston. “It was a very difficult choice to make, but the jump Watson made from Year 2 to Year 3 and what I think he’s capable of in his fourth season led me to vote for him,” said Cronin, who was one of two panelists to go that route. “Watson is an MVP-caliber quarterback, too. I respect all that Jackson did in 2019 and think he’s a more dynamic all-around player. But I go back to last season and see moments where Watson single-handedly won or kept the Texans in games in spite of everything else that was going wrong for Houston.”

Biggest strength: Offensive line. There are plenty of good answers for this category in a star-studded lineup led by Jackson, Donald and Hopkins. But this offensive line deserves special mention because it might be the best of any conference once you add in that ridiculous amount of talent from the Irish.

Quenton Nelson and other former Notre Dame players took four of the ACC’s five offensive line spots. Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire

“Hey, the scheduling partnership the ACC has with Notre Dame in football has its benefits!” Adelson said. “But in all seriousness, nobody thinks much about the ACC producing talent at offensive line because the default generally goes to the Big Ten. But the conference has consistently turned out good players, including three that received votes here in Anthony Castonzo, Joe Thuney and Brian O’Neill.”

Missing piece: Luke Kuechly. The linebacker’s retirement left the ACC without one of its biggest stars. Another area where the conference will have trouble measuring up is tight end, where Rudolph beat out young riser Darren Waller and aging stars Greg Olsen and Jimmy Graham.

Player pitch from Broncos DE Bradley Chubb: “It’s crazy, I was just talking about this with somebody the other day. People look at the ACC now and maybe they say ‘they don’t have many great teams’ or whatever. But you look at it when I was in there, there was a whole bunch of players with NFL talent making impact plays. Derwin James and Jalen Ramsey and Jameis Winston and Lamar. When you look at the talent some of those teams had and look at what some of those guys are doing in the NFL right now, you have to give some respect to that. It’s right there for people to see. That team could play with anybody. You have the MVP at quarterback, two of the best pass-rushers in the league just to start in Chandler Jones and Aaron Donald. For me to even be in there somewhere is a blessing for sure.”

play

1:48

DeAndre Hopkins joins Jalen & Jacoby to rank himself against the elite wide receivers in the NFL like Michael Thomas and Julio Jones.

NFL ultimate all-conference team: SEC

OFFENSE

QB Dak Prescott, Mississippi State RB Derrick Henry, Alabama WR Julio Jones, Alabama WR Mike Evans, Texas A&M TE Jared Cook, South Carolina Flex Odell Beckham Jr., LSU OT Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss G Trai Turner, LSU C Maurkice Pouncey, Florida G Elgton Jenkins, Mississippi State OT Andrew Whitworth, LSU

DEFENSE

Edge Von Miller, Texas A&M DT Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State DT Chris Jones, Mississippi State Edge Myles Garrett, Texas A&M LB C.J. Mosley, Alabama LB Roquan Smith, Georgia Flex Danielle Hunter, LSU CB Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina CB Tre’Davious White, LSU S Tyrann Mathieu, LSU S Jamal Adams, LSU

Toughest choice: Running back and wide receiver. There was an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions, where we couldn’t find room for Alvin Kamara, Nick Chubb, Todd Gurley, Amari Cooper or A.J. Green among others. Jones was the only unanimous choice at receiver or running back.

“Henry received the most votes at running back, and I get it. He’s a volume back with the physical traits to take over games in the fourth quarter. But what about the dual-threat ability of Kamara?” said Bowen, who was one of five panelists to vote for Kamara at either running back or the flex spot. “He’s a three-down impact player at the position. And let’s not forget about Chubb, who can hammer the ball between the tackles and rip off explosive plays. I could have voted for all three.”

Biggest strength: Defensive back. If the SEC winds up winning this competition, the defense will be the reason — especially this loaded secondary. Because of tiebreakers, The Associated Press named seven defensive backs as first-team All-Pros last season. And a whopping six of them came from the SEC. This group is so stacked that we had to leave out Minkah Fitzpatrick, Eddie Jackson, Marlon Humphrey and Patrick Peterson.

“You could have told me to pick the starters for the SEC secondary and then said, ‘Actually, those players are not available to you,’ and I’d still feel great about my group!” Yates said. “Outstanding players were bound to miss the cut.”

Missing piece: Quarterback. No offense to Prescott (or runners-up Matthew Stafford and Cam Newton). But he is going to be measured against the likes of Patrick Mahomes from the Big 12; Tom Brady, Drew Brees or Russell Wilson from the Big Ten; Lamar Jackson from the ACC; and Aaron Rodgers from the Pac-12 when we vote for the ultimate champion. And that’s the one area that could hold back the mighty SEC.

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Miami Dolphins Know Your Enemy: Baltimore Ravens

The year was 2007, week 15 when the Baltimore Ravens traveled to then Dolphins stadium to play a scrappy Miami Dolphins team led by quarterback Cleo Lemon and coached by Cam Cameron. Miami would go on to win that game in overtime and shock coach Brian Billick and the Ravens. After the game, a celebration for the ages took place.

Who can forget then owner H. Wayne Huizenga jumping up and down in the owner’s box on the verge of tears? I was probably on the verge of tears myself as I’m sure many of you were as well. It was a great win indeed. Unfortunately it was our only win that season but that’s neither here nor there. Week 2 of the 2017 preseason is upon us and the Baltimore Ravens once again travel to South Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins. Here is your preview of the Baltimore Ravens in this week’s Know Your Enemy.

Last Match up- 12/4/2016 Ravens Won 38-6

Head to Head- Ravens lead series 8-6 (Includes Preseason)

Offense

Quarterback Joe Flacco is nursing a back injury so he is not expected to play Thursday or in any preseason games. However, he is expected to be ready for week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Ryan Mallett started the Ravens first preseason game against the Washington Redskins and didn’t look as good as many Raven fans had hoped. Mallett played the entire first half against the Skins and struggled, going 9 of 18 for 58 yards. The Ravens have flirted with free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick this offseason but have yet to offer him a contract.

If Mallett continues to struggle in preseason, and Raven fans continue to apply pressure (they have started kneeling in the parking lot at Ravens practice) expect Ravens brass to maybe take another look at Kaepernick to back up starter Joe Flacco. Mallett should again get the call as starting quarterback against the Dolphins with Josh Woodrum and newly signed Thaddeus Lewis (yes, former Buffalo Bill Thaddeus Lewis is still in the league) both seeing time at quarterback Thursday night.

The running back position is also a little thin for Baltimore. Kenneth Dixon injured his knee and is out for the season. That leaves Terrance West and Danny Woodhead to carry the load. Woodhead is coming off a torn ACL that cut his 2016 season short. West had 5 touches for 23 yards and a touchdown last week against the Redskins. Also seeing time at running back will be Javorius Allen, Bobby Rainey, and Taquan Mizzell.

Wide receiver may be one of the strengths of this Ravens team. Former Dolphin Mike Wallace lines up opposite Jeremy Maclin as starting receivers, with 3rd year pro Breshad Perriman (who’s been nursing a hamstring injury) also seeing significant time in the offense. All three receivers sat out last week against the Redskins. Michael Campanaro, Chris Moore and Chris Matthews handled the bulk of the receiving duties last week. Miami can probably expect more of the same this week.

The Ravens tight end position has been up in the air this season. Last year’s starter Dennis Pitta is out for the season with a hip injury. The Ravens also lost Crockett Gillmore (knee injury) for the season. Benjamin Watson could become the new starter if he can show that he is fully recovered from the torn Achilles he suffered last preseason. Other tight ends on the roster include Larry Donnell, Maxx Williams and Nick Boyle. It is anybody’s guess who will be the Ravens starting tight end this season.

Finally on the offense, the offensive line for the Ravens has looked a lot like the Dolphins offensive line this preseason. Whoever is healthy gets to play. Left tackle Ronnie Staley hasn’t practiced this week so don’t expect him to play Thursday night. Left guard Alex Lewis is out for the season with a shoulder injury that needs surgery. Lewis’s top backup Nico Siragusa was lost for the season earlier in camp with a knee injury.

Right tackle James Hurst has been moved to left guard, and then left tackle since Stanley has been out. Matt Skura is currently playing left guard and newly signed Austin Howard is playing right tackle. Pro bowl right guard Marshal Yanda is coming off of shoulder surgery he had done in the offseason. At center it looks like four year pro Ryan Jensen will get the call.  Basically it’s been a game of musical chairs along the offensive line for the Ravens. Now that I have confused myself (and probably all of you) trying to piece together the Raven offensive line, it’s on to the defense.

AROUND COVER32

The Latest: Troubles continue for Jets’ WR, Lucky Whitehead

Around the NFL: Why it is too early to panic on the Chargers

What’s Trending: Cowboys’ RB, Ezekiel Elliott, officially appeals six-game suspension

Free Agency: Dolphins sign 25-year-old journeyman OG , Sean Hickey

Rankings: Ranking the AFC West’s secondaries heading into the 2017 NFL season

cover32 Podcasts: Check out our latest podcasts and view our entire library available on Apple iTunes

Defense

It always seems as if every year the Ravens have a dominant defense no matter who they have on the field. This year seems no different. The Ravens have high hopes for their defense this year and last week against the Redskins they did not disappoint. The defense held the Skins to just 3 points. The Ravens front 7 looked dominant for the limited time they were on the field. Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs is still the captain of the defense, however he is 34 years old and it’s hard to imagine him playing at a high level much longer.

Joining Suggs at outside linebacker is 2nd year pro Matthew Judon who has looked explosive at times. The Ravens drafted outside linebacker Tyus Bowser out of Houston and Tim Williams out of Alabama, however neither rookie has been unable to unseat Judon, or Suggs in the starting lineup. At inside linebacker the Ravens have pro-bowler C.J. Mosley and also 2nd year pro Kamalei Correa.

Brandon Williams, who signed a 5 year, 54 million dollar deal this offseason, anchors the defensive line. Undrafted 2nd year nose tackle Michael Pierce and defensive end Brent Urban (who dominated in limited action last week against the Skins) start alongside Williams for the Ravens. Rookie defensive end Chris Wormley will also see time on defense as well.

In the secondary the Ravens line up Jimmy Smith and Brandon Carr at cornerback, with Eric Weddle and former Arizona Cardinal Tony Jefferson also roaming the backfield. The Ravens also drafted former Alabama corner Marlon Humphrey 16th overall in this year’s draft to add some depth to the secondary. This Ravens defense has the potential to be great this season. With all the injuries on offense and also the lack of a top tier running back, the defense is going to have to be great for the Ravens to have any hope of making the playoffs.

Special Teams

All-world kicker Justin Tucker has struggled a little bit in camp this offseason, however special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg said he isn’t worried. Tucker did hit a 59 yard field goal last week against the Redskins right before the half. I would say Rosburg has nothing to worry about. At punter the Ravens have 12 year pro Sam Koch.

The post Miami Dolphins Know Your Enemy: Baltimore Ravens appeared first on Cover32.

[jstephenj]

MUT 19 Playoffs Program Overview

  The highly anticipated Playoffs Program came out today and features players from every NFL team that made the playoffs. You can see all of the new players and their full ratings below:

Players

Bosses

Steve Smith Sr

Willie McGinest

Texans

DeAndre Hopkins (Hero)

Demaryius Thomas

Justin Reid

Johnathan Joseph

Nick Martin

Benardrick McKinney

Kendall Lamm

Seahawks

Duane Brown (Hero)

Bradley McDougald

Frank Clark

Tyler Lockett

Germain Ifedi

Justin Coleman

Dion Jordan

Saints

Marshon Lattimore (Hero)

Ryan Ramczyk

Alex Anzalone

Marcus Williams

Josh Hill

Jermon Bushrod

A.J. Klein

Ravens

C.J. Mosley (Hero)

Marlon Humphrey

Michael Crabtree

Michael Pierce

Ronnie Stanley

Tony Jefferson

Ty Montgomery

Rams

Brandin Cooks (Hero)

Aqib Talib

Nickell Robey-Coleman

Tyler Higbee

Dante Fowler Jr

Malcolm Brown

Cory Littleton

Patriots

Tom Brady (Hero)

Lawrence Guy

Sony Michel

Patrick Chung

Chris Hogan

John Simon

Trent Brown

Eagles

Fletcher Cox (Hero)

Jason Kelce

Brandon Brooks

Chris Long

Rasul Douglas

Nick Foles

Corey Graham

Bears

Eddie Jackson (Hero)

Allen Robinson

Prince Amukamara

Trey Burton

Eddie Goldman

Charles Leno Jr

Sherrick McManis

Chargers

Joey Bosa (Hero)

Russell Okung

Austin Ekeler

Mike Pouncey

Isaac Rochell

Sam Tevi

Uchenna Nwosu

Chiefs

Mitchell Schwartz (Hero)

Dee Ford

Sammy Watkins

Kendall Fuller

Eric Fisher

Ron Parker

Andrew Wylie

Cowboys

Zack Martin (Hero)

Leighton Vander Esch

Tyrone Crawford

La'el Collins

Xavier Woods

Anthony Brown

Joe Looney

Colts

Jabaal Sheard (Hero)

Anthony Castonzo

Malik Hooker

Ryan Kelly

Pierre Desir

Braden Smith

Clayton Geathers

Sets

To get the Masters, add all 6 Heroes from the correct Conference into the set. You then get a Fantasy Pack that will let you choose 4 of the 6 items that you added to be returned as NAT versions.

  To get the Heroes, add all 6 non-heroes from each team into their set.

  Exchange

Playoff Gold Player Exchange - 3x Gold players for 1x random NFL PLayoffs Elite player.

Playoff Player Exchange - 6x NFL Playoffs players for 1x 87-93 OVR NFL Playoffs Elite player from a team of your choice.

Playoff Token Exchange - 2x Gold & 4x Silver Tokens for 1x Random Elite NFL Playoffs player.

Playoff Trophy Exchange - 15x Series 4 or later trophies for 1x Random Elite NFL Playoffs player.

Solos

There are 60 total NFL Playoffs solo challenges. 5 games vs each NFL Playoffs team. By beating these solos you can earn coins and an 84-93 OVR NAT NFL Playoffs player from the team that you are facing.

Objectives

NFL Playoffs Team Captain Token - Complete 3 objectives on this list.

Complete 9 NFL Playoffs Objectives - Earn your choice of 6x 87-93 OVR NAT NFL Playoffs Team Fantasy Packs out of the 12 NFL Playoff Teams.

Win 1 NFL Playoffs Solo - 250 coins.

Win 5 NFL Playoffs Solos - 500 coins.

Win 10 NFL Playoffs Solos - 1,000 coins.

Complete any unique NFL Playoffs Set - 250 coins.

Complete 2 unique NFL Playoffs Sets - 500 coins.

Win a game with 5 NFL Playoffs Players in your lineup - 500 coins.

Win a game with 10 NFL Playoffs players in your lineup - 1,000 coins.

Win 60 NFL Playoffs Solos - 2,000 coins.

Win 15 online games - 2,000 coins.

What are your thoughts on the MUT 19 Playoffs Program?

  from Muthead

via Blogger http://bit.ly/2RvBhXi http://bit.ly/1Tdc4tu

[nxjacbbnc-blog]

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[katybudgetbooks]

Intro to Speculative Fiction by People of Color adapted from The Fantasy Inn

Classics

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Mythic Fantasy

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee

Fire Boy by Sami Shah

Urban Fantasy

The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard

Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara

Bad Blood by L.A. Banks

Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older

Jade City by Fonda Lee

Zero Sum Game by SL Huang

Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Kreuger

Paranormal Romance

Bearly a Lady by Cassandra Khaw

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

Better off Red by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Erotic Science Fiction

The Stars Change by Mary Anne Mohanraj

Space Opera

Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

Ragamuffin by Tobias S. Buckell

Science Fiction

Mirage by Somaiya Daud

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Want by Cindy Pon

Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany

Science Fantasy

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee

Star Wars: Finn’s Story by Jesse J. Holland

Gemsigns by Stephanie Saulter

Dystopian

Ink by Sabrina Vourvoulias

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

An Excess Male by Maggie Shen King

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich

Legend by Marie Lu

Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor

Apocalyptic

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac

Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson

Steampunk

The Sea is Ours edited by Jaymee Goh & Joyce Chng

The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer

Everfair by Nisi Shawl

Buffalo Soldier by Maurice Broaddus

Zombie Fiction

Zone One by Colson Whitehead

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Alternate History

Lion’s Blood by Steven Barnes

Wild Seed by Octavia Butler

Historical Fantasy

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

Redwood and Wildfire by Andrea Hairston

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

Witchmark by C.L. Polk

Mother of the Sea by Zetta Elliot

Fantasy of Manners

Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho

Time Travel

Time Salvager by Wesley Chu

An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim

Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen

Comedic Science Fiction

High Aztech by Ernest Hogan

The Brothers Jetstream: Leviathan by Zig Zag Claybourne

Young Adult

The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymulina

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

Middle Grade

Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh

The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi

Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano

Fairy Tale Fantasy

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi

Huntress by Malinda Lo

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Dark Fantasy

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez

My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due

Mythology

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Sword & Sorcery

Imaro by Charles R. Saunders

Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed

Romantic Fantasy

Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

The Island of Eternal Love by Daína Chaviano

Literary

The Winged Histories by Sofia Samatar

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko

The Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker

Magical Realism

Mumbo Jumbo by Ishmael Reed

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

When Fox is a Thousand by Larissa Lai

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

So Far From God by Ana Castillo

Fifteen Dogs by Andr�� Alexis

LitRPG

Changing Faces by Sarah Lin

Epic Fantasy

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera

The Dragon Songs Saga by JC Kang

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

The Wolf of Oren-yaro by K.S. Villoso

Graphic Novels

Storm: Make it Rain by Greg Pak, Victor Ibanez, Scott Hepburn, & Matteo Buffagni

Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

Black by Kwanza Osajyefo, Jamal Igle, Robin Riggs, Tim Smith III, & Sarah Stern

Legend of the Mantamaji by Eric Dean Seaton, David Ellis Dickerson, & Brandon Palas

Webcomic

The Meek by Der-shing Helmer

Audio Drama

The Glass Appeal by Elijah Gabriel | Website

Here Be Dragons by Jordan Cobb | Website

Redwing by JV Hampton-VanSant | Website

Flyest Fables by Morgan Givens | Website

Kalila Stormfire’s Economical Magick Services by Lisette Alvarez | Website

Standalone Novel

Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng

Severance by Ling Ma

She Weeps Each Time You’re Born by Quan Barry

Smoketown by Tenea D. Johnson

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

Novella

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavalle

The Sorcerer of Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson

Novelette

Hell is the Absence of God by Ted Chiang

Short Story 

Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar | Read for Free Now

A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers by Alyssa Wong | Read for Free Now

The Water That Falls On You From Nowhere by John Chu | Read for Free Now

Anthology

Futureland by Walter Mosley

Dark Matter by Sheree R. Thomas

[spearsilk0-blog]

Week Nine injury report roundup

Getty Images

Week Nine of the 2018 NFL season kicked off on Thursday with a 49ers win and it continues with 11 more games on Sunday, which means that the 22 teams in those games submitted their final injury reports of the week on Friday.

Questionable players are uncertain to play, doubtful players are unlikely to play and out should be self-explanatory. Players who are on active rosters and don’t appear below should be considered healthy enough to play barring any announcements on Saturday. The teams playing on Monday night won’t release their injury reports until Saturday and are not listed here.

With that housekeeping out of the way, here are all the injury reports for Sunday.

Bears at Bills

Bears LB Khalil Mack (ankle) and WR Allen Robinson (groin) are questionable for the third straight week. They missed last week after playing in Week Seven. DT Bilal Nichols (knee) is also listed as questionable while TE Ben Braunecker (concussion) and G Kyle Long (foot) have been ruled out.

QB Josh Allen (elbow) is out again, but did return to practice on Friday. The Bills are keeping the door open for QB Derek Anderson and LB Tremaine Edmunds to clear the concussion protocol after listing them as questionable. Nathan Peterman is set to start if Anderson is out. DE Trent Murphy (knee) has also been ruled out.

Buccaneers at Panthers

The Buccaneers will play their NFC South rivals without RB Ronald Jones (hamstring), G Evan Smith (hip) and CB M.J. Stewart (foot). DE Vinny Curry (ankle) and DT Gerald McCoy (calf, not injury related) are listed as questionable.

WR Torrey Smith (knee) is out and no one else on the Panthers got an injury designation.

Chiefs at Browns

The Chiefs ruled out C Mitch Morse (concussion) and LB Frank Zombo (hamstring). S Eric Berry (heel) is listed as doubtful for the ninth week in a row and has yet to play in a game. Linebackers Anthony Hitchens (rib) and Justin Houston (hamstring) are listed as questionable.

LB Joe Schobert (hamstring) won’t play in Gregg Williams’ debut as Browns head coach. WR Antonio Callaway (ankle), T Desmond Harrison (illness), WR Rashard Higgins (knee), S Damarious Randall (groin), WR Da'Mari Scott (shoulder), CB Tavierre Thomas (abdomen) and C J.C. Tretter (ankle) make up the questionable group in Cleveland.

Falcons at Washington

The Falcons have just two players with injury designations. CB Robert Alford (ankle) and K Matt Bryant (hamstring) are both out this weekend.

Washington will play without three key offensive players after ruling out WR Jamison Crowder (ankle), RB Chris Thompson (rib) and T Trent Williams (thumb, shoulder). LB Ryan Anderson (knee), RB Kapri Bibbs (shoulder), S Montae Nicholson (neck, hip) and WR Paul Richardson (shoulder, knee) were all listed as questionable.

Jets at Dolphins

Wide receivers Robby Anderson (ankle) and Quincy Enunwa (ankle) could return to action for the Jets after getting questionable tags. LB Frankie Luvu (neck), DT Steve McLendon (ankle) and WR Andre Roberts (back) are also listed as questionable while TE Neal Sterling (concussion) has been ruled out. CB Trumaine Johnson (quadricep) and LB Kevin Pierre-Louis (foot) will likely sit after being listed a doubtful.

DE Charles Harris (calf) and QB Ryan Tannehill (right shoulder) are out for the Dolphins. TE A.J. Derby (foot), CB Xavien Howard (ankle) and WR Kenny Stills (groin) will be Sunday calls as the owners of questionable tags.

Lions at Vikings

DE Ziggy Ansah (shoulder) hasn’t played since the opener and is listed as questionable once again for the Lions. G T.J. Lang (hip) and CB Darius Slay (knee) are also in that category while LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (toe, neck) is considered doubtful.

Word on Friday is that Vikings RB Dalvin Cook (hamstring) is on track to play. He’s officially listed as questionable along with WR Stefon Diggs (rib), T Riley Reiff (foot), CB Xavier Rhodes (foot) and S Andrew Sendejo (groin). LB Anthony Barr (hamstring), G Tom Compton (knee) and RB Roc Thomas (hamstring) will all miss the NFC North clash.

Steelers at Ravens

Steelers T Marcus Gilbert (knee) is listed as doubtful for the AFC North matchup. Cornerbacks Artie Burns (ankle) and Coty Sensabaugh (toe) are listed as questionable.

The Ravens will be down both starting offensive tackles after ruling out James Hurst (back) and Ronnie Stanley (ankle). LB Tim Williams (ankle) has also been ruled out and the questionable group is made up of G Bradley Bozeman (calf), RB Alex Collins (foot), CB Marlon Humphrey (thigh), S Tony Jefferson (hamstring), WR Jordan Lasley (hamstring), G Alex Lewis (neck) and LB C.J. Mosley (thigh).

Chargers at Seahawks

DE Joey Bosa (foot), DE Chris Landrum (hip) and LB Kyzir White (knee) won’t play for the Chargers, who hope to get RB Melvin Gordon (hamstring) back after listing him as questionable.

G Jordan Simmons (calf) and CB Neiko Thorpe (groin) are listed as doubtful by the Seahawks. RB Chris Carson (hip), S Bradley McDougald (knee) and LB K.J. Wright (knee) are listed as questionable.

Texans at Broncos

LB Jadeveon Clowney (groin), CB Aaron Colvin (ankle), WR Keke Coutee (hamstring), S Andre Hal (shoulder) and CB Johnathan Joseph (ankle, knee) drew questionable tags for the Texans. LB Zach Cunningham (knee) is out.

The Broncos ruled out WR DaeSean Hamilton (knee), LB Brandon Marshall (knee), CB Bradley Roby (ankle) and S Darian Stewart (neck). RB Royce Freeman (ankle) is listed as questionable.

Rams at Saints

CB Sam Shields (illness) is listed as questionable and makes up the entire Rams injury report.

The Saints also have a one-man injury report. Unfortunately for them, DE Marcus Davenport (toe) has been ruled out.

Packers at Patriots

WR Geronimo Allison (hamstring, groin) played last week, but he’s doubtful for the Packers after adding a groin injury to his hamstring issue. WR Randall Cobb (hamstring), LB Nick Perry (ankle) and S Jermaine Whitehead (back) are listed as questionable.

Thirteen members of the Patriots are listed as questionable. T Trent Brown (ankle), T Marcus Cannon (concussion), LS Joe Cardona (shoulder), WR Julian Edelman (ankle), WR Josh Gordon (hamstring), LB Nicholas Grigsby (illness), DE Geneo Grissom (ankle), TE Rob Gronkowski (ankle, back), LB Dont'a Hightower (knee), TE Jacob Hollister (hamstring), RB Sony Michel (knee), WR Cordarrelle Patterson (neck) and DE John Simon (shoulder) make up that group. In more definitive news, G Shaq Mason (calf) and C Brian Schwenke (foot) have been ruled out.

Source: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/11/02/week-nine-injury-report-roundup-7/

[junker-town]

Baker Mayfield vs. Lamar Jackson is already the NFL’s next great rivalry

Two of the brightest young stars in the game gave us a taste of what’s to come in a thrilling Week 17 matchup.

With the first and last picks of the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Browns and the Ravens found their quarterbacks of the future. In Week 17, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson faced off for the first time, a 26-24 Ravens win as Baltimore clinched the AFC North and a home playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers for Wild Card weekend.

It’s been a long time since the Browns and the Ravens have had truly dynamic talents at the quarterback position, and it should set the division up for a fun rivalry for the next few years.

Mayfield and Jackson each have different strengths as quarterbacks, The skills that made them both first-round picks were on full display in a tight game to close the season.

The two rookies combined for 645 total yards in a game that came down to the final possession, ending with Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley intercepting Baker Mayfield with just over a minute remaining.

Baker Mayfield had moments that showed why he was the first pick in the draft

Mayfield posted his second highest yardage output of the season against the Ravens’ defense, throwing for 376 yards and three touchdowns in the season finale. Unfortunately, his three touchdowns also came with three interceptions, but he did show off the skills that made him such a coveted prospect back in April.

Mayfield made some plays under duress that kept the chains moving for the Browns. Right before halftime, Mayfield bought time in the pocket and launched a perfect pass down the middle of the field to Rashard Higgins that set the Browns up right outside field goal range.

Baker Mayfield is the best. Whew pic.twitter.com/rj0BegVfVc

— Billy Marshall (@BillyM_91) December 30, 2018

Cleveland eventually ended up kicking a field goal to try and cut the lead to 20-10, but Greg Joseph missed the field goal going into the break.

When Mayfield got time to throw, he was spectacular. He was on fire when Baltimore didn’t blitz — look at this throw to David Njoku late in the third quarter. Njoku had to box out Marlon Humphrey at the catch point, but Mayfield still put this throw on the money as it fell right into Njoku’s hands.

What a catch!@bakermayfield to @David_Njoku80! : CBS #Browns pic.twitter.com/MCxUx4kcyq

— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2018

That throw put Cleveland in a position where they were able to kick a field goal to make the score 23-17.

The touchdown pass that put the Browns within three points of the lead was a dime too. It was a short slant pass on the goal line, but these types of passes have to be pristine given the amount of traffic and moving bodies in such a small space. Mayfield fired a pass into the arms of Antonio Callaway who was able to stroll in for touchdown.

The rookie touchdown passing record holder is officially @bakermayfield pic.twitter.com/gBWkNryoBa

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 31, 2018

Lamar Jackson’s playmaking ability kept the Ravens afloat

The Ravens raced to a 20-7 early in the game on the legs of Lamar Jackson. With just under five minutes left in the first quarter, Jackson exploded for a 25-yard touchdown run on an option play.

.@Lj_era8 HIT THE JETS! pic.twitter.com/tEmHUUdHgM

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 30, 2018

In the first half alone, Jackson ran nine times for 64 yards and two touchdowns and picked up five first downs on his nine carries. That included this 24-yard scramble to put the Ravens on the Browns’ side of the field in the first quarter of the game.

UPDATE: Lamar Jackson still really fast ‍♂️ @Lj_era8 pic.twitter.com/XbdZNdpOgN

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 30, 2018

Jackson was also able to make a few plays through the air while showing off his trademark speed. When the Ravens needed to milk some clock and secure scoring position early in the fourth quarter, Jackson found fellow rookie Mark Andrews for a big gain to give the Ravens a first and goal.

The Ravens weren’t able to score a touchdown, but they did get a field goal that would be all they needed to put the game out of reach for the Browns.

Make the play @Lj_era8 to @Mandrews_81 ! pic.twitter.com/djDuf7q0Zh

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 31, 2018

Health and circumstance permitting, the next decade of Ravens and Browns football should be tightly contested. We haven’t seen the best versions of Mayfield and Jackson yet, and they’re already giving NFL fans a high level of play in their own special ways.

As Ben Roethlisberger moves on towards the end of his career and the Bengals make a decision on Andy Dalton in the post-Marvin Lewis era, Mayfield and Jackson have a chance to be the faces of the division.

Round one of Mayfield-Jackson was a high stakes games with a lot of flash — hopefully they can keep this up for the foreseeable future.

[dmbreport-blog]

C.J. Mosley says he feels like ‘older brother’ to young Alabama players entering the NFL

C.J. Mosley says he feels like ‘older brother’ to young Alabama players entering the NFL

Since entering the NFL in 2014, Baltimore Ravens LB C.J. Mosley has watched as dozens of his fellow former Alabama Crimson Tide standouts have joined him in the pro ranks.

In fact, the Ravens have added a few ex-Crimson Tide stars to the mix. Last year, they chose DB Marlon Humphrey in the first round and LB Tim Williams in the third round. This year, they picked up DB Anthony Averett in Round 4…

[rc0730]

How Ravens’ depth chart is shaping up after free-agent WR makeover

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Even though free agency just began, the Baltimore Ravens have a different look than the team that got booted out of the playoff hunt on a last-minute touchdown in January.

Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, defensive back Lardarius Webb, running back Danny Woodhead and offensive tackle Austin Howard are gone. Wide receivers Ryan Grant and John Brown are now in. And offensive lineman James Hurst and defensive end Brent Urban have returned.

Let’s take at a way-too-soon projection of Baltimore’s depth chart:

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Joe Flacco. He returns for his 11th straight season as the Ravens’ starting quarterback. Flacco has to get his game back on track or this could be his final season in Baltimore.

Running back: Alex Collins. He was the Ravens’ biggest surprise last season, going from the practice squad to the NFL’s 11th-leading rusher. If Baltimore drafts a running back early, Collins might have to share the featured role or become a change-of-pace back.

Wide receiver: Grant. He’s the No. 1 receiver by default. This could change if the Ravens can add another receiver like Jordy Nelson. But right now, the ex-Redskins wideout had 45 catches last season, which is the most among any current Baltimore receiver.

Wide receiver: Brown. The Ravens are banking on Brown to be the deep threat for the under-appreciated Mike Wallace. The big question is whether can stay healthy after missing a career-worst six games last season due to quadriceps, back and toe injuries.

Wide receiver: Chris Moore or Breshad Perriman. It would be a surprise if Baltimore didn’t draft a wide receiver in the first two rounds. So, Moore and Perriman are essentially place-holders. Perriman, a former first-round pick, isn’t guaranteed to make the team after three underwhelming and injury-filled years.

Tight end: Nick Boyle. This is a spot where the starter likely isn’t on the team right now. Benjamin Watson is a free agent after leading Baltimore in catches, so finding a pass-catching tight end is a priority. Eric Ebron?

Left tackle: Ronnie Stanley. The Ravens are hopping Stanley takes a big step forward after not making the anticipated improvement last season.

Left guard: Hurst. He was so solid at this position that it earned him $8 million guaranteed on a new deal. It would be a risk to put him back at right tackle.

Center: Matt Skura. This spot can be labeled "too be determined." It’s expected that Ryan Jensen, last year’s starting center, will get a big payday elsewhere (he’s visiting Tampa Bay and then Indianapolis). Skura is a natural center who more than held his own filling in for Marshal Yanda at right guard.

Right guard: Yanda. The six-time Pro Bowl blocker should be ready by training camp at the latest after missing the last 14 games with a broken ankle.

Right tackle: Alex Lewis. This is a projection to replace Howard, whose option wasn’t picked up. The Ravens believe Lewis has Pro Bowl potential as a guard. But, if Baltimore drafts a right tackle, Lewis could go back to left guard or maybe even see how he fares at center.

DEFENSE

Defensive tackle: Brandon Williams. The Ravens allowed a league-worst 169.5 yards rushing on average when Williams was sidelined four games with a foot injury.

Defensive end: Urban. He’s an impact player if he can stay healthy — which is big "if" based on history in college and the NFL. The Ravens wanted to see if he could put a full season together like 2016, which is why they brought him back.

Nose tackle: Michael Pierce. He wasn’t as dominant as his rookie season last year, which could give more playing time to the much-improved Willie Henry.

Strong-side linebacker: Matthew Judon. He enjoyed a breakthrough season last year, ranking fourth in the NFL with 17 tackles for loss. Judon is the heir apparent to Terrell Suggs.

Middle linebacker: C.J. Mosley. He’s in line for a big-money extension after making the Pro Bowl three times in his first four seasons.

Weak-side linebacker: Patrick Onwuasor. He’s a high-effort player, but Baltimore will be looking to upgrade at this position this offseason.

Rush linebacker: Suggs. It’s starting to look like a Hall of Fame career for Suggs after an 11-sack season last year.

Right cornerback: Marlon Humphrey. The Ravens are unsure whether Jimmy Smith will be ready for the start of the season after tearing his Achilles last December. That means Humphrey should get a chance to build off an impressive rookie campaign.

Left cornerback: Brandon Carr. The Ravens need the NFL’s most durable defensive back after a season in which every other corner on the team missed time in the preseason or regular season.

Strong safety: Tony Jefferson. Baltimore will look for more game-changing plays from Jefferson, last year’s high-priced free agent who recorded one interception and one forced fumble in 2017.

Free safety: Eric Weddle. He’s the only active safety with at least 900 tackles, 25 interceptions and five sacks.

Source Article

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Learn More: http://www.rc0730.net/how-ravens-depth-chart-is-shaping-up-after-free-agent-wr-makeover/

[deafhard-blog]

List of artistes to performance at the Cape Town International Jazz Fest

New Post https://obodoinfo.co/list-artistes-performance-cape-town-international-jazz-fest/

List of artistes to performance at the Cape Town International Jazz Fest

We’ve got the list of artistes that will be performing at the 19th Cape Town International Jazz Festival which will take place on 23 and 24 March 2018 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

On Tuesday festival director Billy Domingo announced some of the artists that will be hitting the stage.

The line-up:

Corinne Bailey Rae (UK), dubbed the British queen of soul, is a contemporary R&B song-writer who has secured multiple Top Ten UK and US releases. She’s also stacked up an array of Grammy and MOBO Awards. Dedicated fans will be able to imbibe her meditative indie rock and folky neo soul tracks.

Best known as the father of Ethio-jazz, Mulatu Astatke (Ethiopia) is recognised for his unique blend of traditional Ethiopian music, Western jazz and Latin rhythms. The musician/arranger’s captivating sounds which lead with vibraphone and congas have seen his songs sampled by hip artists like Nas, Damian Marley, Kanye West and K’naan – who aptly summarise the man’s contemporary reach.

Vijay Iyer Sextet (USA) – Vijay was voted 2014 Pianist of the Year and 2015 Jazz Artist of the Year in the Down Beat International Jazz Critics Poll. As a piano player, his lineage descends through Ellington, Monk, Randy Weston, Bud Powell, McCoy Tyner and Alice Coltrane, this jazz pianist, electronic musician, and writer is a hot item in New York City where he’s based.

Seu Jorge presents the Life Aquatic/ A Tribute to David Bowie (Brazil). Jorge hooked onto the Ziggy Stardust alter ego after Wes Anderson cast him in his 2004 film The Life Aquatic. He sings Bowie’s covers in Portuguese, with only an acoustic guitar for accompaniment.

With his move to the Ninja Tune label, Jordan Rakei’s (NZ) soulful, jazzy hip hop palette has settled into a grander sound on his second LP, Wallflower. The 25-year old’s balladry and mid-tempo grooves are shaped by his skills as multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and producer.

Blinky Bill & Sibot’s Afrofunk Spaceship (SA/Kenya) unites Kenyan musician, producer and DJ “Blinky” Bill Sellanga with Sibot, a veteran of the South African electro music scene. Sellanga fronted the Just A Band, a collective who created self-described “super-nerdy,” music which embraced hip hop, electronica and funk?—?all with an African inflection. Combined with Sibot’s love of performance, this collab promises a playful mish-mash of jet-fuelled electronica.

Trombone Shorty (USA), aka Troy Andrews, is best known as a trombone and trumpet player, but also stretches out on drums, organ and tuba. He’s worked with some of the biggest names in rock, pop, jazz, funk, and hip hop and this year Blue Note Records announced the label had signed Trombone Shorty for his Blue Note debut – Parking Lot Symphony, which dropped in April 2017.

The Louiz Banks Quartet (India) brings the weight of Indi pop, progressive jazz and Indo jazz fusion to the bandstand. Dubbed ‘The Godfather of Indian Jazz’, Banks was an early member of Weather Report, later performing with John McLaughlin, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pam Crain, Ramamani, and Dizzy Gillespie. His 2008 collab as co-producer, arranger and pianist/keyboards on Miles from India, was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Contemporary Jazz Album category.

Vocalist, upright bassist, composer and arranger Miles Mosley (USA) was named after Miles Davis. This Hollywood producer is respected for his out-the-box approach, which sees him use effects pedals and a bow on his upright for his forward leaning solo projects, embracing jazz, soul, funk and rock; Trumpeter Nicholas Payton: Afro-Caribbean Mixtape (USA) digs deep as he fuses traditions from his hometown New Orleans with modern jazz, hip hop, mixtape and spoken-word. His playing is steeped in trad jazz, but he frequently flies free in search of new terrain. Bebop, swing, The Great American Songbook, R&B, plus dialects from Central America and the Caribbean.

Together with Swiss colleagues from The Umgidi Trio, pianist Nduduzo Makhathini recorded an 11-track album in Switzerland in 2016. This Inner Dimensions Collective (SA/Swiss) plumbs ancestral depths using chordal deconstruction reminiscent of early South African jazz styles from the Sophiatown era. Their specific dimensions span contemporary gospel and jazz choral, funky liturgical, indigenous African chants and free flow improvisation. The ensemble scooped a 2017 SAMA Award.

R+R=NOW (USA) is an exciting collaboration of some of the music industry’s most talented artists. The multi-award-winning pianist, record producer Robert Glasper, together with multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, actor and record producer Terrace Martin who will bring his saxophone to the A-game, along with Grammy-Award nominated trumpeter Christian Scott Atunde Adjua, and celebrated bassist Derrick Hodge, multi-instrumentalist keyboardist and beatboxer Taylor McFerrin and Berklee College of Music alumnus and drummer Justin Tyson.

Mi Casa (SA) the trio return with soulful urban house grooves guaranteed to bring us together as one big Familia. Expect trademark highlights, like Nana, from their latest soul jazz release.

The Feya Faku Spirit Unit (SA) sees the trumpet legend making more space for duets and solo performances. Saxman Sisonke Xonti (SA) is set to impress with thoughtful lyricism drawn from the nuances of seminal reedmen like Ezra Ngcukana;

Billy Monama: GrazRoots Project (SA), who revisit local classics in a celebration of mbaqanga and maskandi; Armed with her guitar and compelling voice, Belhar’s Claire Phillips (SA) delivers a forceful repertoire of funk, R&B and fusion; Jarrad Ricketts (SA) was crowned the espYoungLegend 2018 winner and the Cape-based singer will up the game with a dynamic pop showcase; Keenan Ahrends Quintet (SA) places the guitarist centre-stage as he airs his compositional approach to deeply toned ballads, local jazz and grungy rock.

Amanda Black’s (SA) balladry on her 14-track Amazulu release secured her platinum status three weeks after release. The sensational singer will show why she’s been dubbed ‘the new queen of ballads’; Nicky Schrire’s (SA) vocal work has drawn comparisons to Esperanza Spalding and Tori Amos. Her inventiveness has landed her spots with the likes of two Grammy-nominated pianists Gerald Clayton and Gil Goldstein; A familiar face on Cape stages, veteran entertainer Alistair Izobell (SA) has captivated audiences in musicals like Kat and the Kings – he’s guaranteed to stir up some dust as he unpacks a classic Cape party;

Sekunjalo Edujazz Band (SA) have been reeling in fans with their impressive interpretation of evergreen standards and local classics. Helmed by new director Kelly Bell, the ensemble’s varied playlist includes numerous memorable highlights; Bellville scholars from The Settlers High School Band (SA) are regular participants in the CTIJF Sustainable Training and Development Programme, and have also wowed at the CTIJF 2017 Music & Careers Live Performance – now they’re beyond excited to graduate to the main festival stage.

Originally from Soweto, prize-winning three-part a cappella group The Soil (SA) dazzle with a repertoire of township jazz, hip hop and Afro-pop. The trio’s beatboxing and polyphonic harmonies gel together as warm kasi-soul with subtle echoes of the kwaito of Mandoza and Zola; MABUTA (SA) is award-winning double bassist Shane Cooper’s latest and much-anticipated quintet. The Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz builds on his moniker as electronic producer Card On Spokes, now assembling sidemen Bokani Dyer on piano and synths, Sisonke Xonti tenor sax, Robin Fassie-Kock trumpet and Marlon Witbooi on drums; Louis Moholo-Moholo presents 5 Blokes 1 Doll (SA) – The only surviving member of The Blue Notes, Moholo-Moholo’s intense stick work continues to inspire. A long, illustrious career has seen him work with everybody from Evan Parker to Keith Tippett, and once again he’ll add his avant-garde flair to 5 Blokes 1 Doll.

Ticket information:

The 19th Cape Town International Jazz Festival will take place on 23 and 24 March 2018 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Tickets are available at Computicket outlets.

Some of the first artists announced for @CTJazzFest including @CorrineBaileyR, @MiCasaMusic, @TheSoilMusic and @AmandaBlackSA ! pic.twitter.com/arqKs4sHin

— TheJuiceSA (@TheJuiceSA) November 28, 2017

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Raiders Scouting Report: Ravens DC Dean Pees

Scouting and scheming for the Baltimore Ravens defense this week is even more important for the Raiders since they will be without franchise quarterback Derek Carr. QB E.J. Manuel will face a Ravens defense that is under performing. Baltimore’s defense is No. 15 in points and No. 21 in yards which is low for a franchise that traditionally has a top-10 unit.

Last season, Oakland scored 28 in Baltimore which earned them a one-point victory. Carr threw three touchdowns to Michael Crabtree and four for the day. It is possible that Crabtree misses this game too. Don’t forget the Raiders also beat Baltimore 37-33 in 2015. Therefore, the Ravens and defensive coordinator Dean Pees will look to rebound from consecutive fourth quarter losses to the Silver and Black.

Background Pees is in his sixth season as play caller and defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. From 2014-16, Baltimore finished as a top-10 defense. Last season, the Ravens tied for the lead with 18 interceptions and they were the No. 7 defense in yards per game. Pees was the defensive coordinator when the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2012, his first season as coordinator. Pees is one of eight coaches to lead a Super Bowl defense with two different teams.

From 2004-09, Pees was the defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots. His coaching resume includes six seasons as head coach of Kent State, three seasons as defensive coordinator and assistant at Michigan State, four years as a defensive coordinator at Toledo, three seasons as a secondary coach at Navy, four years as a defensive coordinator and assistant at Miami-OH, three seasons as coordinator and secondary coach at University of Findlay, one season at Notre Dame and six years coaching high school football. Pees has coached defense at every level. He’s worked with Pro Bowlers like Ray Lewis, Eric Weddle, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, C.J. Mosley, Elvis Dumervil, Mike Vrabel, Vince Wilfork, Asante Samuel, Tedy Bruschi and James Harrison.

Strengths Oakland is again facing a form of the base 3-4 defense this week. Considering Pees has coached every level of football and he has played this Oakland offense the past two seasons, expect him to be ready for everything. The Raiders haven’t done much of their heavy set with extra offensive linemen but they should. Pees will and should be prepared for this since Oakland desperately needs to run the ball to protect Manuel at quarterback. Oakland ran for less than 75 yards in Baltimore last season. Pees’ defenses are known for stopping the run since his days in New England.

Pees is also known for using simple blitzes and coverages with alignments and packages that disguise what he is doing. As a play caller, he likes to keep teams off balance with intricate blitzes and different alignments. There should be an even bigger emphasis on that this week since Manuel will not have the same command at the line of scrimmage as Carr.

Baltimore can use even and odd fronts to confuse an offensive line that has not been playing to the standard they’re used to over the past few seasons. Oakland must find ways to get push against a defensive line that includes Brandon Williams, Michael Pierce and Carl Davis.

The Ravens also bring a physical group of corners into Oakland which is something the Raiders have struggled against the past two weeks. Jimmy Smith, Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Carr and Ladarius Webb are all big corners who are good with their hands. They can also use a variety of coverages to rattle a Raiders WR corps that has been flustered the past two games too.

Weaknesses The Raiders also have the benefit of facing the Ravens and Pees’ play calling the past two seasons. They should have enough tape on this defense to predict and recognize Pees’ blitzes and coverages in certain scenarios. Since Carr is out, it will be on the offensive line to get back to par by recognizing these blitzes no matter the defense’s alignment.

As far as personnel, the Ravens do not have a lot of weaknesses. Their defensive starters are ranked Average to High Quality by Pro Football Focus standards, except at safety. Safeties Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson were free agency acquisitions over the past two offseasons. Both brought ball-hawking reputations as well as tendencies to gamble in coverage. Weddle and Jefferson both have poor grades from PFF. The Raiders should use this to their advantage by using double tight ends (Clive Walford and Jared) and attacking the safeties with big pass catchers in coverage. They should also try to take advantage of any opportunity that Amari Cooper can go one-on-one versus these guys.

Otherwise, Oakland will need as much creativity as they can get in the passing game. They may need a trick play or two to compensate for the lack of big plays behind a Manuel led offense. Oakland should also look to take advantage of an over aggressive front seven by mixing in some zone read versus Baltimore. Marshawn Lynch ran a lot of this with Russell Wilson in Seattle and Manuel ran this from time to time in Buffalo.

On the edges, Baltimore has Suggs who is one of the all-time grades. At this point, Suggs is no Von Miller or Ryan Kerrigan. The Raiders have faced those two rushers the past two weeks so they should be prepared for Suggs. They should not let Suggs takeover this game. Manuel should be moved all over the field so he can take advantage of his mobility versus average edge defenders including Suggs and Za’Darius Smith.

Either way, Pees is a secondary and linebacker coach by trade. Expect him to have both groups prepared for whatever new wrinkle the Raiders bring. Nonetheless, the Raiders offensive coaching staff and entire unit will face a real test without Carr bailing them out. Can they execute without their franchise QB? We will soon find out.

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