#just rodney always being the most brave when it comes to his friends

[halestrom]

[auburnfamilynews]

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Time to Barn Hard

Here we go... With under 24 hours until the kickoff of Auburn’s 2020 season, the luminaries here at College & Magnolia offer their sage opinions on what Tiger fans will see tomorrow afternoon. Most of us see a close contest destined to give us that all too familiar fall Saturday heartburn but there are a few brave souls who are prepared to barn hard no matter what.

Auburn (-7.5) vs Kentucky (O/U 49.5)

2019 Auburn fans won’t recognize 2020 Auburn. Bo Nix is going to take a huge leap forward. His receivers are healthy for game one. Our fearless leader has finally found someone he trusts enough to manage playcalling duties. The defense will reload with All-Conference (and maybe All-American) talent. A talented (and deep!) group of hard-hitting running backs. Pre-season optimism has overwhelmed pre-game jitters for me. Look for Chad Morris to show off all his weapons Saturday. He has a tendency to put up a lot of points in his first game at a new school. Brace yourselves, Wildcats. Let’s barn hard, yall.

Auburn 48

Kentucky 14

-Josh Dub

I was talking with a friend of my wife’s the other day and she asked how I thought Auburn would do. I was raised by an old school Auburn fan who taught me to sandbag and say that we were just hoping that everyone buckled their chin straps correctly and that they just had fun out there. That was met with my wife telling her, I always do this. I responded by saying that I just lower the bar so that, when they win by 40 in a game I don’t expect, I get the rush of being a kid again and genuinely happy when Auburn wins.

That said! HERE WE GO!

Auburn has got stars everywhere on the outside and in the backfield but a bunch of green horns on the starting line on offense, so IF Chad Morris (or Gus if he is still calling the plays) can use quick screens and....this route called a slant...to hide the fact that the Auburn offensive line will look a lot like the French army circa 1938, then they might buy a few chances for Anders to kick some field goals.

On defense, you don’t lose D Brown and Marlon and get better. You probably don’t maintain the production you had last year on the D-Line. You can get back there, but that takes time and experience. That said, I am a bit more bullish on the defense as a whole. There is a ton of talent to go around on the line and the secondary and the Linebackers may be the best in the conference. Once again, the defense will keep Auburn in every game for the most part. And that new line will be tested against a really well coached, running offense that Kentucky brings to the Plains.

I love what Mark Stoops has been able to build in Lexington, and sort of done what Matt Campbell has done at Iowa State, that team you just don’t want to see cause they are scrappy and will take advantage of your mistakes. On the betting lines, I am staying away from this one with spendy cashy monies but with fakey non-existant moneies, I love the Cats getting a touchdown and a hook because I see this one being in the 3-4 range with Auburn probably winning, just based on history and going with my heart, but I could totally see Kentucky pulling this off as well.

Gimme Auburn over Kentucky 27-24 and the defense had to get a late stop to seal this one away. Nothing like a late missed FG to start that stomach ulcer.

(betting pick: UK and the points, Over at 51)

-Drew Mac

Auburn *should* win this game. Auburn *should* have the talent advantage. But hey, this is 2020. Who knows what havoc Covid will have wrought on install for any given team.

That being said, I trust Bo Nix’s development as a true sophomore. I think this Auburn team, while still going through some growing pains, will finally start to hit on explosive plays with a veteran WR corps. This Kentucky defense is not the one that one 10 games two years ago.

The only way things go sideways is if the retooled defensive line can’t stop the Kentucky ground game, which is an extremely valid concern. The Wildcats have three returning backs who combined for 1,900 yards and 18 TDs while sharing the spotlight with Lynn Bowden Jr last year, and Terry Wilson is no slouch. I think the Auburn linebackers are going to have to earn their keep as best LB group in the SEC here in week 1.

Auburn takes this one with some big plays through the air and a defense that bucks up in the second half. 27-13 Auburn.

-Ryan Sterritt

I’m a huge proponent of playing a patsy in week 1. In a normal season fall camp doesn’t really give a complete picture of how an offensive line communicates in real time, how well the quarterback has his timing down with his receivers, if the tailback has fumbling problems, mike linebacker being able to switch the defensive alignment based on tendencies, etc. etc. But if you can’t play a patsy I’m a huge proponent of playing a top 10 team who will keep you engaged without distractions leading up to kickoff and will tell you so much about where you can go from here. What you don’t want is a trap game in week 1.

Folks what we have here is a trap game in week 1.

We’re 14 points better than Kentucky. I genuinely believe that. Talent wise and coaching we’re at least 2 scores better than this football team at home. And it does not matter one bit thanks to COVID.

I am so concerned over what we’re going to look like out there considering how many guys were held out at various points of our extended fall camp thanks to COVID. Which wouldn’t be as big of a deal in a normal year, even though it would still be a big deal, but OH YEAH WE HAD NO SPRING PRACTICE. So in keeping with my tradition of being absolutely God awful at Barnin’ Hard, this tiger ain’t changing his stripes for this one.

Keys to victory:

- Stop a Kentucky ground attack with a defensive line that is fully capable of plugging the gaps and have your linebackers make plays in space. This will only work if our corners, who will be in a lot of one on one situations, make plays. Jaylin Simpson is the guy that will get picked on, and this is a fine opportunity for the redshirt freshman to get thrown into the deep end to see if he’ll sink or swim in his first meaningful snaps. If he can hold his own, we’re in good shape.

- Establish an intermediate passing attack early in this game. Keep their defense off balance early on the offensive script and allow Bo Nix and an offensive line that will struggle but has a higher ceiling than that of the last 2 seasons gain some confidence early.

- Get the fastest player in all of college football 10 touches/targets for the day. This one may appear in all 10 entries of “Keys to Victory” for our schedule this year. Scheme to get Anthony Schwartz the ball in multiple ways. And then scheme off of it to get other players in positions to be in favorable coverages.

- Rotate your running backs in a way that makes sense instead of giving the “guy with the hot hand” 25 carries. This running back room is deeper and more talented than it has been since the healthy parts of 2016/2017 for Pettway and KJ. Give these guys a chance to punish Kentucky’s defense with fresh legs for 4 quarters. Make them hate playing us.

- Oh, and finally, get some sound sleep and show up alert for an 11 AM kickoff. I don’t need to explain to any of you why this is obviously something we should all worry over.

All in all I think being at home does matter, despite 20,000 people in the stands. Traveling in these uncertain times has to account for something, right?

Auburn 27 Kentucky 21

-Josh Black

If the first few weeks of football are any indication, I’m expecting some low scoring sloppy games on Saturday. And while Auburn’s rivals have essentially “warmup games” to start their season, Auburn will play another ranked opponent in Week 1. That’s JABA right?

Anyways, I’m really excited to see this group of Running Backs led by Captain Shaun Shivers this season. I’m really excited to see Shaun get the opportunity to start and it’ll be interesting to see how many carries he and the rest of the RBs get on Saturday. This is an experienced receiving corps too led by Seth Williams, “Flash” Anthony Schwartz and veteran Eli Stove.

The biggest question to me (other than the offensive line) will be the defensive line as it’s hard replacing Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson. And we can all hope for better O-Line play this season and a more mature Bo Nix as he enters Year 2 as the starting QB.

As I said earlier, I’m thinking this is a low-scoring game and I’m a bit concerned about this one, with the 11AM kick and all but I’ll take Auburn in a close one.

Auburn 17 Kentucky 14

-Will McLaughlin

I firmly believe Auburn has a significant talent advantage at the skill positions in this matchup. Yes the Cats have an athletic QB, a strong stable of backs, intriguing WRs and a surprisingly good secondary but across the board I’ll take Auburn. However, it won’t matter if the Tigers lose the line of scrimmage battle which is way more likely than any of us wanna imagine.

As you have probably read, heard, seen by now, Kentucky has one of the best offensive lines in the country. This isn’t a group made up of 3-star kids with heart. Left tackle Landon Young was a 5-star recruit. Center Drake Jackson was a 4-star ranked as a top 150 player. Future NFLer Darian Kinnard was a 4-star recruit as well. This is both an experienced AND talented front who enjoy physically beating the hell out of their opponents. Everyone in the world knew that a run play was likely coming last fall and it rarely mattered. While I trust Rodney Garner & Kevin Steele to rebuild this front 4 for the Tigers, I am concerned about them being ready to go week 1. Even with Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson last year, Oregon pushed around the Tigers for one half. This UK OL is of the same calibre and it wouldn’t shock me if they came out the gate with similar success.

Then there’s the other side of the ball where the UK return plenty of experience of a solid front 7. However, they were actually pretty porous against the run last fall allowing over 5 yards a carry against SEC competition. The problem is I am not sure if Auburn is ready to take advantage. In most years, when I see a defense susceptible to the run, I expect an AU victory that borders on dominant. I just don’t know if the Tigers though will be ready to go on Saturday.

That’s why Anders Carlson will be the x-factor. I think Auburn’s offense will look disjointed but generate enough explosive plays to get into UK territory consistently. They don’t put the ball in the end zone as much as we would like but Anders knocks through 4 big kicks. The defense rebounds from a rough first quarter to limit the UK offense to only 2 touchdowns on the day. Auburn recovers a late onside kick to escape with a hard won victory.

Auburn 26 Kentucky 20

-AU Nerd

Auburn at 11am.

Auburn in season openers.

Auburn as favorites vs hungry teams.

Yuck. I am finding it hard to Barn as hard...——record scratch—-

(The boys are back in town starts playing)

Just kidding!

The Boys are back!

Guys we are gonna kill em.

Auburn 34- Kats 24

-Son of Crow

Most of the time I have some idea of what to expect. There’s a gut feeling, an inkling, an intuition. Even days when I publicly avow a big win, and we end up losing, I realize that I knew it deep in my soul. This time, I have nothing. I guess that’s what 2020 will do to a man. I can’t pick this game with my heart or my gut, so I have to go with the limited knowledge that we’ve been able to glean from the practice fields. Somehow, Gus has kept it tighter than usual this season. He’s keeping spies, leaks, and COVID out of the fold.

It’s not a big secret that Auburn’s level of talent is superior across the board, but Kentucky might have the mix of experience to go along with its skill to make this a very scary opening contest. We’ve heard that the Wildcats’ lines are both going to be solid, and that gives us a flashback of what the Oregon offense was able to do for about a half last year in Arlington. Auburn can’t afford a slow start on Saturday, because we’ll be breaking in a new offensive line. Now, that might not be the worst thing in the world — our line last year was nothing much to write home about — but they started to get better down the stretch. That said, this year’s group might be more maulers than linemen. Sometimes you just need some dudes being guys up front to push people around. We might have that, thus the run game could come to life with a much more talented group in the backfield. Not to mention, Bo Nix’s sophomore development with a true quarterback coach could be something unparalleled.

Kentucky will give us a fight, but there’s no way I’m picking us to lose this game. It’ll probably be close, and uncomfortably so for a while I’d wager. Still, the home “crowd” and the overall talent win out in the end. I think someone else mentioned Anders Carlson being a weapon in this one, and I agree. I think he hits 3 kicks and Auburn scores 3 touchdowns. Tigers 30-21.

-Jack Condon

In our preseason predictions I pegged this as one of the three games that Auburn could lose, and had it at the top of my list as the one I’m most worried about. That may seem weird, but we really just have no clue how any team, including our own is going to look on Saturday. We’ve all seen how bad some of these other teams already playing have looked, and I guess people think that there’s no way their own team could look that bad, but I’m not so sure. That said, I believe this Auburn team has all the components necessary to be better than last season and thus easily handle a Kentucky team that is, well they’re Kentucky. The new look offense should give an older, more seasoned Bo Nix a chance to throw some higher percentage passes, we have an SEC caliber stable of running backs for the first time in a couple of seasons, and presumably a fully healthy group of receivers. The new-look offensive line doesn’t concern me at all, because, well, I’ve lived through the last two seasons. At this point Kevin Steele and co. have earned my utmost confidence that the defense will pick up right where they left off.

Tigers 37 - Cats 12

-AU Chief

Man alive I wish I wasn’t so worried about this. Kentucky is well coached. They know what they are, and they don’t try to do things outside their comfort zone. Their strengths could cause problems for us. And yet, Auburn has more talent. 2020 is going to be a weird year, but I think having better athletes is going to win out more often than not, because teams are going to have to keep things simple. I like everything I’m hearing out of fall camp. I still don’t know about that line though. I could see a backdoor cover for UK where Auburn has to recover an onside kick to clinch things. I could see a front door cover for Auburn putting the game away late. I’ll stay on the safe side.

Auburn 24

Kentucky 17

(Auburn wins, UK covers; under)

-James Jones

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2020/9/25/21456468/staff-picks-8-auburn-vs-23-kentucky

[hereticaloracles]

TNO Watch: Eris

Helios on Eris– So, somehow in my accounting of the Transneptunians, I managed to overlook the biggest, most prolific of them all (however not the first to be discovered past Pluto!)- Eris! Now I can’t rightly finish off the archive without her, now can I? So without further ado, let me formally welcome back the most controversial dwarf planet back into the party! Gird your loins, y’all

The Astronomy– Eris is the most massive and second-largest (by volume) dwarf planet (and plutoid) known in the Solar System. Eris was discovered in January 2005, and in September 2006 it was named after Eris, the Greek goddess of strife and discord. Eris is the ninth most massive object directly orbiting the Sun, and the 16th most massive overall, because seven moons are more massive than all known dwarf planets. It is also the largest which has not yet been visited by a spacecraft. Eris was measured to be 2,326 ± 12 kilometers (1,445.3 ± 7.5 mi) in diameter. Eris’s mass is about 0.27% of the Earth mass, about 27% more than dwarf planet Pluto, although Pluto is slightly larger by volume.

Eris is a trans-Neptunian object (TNO) and a member of a high-eccentricity population known as the scattered disk. It has one known moon, Dysnomia. As of February 2016, its distance from the Sun was 96.3 astronomical units (1.441×1010 km; 8.95×109 mi), roughly three times that of Pluto. With the exception of some long-period comets, until 2018 VG18 was discovered on December 17, 2018, Eris and Dysnomia were the most distant known natural objects in the Solar System.[

Because Eris appeared to be larger than Pluto, NASA initially described it as the Solar System’s tenth planet. This, along with the prospect of other objects of similar size being discovered in the future, motivated the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to define the term planet for the first time. Under the IAU definition approved on August 24, 2006, Eris is a “dwarf planet”, along with objects such as Pluto, Ceres, Haumea and Makemake thereby reducing the number of known planets in the Solar System to eight, the same as before Pluto’s discovery in 1930. Observations of a stellar occultation by Eris in 2010 showed that its diameter was 2,326 ± 12 kilometers (1,445.3 ± 7.5 mi), very slightly less than Pluto, which was measured by New Horizons in July 2015.

The Myth– Eris is the Greek goddess of strife and discord. The most famous tale of Eris recounts her initiating the Trojan War by causing the Judgement of Paris. The goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite had been invited along with the rest of Olympus to the forced wedding of Peleus and Thetis, who would become the parents of Achilles, but Eris had been snubbed because of her troublemaking inclinations.

She, therefore (as mentioned at the Kypria according to Proclus as part of a plan hatched by Zeus and Themis) tossed into the party the Apple of Discord, a golden apple inscribed Ancient Greek: τῇ καλλίστῃ, “For the most beautiful one”, or “To the Fairest One” – provoking the goddesses to begin quarreling about the appropriate recipient. The hapless Paris, Prince of Troy, was appointed to select the fairest by Zeus. The goddesses stripped naked to try to win Paris’s decision and also attempted to bribe him. Hera offered political power; Athena promised infinite wisdom; and Aphrodite tempted him with the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen, wife of Menelaus of Sparta. While Greek culture placed a greater emphasis on prowess and power, Paris chose to award the apple to Aphrodite, thereby dooming his city, which was destroyed in the war that ensued.

Another story of Eris includes Hera and the love of Polytekhnos and Aedon. They claimed to love each other more than Hera and Zeus were in love. This angered Hera, so she sent Eris to wreak discord upon them. Polytekhnos was finishing off a chariot board, and Aedon a web she had been weaving. Eris said to them, “Whosoever finishes thine task last shall have to present the other with a female servant!” Aedon won. But Polytekhnos was not happy by his defeat, so he came to Khelidon, Aedon’s sister, and raped her. He then disguised her as a slave, presenting her to Aedon. When Aedon discovered this was indeed her sister, she chopped up Polytekhnos’s son and fed him to Polytekhnos. The gods were not pleased, so they turned them all into birds.

Eris has been adopted as the patron deity of the modern Discordian religion, which was begun in the late 1950s by Gregory Hill and Kerry Wendell Thornley under the pen names of “Malaclypse the Younger” and “Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst”. The Discordian version of Eris is considerably lighter in comparison to the rather malevolent Graeco-Roman original, wherein she is depicted as a positive (albeit mischievous) force of chaotic creation.

A quote from the Principia Discordia, the first holy book of Discordianism, attempts to clear up the matter: One day Mal-2 consulted his Pineal Gland and asked Eris if She really created all of those terrible things. She told him that She had always liked the Old Greeks, but that they cannot be trusted with historical matters. “They were,” She added, “victims of indigestion, you know.” Suffice it to say that Eris is not hateful or malicious. But she is mischievous and does get a little bitchy at times.

The story of Eris being snubbed and indirectly starting the Trojan War is recorded in the Principia and is referred to as the Original Snub. The Principia Discordia states that her parents may be as described in Greek legend, or that she may be the daughter of Void. She is the Goddess of Disorder and Being, whereas her sister Aneris (called the equivalent of Harmonia by the Mythics of Harmonia) is the goddess of Order and Non-Being. Their brother is Spirituality.

Discordian Eris is looked upon as a foil to the preoccupation of western philosophy in attempting to find order in the chaos of reality, in prescribing order to be synonymous with truth. Discordian Eris teaches us that the only truth is chaos and that order and disorder are simply temporary filters applied to the lenses through which we view the chaos. This is known as the Aneristic Illusion.

Why She Matters– Okay, its no secret that Eris is fantastic and I love her. Yes, Eris is chaos, but you know what? So is life. You can try and plan and make things nice and neat, but then the Universe comes through like a toddler who just learned how to walk, hellbent on getting to the other side of the room- consequences be damned. Eris is that universal action. Make no mistake, she is a destroyer and lives for the battlefield, but she also loves to dance, finding the beat in the deaths of men clamoring to prove that they are right to unseen forces (but most of all, themselves). If Mars ever did drag, she would look like Eris (and you bet your ass there would be death drops and shablams like you’ve never seen before!)

When people (read: hecklers) try to come at me with proof that astrology works (but who don’t have their birth time handy for me to utterly eviscerate them) I point to Eris. I remember when she was discovered, and the excitement that her unveiling brought to all of us. And then I remember, quite vividly, the fallout from the IAU decision after she was named but then relegated to dwarf planet status. It was a repeat of the Judgement of Paris myth! She was snubbed, yet again, by the authority, and Pluto was caught up in the fallout as collateral damage just because she was bigger than him (men and size issues, amirite?). And the authority paid for it in the end! Even total luddites who don’t follow the whirling and twirling of the planets (dwarf or otherwise) have a strong opinion about the decision. It made people care about these crazy space rocks, which brings me great happiness.

We aren’t all running around fighting all the time in this modern age, so how do we look at Eris now? A primal force of chaos doesn’t really mesh with our modern sensibilities- or does it? One of the more enlightening views on Eris comes when we consider her in terms of Justice, especially against any kind of oppressive authority. This can be seen in almost every major social movement to demand better treatment, to deny an oppressive ruling class its ability to exploit those below it- Stonewall, May Day, Ferguson, Rodney King, The Arab Spring…. Hell, even the Boston Tea Party! Eris is that urge we feel to stand our ground and refuse to roll over to the bad guys. Eris is the urge to fight for our rights. Yes, it can get violent- but better short violence that changes things for the better than the long, slow violence of inaction. Far better to live boldly and bravely. More commonly though, Eris spurs us on to fight with our racist uncles on Facebook or send petty gifs in the group chats calling out our friends for being slutty… but like, in an endearing way. In fact you could solidly call Eris the Goddess of Shade. Hey, not every action can be a revolutionary one after all- sometimes you just want to get brunch with your girls.

Eris isnt just Chaos, by the way- she also represents Strife. More specifically, what you are striving for. What do you want out of this life? If you are lost, look to Eris and she can help you find your way when you’ve lost it. Mind you, you’ll be in for a HELL of a trip with her (more Thelma and Louise than Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas- That’s solidly Arawn territory) and you might not survive, but at least you’ll know!

Now, we all have all of these planets and asteroids SOMEWHERE in our chart, so in you is the seed of chaos- even the most holier-than-thou Libra. As with all of the Transneptunians, look at her house placement, not necessarily the sign, to see her effect. To find out where she shows up in your chart, go to astro.com, put in your birth details and in the extended options, all the way at the bottom of the next page, there will be a menu of additional objects. Under that is a blank space where you can enter the number 136199, for Eris. Once you have it entered, generate the chart! Where does Eris affect your life? Let us know in the comments below!

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TNO Watch: Eris was originally published on Heretical Oracles

[ghostmartyr]

Pokémon FireRed Nuzlocke [Part 6]

Last time, bad things happened.

This time, the goal is fewer bad things.

With great optimism, the no-grinding Nuzlocke heads to Cycling Road.

Great. Optimism.

The plan was for Po to handle all of these, but Allenby’s falling behind a little, and I would prefer a little buffer there... On the other hand, Po can’t be poisoned. I judge it as we go, with Po doing the majority of the heavy lifting.

According to the tough guys in this game, I’m a mouse.

Cue Ball Luke has a level 29 Mankey. Hey Allenby, look, it’s those things Po shouldn’t fight! Welcome back to getting some slivers of exp! Take the Machop too while you’re at it!

He called me a rat after I beat him. Heh.

Biker Lao has more what we were expecting, with a level 29 Grimer. And Koffing.

Cue Ball Koji demands my bike. Someone didn’t read the rules of Cycling Road. Or have the gatekeeper loudly object to them trying to walk on this here road. He’s got a level 28 Machop. Go, Allenby. Feed on it and the following Mankey. And then the next Machop.

You only have one pokemon. Are you going to be a problem?

One level 33 Weezing.

Gone now.

Wait, what?

Biker Ruben, find yourself some kinder friends. You deserve them. Even with your level 28 Weezing. Koffing next. Then another Weezing, because Ruben is a chill dude who trains his pokemon.

You can tell if someone in these rows is a Biker or Cue Ball based on how mean they are in their lines. ...Cue Ball Camron wants to battle. Level 29 Mankey for Allenby. + Machop.

And that’s us beating up a biker gang. At the tender age of ten. The only age anyone in a Pokemon game does anything.

Unless you’re Alolan and you want to be eleven for some strange reason I don’t understand.

Made it to the Route 17 part of Cycling Road. Where there is grass. Let us approach.

Many spawns that were things I couldn’t catch later!

Yay, caught it. Uhhh. Lu.

Back to fighting. Cue Ball Raul. One Mankey for Allenby. Then a Primeape for a mirror match.

Cue Ball Isaiah next. To spare Allenby some pain, Po takes the level 29 Machop. Allenby gets the Machamp.

Or Allenby can use up all PP for Cross Chop and scare me into pushing Heero into the ring.

Biker Virgil. Presumably without the electric powers. But with a level 28 Weezing. Koffing. Weezing.

Good for you.

Biker Billy.

With your level 33 Muk.

The problem with Cycling Road is I’m never sure if I’ve actually hit all the trainers. And that’s normally, when it doesn’t really matter except for my happiness levels.

Biker Jaxon has a level 29 Weezing. And a level 29 Muk.

Rode all the way back to Fuchsia and have to go back up. I am a ripped ten-year-old.

Biker William has five pokemon. First up is a level 25 Koffing. Maybe I should share these with Allenby a little. You want to fight a Weezing, Allenby? Of course you do. Stay in for the Koffing, even. Let it destroy your accuracy. Let it force Po to take the Weezing alone.

Hi Corey.

I think I will let Heero fight your level 29 Primeape. Allenby can take the Machoke.

Cue Ball Zeek is up next. With a level 33 Machoke that Po should not fight, so hero time for Heero again.

Biker Nikolas uses a level 29 Voltorb. To remind us he matters I guess. Zaft can kill the next one.

Cue Ball Jamal has the staple Mankey at level 26. Allenby, go handle the next one. And try not to make me cry against the Machamp. Hey, you did a good job! Nice! Your prize is staying in for the Machop.

I think that might be everyone. Dang. That leaves me precious few options. Wait, no, there’s the Route 18 bird boys for Po to nom.

Bird Keeper Wilton with a level 29 Spearow. Followed by Fearow.

You’re only allowed to have that attitude if you have a bike. Jacob. With your level 26 Spearow. All two of them before a Fearow. Then a final Spearow.

Bird Keeper Ramiro has a single level 34 Dodrio. Like a boss.

Okay, now what.

I could beat up Rockets in Saffron. Or fight Koga. Or go to the Safari Zone. Or maybe take a small break.

Break having been taken, I have to ask, because I have no inclination to look it up: what the fuck even is the intended order for these things? I’m pretty sure Erika is the fourth Gym, and the Rocket plot in Saffron has to happen after the Rocket plot in Celadon, but past that, what is it that you are meant to do first?

I think it’s Koga and then the Saffron stuff, but it might not have to be.

Anyway, beating up Rockets.

Because Koga scares me.

And Safari Zone feels like work.

Dun dun dun.

We fine our first prey up on the second floor.

Grunt #1 has a level 25 Golbat. Zaft! Then a level 25 Zubat. Now Zaft wants to learn Rollout. Which I like except for the part where Zaft should not learn it. Anything that takes time is a no with Zaft.

Another Zubat. Followed by a Raticate. And finishing with another Zubat. All tributes to the mighty Zaft.

Po’s been in front for a while, so I think I’ll let Heero take the front for most of Silph Co.

Rude.

Second Grunt starts with a level 29 Cubone. Gee. I wonder what I miss most right now. Then Zaft can take the Zubat.

Scientist Jerry has a level 28 Magnemite. The Voltorb is Zaft’s for the taking. The Magneton... I think Heero can take it, though I have made things more difficult on her by deciding I want Zaft to have exp.

Thunder Wave. Yuck. But Heero gets the job done, and we’re already way used to walking back to the Pokemon Center at every opportunity.

So, stairs or teleport pads?

Teleport pads. Because I’m cool.

Scientist Parker says hello. Only with violence and a level 29 Grimer. Plus an Electrode for Zaft.

Aaaaaaand back to the Pokemon Center.

The bed does nothing. How dare you, bed. For all that I love the design of beds in this gen... why.

Grunt #3, aka one of the four Rocket Brothers. We don’t care. Level 28 Weezing up front, so Po is going to go ahead and come back out.

The Weezing uses Selfdestruct.

It takes out half of Po’s HP.

>:(

Koffing next. Then a Golbat for Zaft.

Rocket Bro One down.

Hi #4. He starts out with a level 26 Raticate. Arbok is next. Followed by Koffing. Lastly, we’ve got a Golbat for Zaft. The Grunts in this tower really care about Zaft’s development.

Apparently the teleporter pads aren’t going to take me anywhere with convenient speed the stairs can’t manage just as well. So I’m just gonna randomly wander the building up and down stairs until I beat everyone. Rendering the number system I sort of have completely useless.

Scientist Ed! Leading with a level 28 Voltorb! Then a Magneton. Then Koffing. Victory.

Coolio. Grunt #...5. With a level 28 Golbat up front. In the spirit of Zaft being three levels below Allenby, Zaft, you switch in and take this. Heero can go back in and handle the Drowzee. Po can have the Hypno. On we go.

To Scientist Travis! He’s got a level 29 Magnemite. Allenby, in the spirit of inclusion, you can fight his Koffing.

Grunt #6′s one and only is a level 33 Machoke. Heero saves the day.

Hey, finally reached the room with the Carbos.

And thanks to our valid behavior, it will have no effect if we give it to Zaft. Score. I guess.

Up at the top floor, we fight Grunt #7.

He has a level 25 Rattata.

Then another.

Zaaaaaaaaft.

Then a Zubat. Ekans can be Allenby’s. So can the Rattata. And adios.

They don’t even let you guys have your own lines.

Such a tragic life you lead, #8.

With a level 29 Cubone.

Ugh.

Allenby handles it and the next one.

Scientist Joshua up next. He’s got a level 29 Electrode. Muk comes out and Po responds in kind.

Why does everyone antagonistic in this game think I’m a mouse?

He opens with a level 26 Raticate. Then there’s a Zubat for Zaft. And a Golbat, how convenient. Last up is Rattata.

The last one, #10. Yay.

Level 29 Machop and Machoke.

Geez, where’s the bed that heals in this place? I need one.

Grunt #11 has a level 28 Zubat. Then another. Then a Golbat.

Why is this building so big.

Scientist Taylor has almost a full team. Starting with a level 25 Voltorb. Magneton next. Koffing. More Koffing.

I hate you I hate you I hate you

:-o

;-;

Heero, you... you take on the final Magnemite. Then we’re leaving.

What floor is this? Sixth. Okay. Great. Down to the bottom and the Pokemon Center, then I think I’ll just slowly go up the stairs until key items are earned and whatnot.

This place is too big.

Okay, all healed up and on the third floor, fighting back #12. Level 28 Raticate up first. Po in for the Hypno. Another Raticate for Allenby. Who’s earned some free exp.

Floor four! #13! Level 28 Ekans! Zubat! Cubone! Done!

#14 with a level 29 Machop. Po gets the Drowzee.

Floor five and #15. All he has is a level 33 Hypno.

#16 has a level 33 Arbok which will soon be Po food.

Scientist Beau. Level 26 Magneton. Magnemite. Koffing. Weezing.

Hey wait what’s your motive here? Juggler... Dalton?

I actually always really liked the Juggler class. They’re so cool. Oh, right. Kadabra and Mr. Mime. Now Dalton. Why did you attack your brave and valiant rescuer.

...Generic evil siding with Team Rocket. Fine.

Now I think I need to teleport around and look for the Card Key.

I know I shouldn’t complain about these things, given how valuable all the experience is, but I have never enjoyed Silph Co. Too many floors of the same design and same types of fights. I always got lost as a kid, and nowadays even though I’ve given up caring about where exactly I am, it’s still sort of a lot.

Back to the sixth floor, and I’ll just stomp on whatever pad looks good.

Teleport takes us to the second floor and an unfought Scientist. His name is Connor. He has a level 26 Grimer. Only past tense. Weezing up next. Koffing. When you side with Rockets your pokemon options deteriorate. Weezing.

And there’s nowhere else to go but back through the same teleport.

Have I mentioned that I hate this area.

Because let me tell you

the one redeeming factor it has is how many items are hidden in random trees.

Could you please just tell me who I have to mug for the damn Card Key.

Scientist Rodney. With the level 33 Electrode.

Good news, I found the Focus Punch TM.

Better news.

Time to open ALL the doors.

This part I can enjoy.

See how much better life is now.

Grunt #...17? Level 28 Drowzee. Grimer. Machop.

Okay, what floor is this? Ninth. Got it. Now to start from the bottom and just open every single door I find as I trot up the stairs. My happy place.

Oh, and beating up more people. Like Scientist Jose. With a level 29 Electrode. Weezing.

I hate this building.

Grunt #18! Has a level 29 Sandshrew! Then Sandslash!

What happens if you don’t unlock all the doors? Do the NPCs stay trapped in there even after the building’s freed? I doubt it, but for a few scant seconds the thought was funny.

I am back up to floor eight. Getting closer.

Oh heck.

He has his Pidgeot up front, right?

So Zaft should be first?

I don’t anticipate a fun time, here.

A sense of impending doom.

HA! His Pidgeot is first!

...Less ha. It’s level 37.

Zaft perseveres. But Allenby can have the Growlithe that’s out next. The level 38 Growlithe. I don’t think I like this. Allenby lives in the green, but with a bite out of it. Exeggcute is next, so comfort and Heero follow. It’s level 35. And given the state of my team, the Blastoise that’s coming up might be an issue. Do I trust Zaft and STAB enough to spend a turn or two healing?

...Yeah, let’s just be extra sure on that. And of course, now Heero is paralyzed. Sigh.

Blastoise coming out, and Zaft is going to try to at least help for a turn and not die.

Level 40 Blastoise vs level 37 Zaft.

Zaft wins!

...Bloodily!

Po, handle the Alakazam please. It’s level 35. I believe in you.

...

HOLD ON I THOUGHT I DIDN’T GET THIS IN THIS VERSION.

HOLY HECK DO I GET A LAPRAS.

DO I WANT A LAPRAS?

WHAT LEVEL IS IT?

But as for a name... Hm.

Sprinkle.

And now off to the Pokemon Center. Note to future self, to get back where I was you went through a teleport pad on the third floor.

Sprinkle is level 25. She will take Alton’s place in the party, but. Grrrr.

What do I think, is it worth splitting the exp between five to have a Water/Ice pokemon available, or do I want to try boosting the ever-loving heck out of only four? Does it really make a difference at this point? I think this Rival fight was premature, so the levels might be a bit skewed in his favor, and like, I think I can make it work to train a Lapras at minimum cost because I love Lapras...

I’ll finish off Silph Co. and think. Not having a Water option hasn’t been the greatest thing in the world. It would be especially nice against Giovanni and Blaine. But Sprinkle’s only level 25...

Actually, you know what? First I think I’m going to hang out in the Fighting Dojo and give Allenby something to do. She’s the only one I really want taking on that section, so it doesn’t affect any of my decisions. Plus, more exp before the end of Silph.

I’m rooting for this to go well.

Have it go well, Allenby.

Black Belt Hitoshi is first. He has a level 31 Machop. Maybe Po will be able to take a bite out of some stuff here after all. Then again, Po has Koga’s whole Gym. Mankey next. Primeape last for a mirror match.

Black Belt Hideki. Level 32 Machop. Machoke. Revenge packs a punch, but we’re good.

Black Belt Aaron. Mixing up the naming scheme. Has a level 36 Primeape. Er.

Heero’s coming in for this. Just in case. Primeape can do a helluva lot of damage, and Allenby has no resistance except for a few more levels on it.

Black Belt Mike. Okay, so the back two are the partnered odd ones out. Level 31 Mankey. Another Mankey. Primeape.

One fight left before I get to turn down a Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee because I have my option for this city.

Level 37 Hitmonlee first.

Yeah, hey, Heero...

Hitmonchan next, and here’s where the concerns come. Hitmonchan probably has Thunder Punch. I do not want that around Heero. I don’t want anything near Allenby, either, but I think Allenby at least doesn’t have the danger posed by super effective attacks, so Allenby...

Yeah, Thunderpunch. And it paralyzes. Of course. But Allenby gets through it, and then we’re done. Nice.

...Back to Silph.

Allenby, you can stay up front. ...Or can you.

The Sprinkle problem vexes me. I like how maximizing the level of these primary four has worked out, for the most part. I would like having more of a spread, Type wise, but. This really has worked, without any major problems. I think if I want to add something in, it has to be now. But Zaft is already underleveled. Sprinkle would be in the same boat, really only adding the extra benefit of Typing.

I can’t get the Exp. Share. Switch training is the only way.

..

I want a Lapras.

Fuck, this is why this run is just a first attempt.

Okay! Sprinkle going up in front for the remainder of Silph Co.

Grunt #19. Level 32 Cubone. This would be a good match if Sprinkle had Surf. But no one has Surf yet, so in Allenby goes. Drowzee in, and in goes Sprinkle temporarily. I already hate this. And doubt its effectiveness. Marowak.

Last Rocket down.

Sorta.

Level 37 Nidorino out first, and I think Po is the best suited for this.

Level 41 Nidoqueen. Lots of Double Kicks, lots of Snoring, lots of stress, but it works out.

Level 35 Kangaskhan. Allenby time.

Level 37 Rhyhorn. Still Allenby time.

Phew. And that’s that. Also, throughout all of that switch training, Sprinkle gained a grand total of.........

One level. She’s 26 now.

The only reason to do good deeds in this game.

Baaaack to Koga.

The pre-Kogas.

Juggler Kayden has a level 38 Hypno and I am uncomfortable. But Po paralyzes it and brings it to red with on Body Slam so we’re still in business. As well as very, very happy we did Silph Co. first. Seriously, what’s the intended order on these?

Juggler Kirk is next. Bringing us back to safety with a level 31 Drowzee. With great stubbornness, Sprinkle takes it out. Same with the next. The Kadabra can be shared with Zaft because EVs. Drowzee next, and we’re back to Sprinkle. Who made it to 27 all by herself.

Juggler Nate. His opening Drowzee is level 34. Not for Sprinkle. Kadabra. Gah. Heero, I think you’re probably the safest switch partner for this. As much as I love Zaft, Zaft is. Zaft.

Cool story, kid.

Oh, sorry, Tamer Edgar.

He has a level 33 Arbok. And Sandslash. And Arbok. Po and Sprinkle tag-team the lot.

Tamer Phil. You have a level 34 Sandslash. Only Po ate it after Sprinkle confused it. Dream team. Arbok next. Bye Arbok.

Geez, I should really consider putting more effort into jazzing up the battles. The problem is that normally I wouldn’t bother recording them, but with these being the only fights I get, and operating under the theory that I’m going to fail this round, having a thorough record is helpful. And it’ll only be typed out once.

But wow. It’s boring to type, so I can only imagine what it’s like to read.

Juggler Shawn! What have you got for me? A level 34 Drowzee. Then Hypno. That has the sheer gall to confuse Po. And makes her flinch twice in a row. But as all things end, so does this fight.

All that’s left is Koga.

And my prize for all that effort?

Sprinkle is level 29.

I hate switch training with every fiber of my being.

I also have six Rare Candy.

...

No, we’re not doing that. We will behave, and obey the spirit of the nonsense that is this entire run.

Okay.

Sprinkle’s out front at the moment, but I’m guessing sooner or later Po is just going to be the only thing fighting any of his pokemon. Poison is annoying, and Po’s Immunity is a precious gift I shouldn’t squander.

The level 37 Koffing he opens with is also encouraging me to keep putting Sprinkle in harm’s way, though. No. Po, get in here.

Wow. Koga wastes a Hyper Potion on the Koffing. Yay and all, but really?

The level 39 Muk is up next. This thing is not something I should be switching Sprinkle in on, honestly, because it has a host of delay moves that are no fun to deal with whatsoever. ...I sent Sprinkle in anyway. She’s still level 29. And has Perish Song.

lol at Sprinkle’s Confuse Ray missing every single time. Minimize. Minimize is such a horror to work around. Sadly (?), Koga removes Muk before Sprinkle’s song can kill it. Bringing in another level 37 Koffing just as I switched in Po. Since Sprinkles is guaranteed to get exp from Muk if all goes well, I’m not going to bother switching her in on the other stuff.

Another Hyper Potion gone. Yay. Po also hits level 44. Double yay.

The Muk is back and so is Sprinkle. Round two. The most drama in this is finding out how many times Sprinkle’s Confuse Ray misses this time. One. Then I forgot what Mist does so I used that, and now it’s time to bring Po back out.

Just in time for the level 43 Weezing. Yeah, not something I feel a need to switch around on.

...

Yeah, so it uses Smokescreen, but Po is protected by Sprinkle’s Mist. This battle is going so absurdly well through proper utilization of a moveset I would waste zero time on in a normal playthrough.

Huh, Koga uses a Full Heal when Po paralyzes Weezing. I didn’t know he had those. Anyway, bye Weezing.

Round three, Sgt. Sprinkle.

!!!!

Confuse Ray finally hit! It’s a miracle!

Po, switch in and watch Muk die, please.

You did good, Sprinkle. You did real good.

See? Even Koga thinks so.

And now I have the TM for Toxic. Bueno.

That’s badge five, and a good time for a break before we decide which mistake of a venture we try out next.

Until next time, please never underestimate how deeply I hate Koga’s Muk.

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/technology/entertainment/john-singleton-maker-of-boyz-n-the-hood-dies-at-51/

John Singleton, maker of 'Boyz N the Hood,' dies at 51

Director John Singleton, who made one of Hollywood’s most memorable debuts with the Oscar-nominated “Boyz N the Hood” and continued over the following decades to probe the lives of black communities in his native Los Angeles and beyond, has died. He was 51.

Singleton’s family said Monday that he died in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends, after being taken off life support. Earlier this month, the director suffered a major stroke.

Singleton was in his early 20s, just out of the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, when he wrote, directed and produced “Boyz N the Hood.” Based on Singleton’s upbringing and shot in his old neighborhood, the low-budget production starred Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ice Cube and centered on three friends in South Central Los Angeles, where college aspirations competed with the pressures of gang life. “Boyz N the Hood” was a critical and commercial hit, given a 20-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival and praised as a groundbreaking extension of rap to the big screen, a realistic and compassionate take on race, class, peer pressure and family. Singleton would later call it a “rap album on film.”

For many, the 1991 release captured the explosive mood in Los Angeles in the months following the videotaped police beating of Rodney King. “Boyz N the Hood” also came out at a time when, thanks to the efforts to Spike Lee and others, black films were starting to get made by Hollywood after a long absence.

Singleton became the first black director to receive an Academy Award nomination, an honor he would say was compensation for the academy’s snubbing Lee and “Do the Right Thing” two years earlier, and was nominated for best screenplay. (“Thelma & Louise” won instead.) At 24, he was also the youngest director nominee in Oscar history.

“I think I was living this film before I ever thought about making it,” Singleton told Vice in 2016. “As I started to think about what I wanted to do with my life, and cinema became an option, it was just natural that this was probably gonna be my first film. In fact, when I applied to USC film school they had a thing that asked you to write three ideas for films. And one of them was called ‘Summer of ’84,’ which was about growing up in South Central LA.”

In 2002, “Boyz N the Hood” was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, which called it “an innovative look at life and the tough choices present for kids growing up in South Central Los Angeles.”

Singleton’s death Monday followed a turbulent week during which his family members made opposing court filings regarding his health. Singleton had been in intensive care in a Los Angeles hospital since he had a stroke on April 17. A court filing last week by his mother, Shelia Ward, requested that she be appointed Singleton’s temporary conservator in order to make medical and financial decisions while he was incapacitated.

Ward’s filing said that Singleton was in a coma. But on Friday, Singleton’s daughter Cleopatra Singleton, 19, filed a declaration disputing that account. She maintained that her father was not in a coma and that doctors did not “have a concrete diagnosis.” She opposed her grandmother becoming conservator, or guardian.

Singleton’s passing prompted widespread praise for a filmmaker who, as his “Shaft” star Samuel L. Jackson said, “blazed the trail for many young film makers,” while “always remaining true to who he was and where he came from.”

Ava DuVernay called him “a giant among us.” Spike Lee said, “We’ll miss you but your films will live on.” Jordan Peele, the Oscar-winning “Get Out” and “Us” filmmaker, called him “a brave artist and a true inspiration.”

“His vision changed everything,” said Peele.

None of Singleton’s subsequent movies received the acclaim of “Boyz N the Hood” and he was criticized at times for turning characters into mouthpieces for political and social messages. But he attracted talent ranging from Tupac Shakur to Don Cheadle and explored themes of creative expression (“Poetic Justice”), identity (“Higher Learning”) and the country’s racist past, notably in “Rosewood,” based on a murderous white rampage against a black community in Florida in 1923.

He also made the coming-of-age story “Baby Boy,” a remake of the action film “Shaft” and an installment in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, “2 Fast 2 Furious.” More recent projects included the FX crime drama “Snowfall,” which he helped create. Starring Damson Idris, “Snowfall” returned Singleton to the Los Angeles of his youth and the destructive effects of the rise of crack cocaine.

“Drugs devastated a generation. It gave me something to write about, but I had to survive it first,” Singleton told the Guardian in 2017. “It made me a very angry young man. I didn’t understand why I was so angry, but I wasn’t someone who took my anger and applied it inward. I turned it into being a storyteller. I was on a kamikaze mission to really tell stories from my perspective — an authentic black perspective.”

Singleton was married twice, and had five children. Besides his career in movies, Singleton also directed the memorable, Egyptian-themed video for Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time,” which included Eddie Murphy and Magic Johnson. He cast hip-hop artists and other musicians in many of his films, including Ice Cube in “Boyz N the Hood,” Janet Jackson and Shakur in “Poetic Justice” and Tyrese Gibson in “Baby Boy.”

Singleton’s early success didn’t shield him from creative conflicts or frustration with Hollywood studios. He blamed the commercial failure of “Rosewood” on lack of support from Warner Bros. He fought with producer Scott Rudin during the making of “Shaft” and was furious when Rudin brought in author/screenwriter Richard Price to revise the script. He had planned to direct a biopic about Shakur, but quit after clashing with Morgan Creek Productions. In 2014, he chastised the industry for “refusing to let African-Americans direct black-themed films,” but Singleton was pleased in recent years by the emergence of Ava DuVernay, Barry Jenkins, Jordan Peele and others.

“There are these stacks of (films by non-black filmmakers) where black people have had to say, ‘OK, at least they tried,'” he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018, adding that now blacks were making the films themselves. “What’s interesting when you see ‘Black Panther’ is you realize it couldn’t have been directed by anybody else but Ryan Coogler. It’s a great adventure movie and it works on all those different levels as entertainment, but it has this kind of cultural through-line that is so specific that it makes it universal.”

Most recently, Singleton, who regretted turning down the chance to direct on the first season of “The Wire,” turned his focus largely to television. He directed episodes of “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (for which he was nominated for an Emmy), “Empire” and “Billions.” He co-created and executive produced “Snowfall,” directing three episodes.

“There’s hardly any precedent for a guy like me to have the career that I’ve had,” Singleton told Variety in 2017. “Because I grew up the way I grew up, I’m an in-your-face kind of guy. I developed that as a defense mechanism to survive in the streets. I do that in Hollywood in the service of my passion.”

———

This story has been corrected to show that “Thelma & Louise” won the best screenplay Oscar in 1992, not “The Silence of the Lambs.”

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #85

“so you can throw me to the wolves; tomorrow i will come back, leader of the whole pack.”

when was the last time you saw the person you like?   february what are you listening to?   markiplier playing "scp containment breach."  going on a nostalgia binge. would you take back your last boyfriend/girlfriend?   nope.  tyler wasn't for me. are there certain things that can’t be joked about with you?   rape and abortion. have you ever had a controlling boyfriend/girlfriend?   no. would you be upset if you caught your boyfriend looking at porn?   i'd be fucking pissed.  not out of jealousy, but because it's lustful and just generally disgusting. your last ex calls wanting to hangout, what do you say?   probably "stop fucking harassing me." do you have a friend named ashley?   no, but that's my older sister's name. are you an aunt or an uncle?   yep. did you use to watch blues clues?   of course. are you a twilight fan?   i never was. when’s the last time you threw up?   couple weeks ago.  one of my pills makes me sick sometimes. do you stutter when you get nervous?   terribly. what is your favorite superhero movie?   "ghost rider," if you count him. do you think that aliens exist?   no. do you own a pair of converses?   i've got a few. do you regret your last relationship?   i sure do. do you plan on having children in the future?   currently, no.  i really don't think i'm capable of raising another human being efficiently. when did you last go to the doctor and what for?   i went to my therapy appointment a few days ago. are you socially awkward?   agonizingly would you rather watch a comedy movie or horror movie?   horror if you could choose to be any mythical character, which would you choose?   dragon what is your favorite animal and why?   meerkats.  they're adorable, unspeakably brave and loyal, and so curious. do you find yourself on youtube a lot?   it's always open. what is something that reminds you of your childhood?   dinosaurs what show do you miss coming on television?   "meerkat manor" :( have you ever tried opening your eyes under water?   yeah.  don't like doing it though. have you ever been admitted to the hospital?   five times. do you have a hint of obsessive compulsive disorder?   a bit.  i used to have baaad repetitive thought cycles when i was younger. do you use any acne medication?   nah.  i don't really get acne anymore. if you’re offered a trip to either hawaii or alaska which would you choose?   alaska what cause (feminism, gay rights, abortion, etc) are you most passionate about?   the pro-life movement how much money have you saved by shop lifting?   what the fuck?!  i don't shoplift to begin with.  wtf. do you hate when couples are like “i love you” after dating for about 2 days?   it's ignorant as fuck to say, yes.  those are dangerous fucking words. have you ever run away?   yes. ever been attacked by a dog?   no.  my little sister has, though.  i'm pretty sure she still has the scar. ever had an out-of-body experience?   no. ever considered acupuncture?   noooo. do you prefer gory horror films or the psychological ones?   PSYCHOLOGICAL do you have a favorite youtuber? or do you not watch much youtube?   rhett&link + markplier are my literal babes. who do you text the most? or do you like to text at all?   sara. do you like ronnie james dio?   \m/, motherfucker. ever given a tattoo before? would you like to?   no.  i have tremors, so that'd be a terrible idea. have you ever had a pet bird?   no. do you have any siblings that you never seen before?   one half-sister, yes. have you ever heard a song that made you cry?   most notably johnny cash's version of "hurt."  the first time i listened to it, i couldn't help but cry.  like i know it's a cover, but his version just personifies pain. do you like the show “that 70s show”?   it's probably like my second-favorite show.  it's fucking hysterical. has your house ever been broken in to?   thank god no.  the bloods tried to break into our old house though while my older sister and her old best friend were home alone.  they were terrified. do you listen to blink-182?   some of their songs are great, sure.  i like a couple. do you listen to nirvana?   sometimes. what thumb do you use to hit the space bar with?   my right. do you like regular or chocolate milk better?   chocolate growing up, did you listen to country music?   not usually by will, but i did regardless.  my older sister usually controlled the radio and such.  if i wanted to listen to music on my own time, it was usually mainstream pop. do you have a gazebo at your house?   no do you like tomatoes?   nooo. what type of waffles do you like? (plain, blueberry etc..)   plain do you like chicken or beef better? or do you not eat meat?   i prefer chicken. did america really put a man on the moon?   yes. have you ever dated outside of your race?   for less than a day. were you born in a hospital, or somewhere else?   in a hospital. who is your favorite male singer?   patrick stump from fall out boy. do you listen to any acoustic bands, or singers?   not specifically. what is your birthstone?   amethyst do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?   just go to the drive-thru.  i mean, isn't that the point of a fast food restaurant, to get food quickly and easily? do you like chinese food over pizza?   nope. if someone you know offered you pot, what would you say?   well first, i'd say no, and two, i'd most likely dissociate from that person.  i in no way get involved with drugs. have you ever been to a strip club?   hell no. how was/is the food in the cafeteria at your school?   some were actually pretty decent, others were hellish. what is your favorite song?   "do i wanna know?" by the arctic monkeys what do you think of the name courtney?   i like it. do you have a wild side?   not really, honestly. ever gone boating all day?   i've been on a boat while fishing most of the day, but not like, all day. what is your favorite thing about going to your grandma’s house?   honestly?  nothing.  i don't even get along with my grandma. do you like eggs?   only if they're scrambled and cheesy. who are your heroes?   mark fischbach and my mom. do you know who rodney atkins is?   i live in the south, buddy.  take a guess. are you tall?   no. when is the last time you wore a dress?   my sister's wedding. what is the last alcoholic beverage you’ve had?   a strawberry smirnoff. do you know someone that smiles ALL the time?   no.  that'd be freaky. who is the hottest person alive?   link neal, boys and girls. are you ready for summer?   hell no.  i hate everything about summer. do you like the sun or do you like snow better?   snow!! don’t you love pancakes?   hell ye boi. quick name a country singer:   tim mcgraw.  the only one i sincerely like. who did you last have an alcoholic drink with?   family. ever had fruit pizza?   ew, no.  fruit doesn't belong on pizza. do you know anyone named caleb?   i'm acquainted with one.  he's cool. how many friends do you have on facebook?   around 110, i think a little more? what was on the last sandwich you ate?   peanut butter. what sort of music did you listen to when you were in high school?   the same stuff i listen to now: heavy metal.  i went through a phase where i listened to even heavier, more emo-styled bands, though. what is your favorite thai dish?   never tried any. how many contacts do you have in your phone?   i think like 15, lol. when was the last time you made out with somebody?   around a year and a half. what month of the year was your mother born?   august. how many apps do you have on your phone?   only four.  my phone doesn't have a lot of memory. have you ever dated a smoker? if not, would you?   i haven't, and no, i honestly wouldn't. would you rather travel to japan or scotland?   hmmmm... i THINK japan, but i'm honestly unsure. what is your mother’s first name?   donna. do you share a middle name with any of your siblings?   yes. have there ever been any bushfires/wildfires in your area?   it's possible i guess, but i don't think so. how would you label your sexual orientation?   heterosexual do you consider your goals easily achievable or are they pretty grand?   eh, kinda in-between... my only real goal is to be a photographer, but the photography industry is SUPER competitive. what’s your favorite vegetable?   broccoli is yummy.  especially with cheese. would you rather eat italian or indian food?   italian have you ever missed a flight?   no. can you name five adjectives describing you?   passionate, shy, sleepy, nervous, and loyal. do you prefer long or short hair on the opposite sex?   a bit long. what is your favorite soda?   mountain dew what is your opinion on legalizing drugs?   you are honestly naive if you believe that's a good idea.  no offense. do you like country music?   no. have you ever done something illegal more than once?   yes. if you could marry any celebrity, who would it be?   mark fischbach omg can you swim?   yes. what are your fears?   pregnancy/childbirth, closed spaces, being alone in the end, long-legged spiders, the ocean, whale sharks, maggots/larvae, other things... do you shave your arms even though it supposedly grows back thick?   no. do you ever get too lazy to clean up your pet’s pee and leave it for your parents to do it?   i clean my dog's pee because he's my responsibility.  if cali pees, i tell mom.  bentley, i tell nicole. what insects or bugs do you fear most?   rhino beetles and wasps do you think weed is just as bad as cigarettes?   it's fact that it's worse.  it has more carcinogens. don’t you just love free samples?   obviously. are you someone’s best friend?   no. have you ever used alternative medicine or old-fashioned remedies?   i don't think so. what color and style is your hair?   it's red, but with overgrown roots. do you wear glasses?   yeah. do you want kids?   no.  there's just no way i'd be able to properly take care of a kid. what if you were in a fire and you could only save one object, what would it be?   i'm guessing family and pets are already safe?  then in that case, my laptop. what if you could ask god any one question, what would it be?   "why do people who aren't sure whether or not they believe in you go to hell?" what if you found a suitcase full of $1,000,000, what would you do?   honestly, i'd look for identification.  i just couldn't take that much money with a good conscience. what if you had to choose, would you give up your sight or your hearing?   sight.  i couldn't live in total silence. what if you saw a robbery, would you report it?   obviously??? what if you were given a chance to go to the moon, would you go? why or why not?  no.  i don't want to be in space that long. what if your friend could not have a child, would you carry her child for her?   honestly, no. my 1st job was:   game stop sales clerk favorite dog breed:   hmmm.  i really really like akita inus.  papillons, too. assuming you had the cash to make it happen, what would your ideal living situation be at this point in your life (i.e. with who, where, under what circumstances, etc.)?  how does your ideal compare to your current situation?   i don't have anyone i'd like to live with besides who i do now, but i know i'd really like a wood house in the woods by a waterfall.  it'd be different from where i live now, definitely.  we live right beside a road that leads to a small town. if someone were to travel to your city (assuming they have never been there before), what would you tell them to visit? is your city (or the closest larger city to you) a big tourist area at all?  lmao there's nothing to really visit.  and no. if, as a parent of a teenager, you knew that your teenage daughter was having sex/thinking about having sex, would you put her on birth control pills? do you agree or disagree with those who say that placing teenagers on the pill encourages promiscuous sex? if you’re on the pill, how old were you when you went on it? if you’re not, have you ever considered taking it?   i'd be pretty heavily trying to influence her to not have sex as a teen, but if that's what she really wanted, yes, i'd put her on the pill.  i don't believe it encourages promiscuous sex, no.  i was put on the pill when i was like... maybe 16, but only due to severe period cramps. what is the worst example of poverty you have seen in person? does this make you feel guilty at all (say, for throwing out food that you didn’t finish)?   the saddest thing i saw, actually recently, was a pregnant woman with her husband in the pouring rain with just a small umbrella and a sign.  can't remember what it said, honestly, but it was depressing.  and of course i feel guilty. do you look at sex as a special thing that is shared with someone you love, or do you treat sex more casually? if you are a virgin, are you waiting for the right person to come along, or do you have religious/moral reasons to wait?   it is 100% something special you share with hopefully one person.  and i'm waiting for both reasons. do you unfriend people on facebook who post endless status updates or seem to be begging for attention? what about family members or coworkers – are you comfortable accepting their friend requests?  is there anything on your facebook that could potentially cause trouble for you if someone were to see it?   if you're fishing for attention, hell yes i do.  i don't put up with that.  and i take invites from family, yes.  but i guess my use of profanity could cause some nasty looks from some of my family, particularly my grandma. when you have a significant other, are you honest about everything with that person, or do you think that there are some things better left unsaid? do you want your significant other to be willing to tell you anything and everything as well?   i'm entirely open.  and yes. grossest memory:   that one time my late lizard pooped aaall over my hands and shirt.  i nearly puked. what do you think of "abstinence"?   it's the safest option for everyone. don’t you just hate preachers?   uhhh, nooo...? does a mango smoothie sound good to you now?  omgggg yaaaas what’s something that you find trashy?  very short shorts.  cover your ass, please. crayons or markers?   crayons would you rather receive roses or sunflowers?   roses. do you like to stay in your pajamas all day long?   honestly, i'm always in my pajamas unless i have to go somewhere. mints or chewing gum?   gum. at one point of your life, have you been obsessed with dinosaurs or robots?   dinosaurs, yes.  i was obsessed as a kid.  i still think they're cool. have you ever been in a car accident?   yes. are you afraid of stink bugs?   yeah, they look freaky. are you interested in anime?  somewhat, sure. name your favorite cartoon.   pokemon are you afraid of the dentist?   nah. do you believe in abortion?  no. have you ever tried jolly rancher candy canes?   YUUUUM, yes ;v; do you go hunting?   no. what is your biggest accomplishment in life so far?   recovering. do documentaries bore you?   if they're about animals, no. are you usually happy or sad most of the time?  happy, as of the late. (: are you afraid of spiders?   most, yes. what is your most prized possession?  the plaque i have for graduating in the very top percentage of my class. do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?  closed. have you ever peed in the woods?   no. ever used a gun?   no. who would you like to see in concert?  METALLICA, PLSSSSSS what’s your second favorite color?   pink do you know any african spiritual songs?   no. what kind of stuff do you like on your hot dogs?   mustard and ketchup. what’s one thing that’s happened to you that has made you a stronger person?   jason breaking up with me. what’s one thing that’s happened to you in your life that made you feel weak?   again, jason leaving. who do you think has had the largest influence on the person you are today?   myself? what is one thing you feel your life is missing?   adventure, definitely.  action. which blink-182 song do you think is the most depressing?   that i know?  "i miss you." what color lights are on your christmas tree?   we use colorful ones every year. are there hurricanes where you live?   yep. have you ever been to a rehab center?   i guess that depends on what you mean by "rehab center."  never a place exclusively to get off drugs, no.  but the mental hospitals i've been to doubled as detox centers.  which was remarkably stupid.  you don't treat mental illness patients the same as patients going through detox??? what’s your favorite flavor of ramen?   i don't like ramen. have you ever been given an ink blot test? if so, what did you see in it?   in a therapy thing, yes actually.  and i mean, lots of things?  i was shown various things. are you friends with someone who is a stoner?   no.  wait, yes actually.  but we don't really talk much anymore. do you like playing shooting games at the arcade?   nah. how long have you lived in the house you live in?   only like two months. where did you lose your virginity, if you have?   n/a what color car(s) do your parents drive?   i think dad's is black, mom's is white. what are your views on getting rid of the penny?   i don't really care. which asian country would you most like to visit?   japan have you ever had a nosebleed?   hasn't everyone at one point or another? do you have bangs?   no. have you ever kissed someone underneath mistletoe?   i don't think so. do you have a weak stomach?   no. which website do you spend the most time on?   youtube.  it's always open/i'm always listening to something, usually let's plays. have you ever kissed someone of a different race?   he kissed me, i didn't kiss him. do you read fanfiction? if so, what fandoms?   no, actually. would you go back to your ex if he/she asked you?   tyler, definitely not.  jason, not right away.  he'd definitely have to prove himself to me again. do you like stars, or hearts better?   hearts mickey mouse, or winnie the pooh?   pooh! where is the best place to get ice cream?   coldstone, brother.

[ncmagroup]

50 Patriotic Memorial Day Quotes That Honor Our Nation’s Veterans 

By MARYN LILES

On Monday, May 25, Americans across the country will celebrate the brave servicemen and servicewomen who died defending our country.

Whether you celebrate by hosting a backyard BBQ get-together or having a simple and intimate moment of silence with your loved ones, Memorial Day is a special time to honor America’s history and commemorate the bravery, courage, and honor of our troops.

We’ve gathered a list of the most dignified and patriotic Memorial Day quotes to offer to honor our nation’s veterans who sacrificed everything to fight for our freedom as Americans.

50 Memorial Day Quotes

1. “Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay.”- Barack Obama

2. “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy

3. “Heroism is not only in the man but in the occasion.”- Calvin Coolidge

4. “Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.”- Theodore Roosevelt

5. “Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.”- Franklin D. Roosevelt

6. “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”- General Douglas MacArthur

7. “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.”- Eleanor Roosevelt

8. “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”- Joseph Campbell

9. “Never was so much owed by so many few.”- Winston Churchill

10. “The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree.” -Thomas Campbell

11. “Home of the free, because of the brave.” – Unknown

12. “To those in uniform serving today and to those who have served in the past, we honor you today and every day.”- Unknown

13. “It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.”- Norman Schwarzkopf

14.”The brave die never, though they sleep in the dust, their courage nerves a thousand living men.”- Minot J. Savage

15. “May we never forget freedom isn’t free.”- Unknown

16. “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”- James Allen

17. “Veterans are a symbol of what makes our nation great, and we must never forget all they have done to ensure our freedom.”- Rodney Frelinghuysen

18. “Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.”- Unknown

19. “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God such men lived.”- George S. Patton

20. “The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.”- Benjamin Disraeli

(Unsplash)

21. “For love of country, they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”- James A. Garfield

22. “Who kept the faith and fought the fight; The glory theirs, the duty ours.”- Wallace Bruce

23. “This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.”- Elmer Davis

24. “Ceremonies are important. But our gratitude has to be more than visits to the troops, and once-a-year Memorial Day ceremonies. We honor the dead best by treating the living well.”- Jennifer M. Granholm

25. “Heroism doesn’t always happen in a burst of glory. Sometimes small triumphs and large hearts change the course of history.”- Mary Roach

26. “Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.”- Sun Tzu

27. “Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.”- G.K. Chesterson

28. “Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.”- Adlai Stevenson II

29. “And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier’s tomb, and beauty weeps the brave.”- Joseph Rodman Drake

30. “America without her soldiers would be like God without His angels.”- Claudia Pemberton

31. “So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.”- Helen Keller

32. “Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory there would be no civilization, no future.”- Elie Wisel

33. “Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” – Adlai Stevenson

34. “Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.”- Charles de Gaulle

35. “I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty, and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it’s marked by the blood of those who died defending it.”- John Thune

36. “The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.”- Jeff Miller

37. “I have long believed that sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism.”- Bob Riley

38. “There is nothing nobler than risking your life for your country.”- Nick Lampson

39. “Over all our happy country – over all our Nation spread, is a band of noble heroes– is our Army of the Dead.”- Will Carleton

40. “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”- John F. Kennedy

41. “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”- Martin Luther King Jr

42. “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”- Nathan Hale

43. “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America.”- William J. Clinton

44. “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.”- Mark Twain

45. “What I can do for my country, I am willing to do.”- Christopher Gadsen

46. “A man is a patriot if his heart beats true to his country.” – Charles E. Jefferson

47. “Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives.”- John Adams

48. “If you want to thank a soldier, be the kind of American worth fighting for.” – Unknown

49. “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We did not pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”- Ronald Reagan

50. “Let their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored.” – Daniel Webster

Get into the Memorial Day spirit and show your support with these 7 ways to help veterans.

  Go to our website:   www.ncmalliance.com

50 Patriotic Memorial Day Quotes That Honor Our Nation’s Veterans  50 Patriotic Memorial Day Quotes That Honor Our Nation's Veterans  By MARYN LILES On Monday, May 25, Americans across the country will celebrate the brave servicemen and servicewomen who died defending our country.

[thechasefiles]

The Chase Files Daily Newscap 25/11/2019

Good Morning #realdreamchasers. Here is your daily news cap for Monday, November 25th, 2019. There is a lot to read and digest so take your time. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS), Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

CAUTION ON ACQUISITIONS – Government has been cautioned by the Opposition People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP) about the manner in which it wields its power of compulsory acquisition of private property. In fact, spokesperson for the party, Reverend Paul Leacock, said governments must ensure that when such power is exercised it is unquestionably for a good national purpose. According to him, justice must be seen by the citizens to be done and power must never appear to the citizens to be abusive by the state. Addressing the matter of compensation of owners of properties acquired under the Land Acquisition Act during a press conference at the Office of the Opposition in the Parliament Building yesterday, Leacock said anytime there is a compulsory acquisition it should be just.  (DN)

DEATH LEAVES MOTHER IN SHOCK – Margaret Gill is still in shock that her only son Mark Gill is Barbados’ latest road fatality – the tenth for the year. The 27-year-old, of Strathclyde Crescent, St Michael, died on the scene following an accident around 12:55 a.m. yesterday along the Mighty Grynner Highway. Police reported that the vehicle Gill was driving collided with a tree. When a Sunday Sun team visited his mother yesterday afternoon, she was surrounded by family and friends. (DN)

GRIEVING MOM SAYS MARK GILL WAS A ‘GOOD GUY’ – Margaret Gill, the grieving mother of 27-year-old Mark Gill who lost his life in a vehicle accident just after midnight, has described her only child as a “good guy” who was multi-talented. “I am trying to be brave. I am really trying. But I guess when reality kicks in I will feel my little punches. So far, I haven’t eaten anything for the day and I don’t feel like eating. I feel like I lose weight already and it is just a couple hours since he has passed. “He is great. He is gifted. He can pick down a car, he can sand it down, he can paint it, he can do anything with a car. He used to work with his dad [Lance Gill] at Auto Repairs Centre [located in Strathclyde]. He just went for his truck licence on Wednesday so he could buy a truck,” Gill said, as she spoke proudly of the young man who she said had a bright future ahead. As she reflected on her son’s life outside of their Strathclyde, Bank Hall, St Michael home, Gill said Mark, who attended Charles F Broome Primary and The St Michael School, studied Information Technology and Business Management at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. Mark was the sole occupant of the motor car, a black Mitsubishi Evolution, registration XD92, which was travelling in a northerly direction along the highway from the area of Holborn circle towards Walmer Lodge. The vehicle reportedly veered off the carriageway to its near side and collided with a tree. Mark died on the spot. Ambulance personnel and fire rescue personnel responded to the scene. “Last night was not easy. One of his friends called and told me that he got in an accident. I said ‘he hurt?’ and he start to cry. So, when he started to cry, I told him I coming there now. I grabbed the keys and I got in the car. I got in the car and I don’t know how I get down there. I was just devastated just to hear that he got into an accident. “Then, when we got there, we saw the police got the road cordoned off is when I realized that something serious has happened. I say ‘somebody dead’. I and my husband sit down and waited until the police called us, a Rasta guy gave us some water,” she said. The mother recalled that the last time she saw Mark was around 6:30 p.m. on Friday when he left home to go for a haircut just a short distance away.  She said he had also told her he was going to get something to eat and eventually hang out with his friends, as they usually do on Friday nights. Mark often spoke about fixing up the plantation house in St Lucy where he intended to live, his mother said. He had also decided that he wanted to go on a European cruise with his family next year. Margaret said her son, who always talked about visiting Europe, was excited about exploring Germany. She said those plans to travel have to be now pushed aside, to make funeral arrangements. “Sorry he had to go so soon. He had all of these plans on travelling. But everything is in God’s hands is all I could say because we always pray. God knows best. Everybody say they would meet at Christmas, but I guess there will be one person missing. It was a lot of fun with him around at Christmas,” Gill said. She said while the tragedy has shaken the entire family, her husband who worked with his son just yesterday evening, was finding it especially difficult to come to terms with the loss.  (BT)

MURDER #43 – A man was shot and killed late last night at Eastbourne, St Philip. Police spokesman, acting inspector Rodney Inniss, confirmed the shooting death. Lawmen are on the scene conducting investigations. This is Barbados’ 43rd murder for 2019. The man who was shot and killed late last night has been identified as Denzil Obed Scarboro, alias Blue, of Farm Road, St Philip. The 29-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene at Eastbourne in the same parish, an area locally known as Vietnam. Scarboro was at a home in the district when, according to police, an unknown masked man with a firearm followed him as he entered through the side door. An altercation ensued and shots were fired. The victim fell to the floor and the assailant fled the scene. The incident occurred around 11:50 p.m. and is the 43rd murder of the year. Police investigations are continuing.(DN)

DCCA ADVISES NOT TO USE ROMAINE LETTUCE FROM CALIFORNIA - The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) is advising Barbadians not to consume romaine lettuce from California. In a statement issued through the Barbados Government Information Service this evening DCCA said, “ As the agency under the Ministry of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce charged with the protection of consumers, the DCCA is, therefore, advising all consumers not to use any romaine lettuce from Salinas, California,” as they reported that they are investigating an outbreak of illnesses caused by E. coli O157:H7 in the United States. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium which can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhoea and abdominal cramps for about two to eight days (three to four days, on average after being exposed to the organism). Most persons recover within a week, but some may develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs supports the statements by the US FDA and FSIS, and is, therefore, recommending that consumers here in Barbados: Avoid eating romaine lettuce and salad mixes containing romaine lettuce from the Salinas in California; Read their labels carefully and return any of the affected lettuce to the retail outlet from which it was purchased;  If ordering salad which contains romaine lettuce at a restaurant or at a salad bar they should ascertain whether the romaine lettuce came from the Salinas, California.  If it did, or if it is not known, it should not be eaten. Moreover, restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell romaine lettuce which was harvested from Salinas, California.  If information about the source is not available, it should not be served or sold. (BGIS)

POLYCLINIC PHARMACIES TO CLOSE EARLY ON TUESDAY – All pharmacies in polyclinics and outpatient clinics will close at noon on Tuesday, November 26, to facilitate staff training. The Ministry of Health and Wellness has advised that pharmacies located in the polyclinics, which offer the Extended Hours Service will reopen at 5 p.m. on that day. These are the Maurice Byer Polyclinic, Station Hill, St Peter; the Randal Phillips Polyclinic, Oistins, Christ Church; and the Winston Scott Polyclinic, Jemmotts Lane, St Michael. The Ministry apologizes for any inconvenience the early closure may cause. (BGIS)

FOGGING SCHEDULE NOVEMBER 25 – 29 - The Ministry of Health and Wellness’ fogging programme continues this week in a number of parishes. On Monday, November 25, districts in St Philip to be fogged are Merricks Tenantry Road, Peat Bay Road, Apple Hall, Apple Hall Terrace, Bottom Bay, Inchcape Terrace with Avenues, Harrismith, Shrewsbury, Harmony Hall, Eastbourne and environs. The team will return to St Philip on Tuesday, November 26, to fog Culpepper Development, Hillview Road, Marley Vale, Ragged Point, Sealy Hill, St. Catherine, Duncans, Beulah Road, Sandy Hill, Sandy Hill Development and surrounding areas. On Wednesday, November 27, areas to be sprayed in St John are Rosegate, Lovell Road, Codrington Road, Massiah Street, Stewart Hill, Conset Bay, College Land, Sargeant Street and neighbouring districts. On Thursday, November 28, the team will be in Christ Church to fog Ashby Land, Durants Development, Durants Road, Durants Terrace, Evergreen Road, Sealy Land, Windy Ridge, Harts Gap with Avenues, St. Matthias with Avenues and environs. St Michael will be targeted on Friday, November 29, specifically Connell Road, Rock Road, Clarke Road, Free Hill with Avenues, Boyce Road, Black Rock, Stanmore Crescent, Ellerslie School Gap, St. Stephen’s Hill, Goddard Road, St. Stephen’s Housing Area and surrounding areas. Fogging takes place between 4:30 and 7:30 pm each day. Householders are reminded to open their doors and windows to allow the spray to enter. (BGIS)

FOUR Ps PROFIT SPARTAN – Preparation, practice, planning and performance by multiple players were key planks in Spartan’s winning the Barbados Cricket Association’s Elite Division title this season. Long-standing coach Dave Marshall made this declaration after the Parkites defeated Wildey by 204 runs yesterday to clinch their first top-league crown since 2010, when they shared the title with Sagicor Life UWI, and their 21st overall. “The whole mindset of the players this season was completely different. They were more focused on winning the Cup this year. They were more disciplined at practice and they put in a lot of hard work and we planned well,” Marshall told NATION SPORT after the triumph. (DN)

COACH: PRIDE CAN DO BETTER – BARBADOS PRIDE topped Zone A of the Colonial Insurance Super50 Cup but coach Emmerson Trotman feels there is room for improvement. After completing the group stage with six wins from their eight matches with an impressive seven-wicket victory over Canada at the Conaree Cricket Centre in St Kitts and Nevis on Saturday, Trotman stopped short of giving his team full marks. “I would grade my team at eight out of ten. We lost a couple of games that we should not have lost. We have got to understand that when we have a team under pressure, we have to dominate and complete the job,” Trotman told CWI Media. (DN)

There are 37 days left in the year Shalom!  Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps #bajannewscaps #newsinanutshell

[flauntpage]

Yakkin' About Baseball: A Team Made Entirely Out Of Beards

Welcome to Yakkin' about Baseball with David Roth and David Raposa. It's Friday and we're, uh, yakkin' about baseball, and later period Kenneth Branagh. Join us.

David Roth: I've been saying this for years, and it seems like everyone is finally admitting it: Zack Cozart is the most valuable player in baseball. The only person to predict that was me, in the Yakkin' About Baseball Season Preview, which is available only to subscribers of our Cyberdust account.

David Raposa: Smash that non-existent Patreon donate button. According to Fangraphs, the only player with a higher WAR than Cozart is Bryce Harper. I for one can't wait for all the misguided articles about Cozart's inevitable Yankee contract.

David Roth: The Reds are going to trade him for a bunch of good prospects and I'm here for it. The Reds have a few of my favorite goofy baseball types and I wish good things for them. I would like to see Billy Hamilton try to score after tagging up from second base on a fairly deep fly ball in a game that matters. I would like to live my life in the way that Adam Duvall approaches his at-bats, at least until the hangovers get to be too much.

David Raposa: Sadly one of those goofy baseball types is "hilariously ineffectual starting pitchers."

David Roth: The obvious way forward for the Reds is to take all their washout pitching prospects, turn them into multi-inning relievers, and then pitch them in a slightly different order every day.

David Raposa: A staff of substandard Chris Devenskis? I can dig it.

David Roth: While other teams are using effective pitchers, the next great innovators are already disrupting the idea of "keeping your team in the game, for a while."

David Raposa: It's June, and the Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins are (as of this typing) first place teams. In a season where Brett Gardner is a serious threat to go yard—like, in a traditional, over-the-fence fashion—it only makes sense for those two teams to run the table and meet in the World Series.

David Roth: Until we see evidence to the contrary, I have no choice but to agree with you that this is true and bet all the money I have on that specific outcome. It's hard to know what is sustainable, but I think there's a chance Cozart is having a real Daniel Murphy Moment. By which I mean not suddenly getting really upset about no-gender bathrooms, but abruptly becoming a genius because he moved three inches in the batter's box. That is why he is my June Superstar of choice.

Just a pair of home run threats. Photo by Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports

David Raposa: He's probably going to be a good player for years to come, but I'm still holding out hope that Aaron Judge becomes nothing more than a post-Pog Kevin Maas. Once a Red Sox fan, always uh hoping that various Yankees revert to Maas. It's petty, but that is my heart.

David Roth: I implore you to keep the big picture in mind: there is a chance Aaron Judge hits a baseball through the windows of the odious sports bar at Yankee Stadium, exploding Rudy Giuliani's plate of loaded potato skins and Giuliani is like "aaaahhh." If only for that reason we should all give him our support.

David Raposa: On the "favorite June superstar" tip, I'd like to give both Ryan Schimpf and Joey Gallo an honorable mention, for taking Three True Outcomes worship to absurd extremes that even Rob Deer couldn't have dreamed.

David Roth: I have been wanting to write something about that but I don't have an angle really beyond "yo these two guys have a 700-point spread between their batting averages and OPS'" and a still in progress attempt to create a metric to fit the acronym SCAMPI to describe that thing.

David Raposa: Stop Chasing Average; Make Pitches Impossibletocatch. I'll send you my Direct Deposit info shortly.

David Roth: Both Schimpf and Gallo currently have more homers than singles. Which, again, is a brave and stupid way to live one's life.

David Raposa: Who needs one base, when you can have four?

David Raposa: Speaking (kinda) of the Brewers—don't hold me to this, but I think they actually might be a legitimate contender? God bless the Twins always, but outside of Jose Berrios showing signs of becoming a legitimate ace and Ervin Santana juking his peripherals, there's not much there, pitching wise.

David Roth: I've confirmed that Mike Pelfrey is no longer on the team and so must agree with you.

Arguably DJ is better than Chad Qualls. Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

David Raposa: Milwaukee, on the other hand, actually has some arms. And bats. And Kenneth Branagh's Hercule Poirot as a mascot.

David Roth: Definitely bats, definitely a mascot who would do a good job priggishly solving murders committed on old-timey trains. All their pitchers seem like slightly different versions of the same guy. I know that Zach Davies is the only big league pitcher who could be played by DJ Qualls in a movie. I know Chase Anderson is slightly bulkier than him. But I cannot prove, and I would imagine you can also not prove, that they are in fact different people. We just don't have that data yet.

David Raposa: To get serious for a sec: both ACE Anderson and Jimmy Nelson have been good to great, and MLB's number one Static X fan Matt Garza has been surprisingly solid. If Junior Guerra is healthy and Zach Davies doesn't get pantsed during the school talent show, they have a shot ... of maybe playing one more game in October against the National League West juggernaut that doesn't win the division. Baseball!

David Roth: I assume you are talking about the Colorado Rockies. A very good baseball team that also looks like one of those barbershop hairstyle posters but every look is Guy Who Strikes Out 160 Or More Times.

David Raposa: Not to keep on bringing it back to STATS like some stupid NERD, but ... it looks like they might have some pitching to go with those taters. And not just on some 2007 "Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook and be quick with the hook" tip, either.

Maybe "barbershop" was the wrong joke. Photo by Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

David Roth: I am prepared to believe it. This may be the earliest in any season that I have realized that I have no idea what I'm watching.

David Raposa: There's nothing to "get" about baseball, especially this year. Exhibit A, B, C, and D being Scooter Gennett.

David Roth: Scooter Gennett, widely reviled supporting character in The Phantom Menace, friend to Jar-Jar Binks, man who hit four home runs in a big league game. He basically had his entire 2015 season in three hours. I am just sad he is not with the Brewers, although I guess him and Jett Bandy on the Brewers in the same lineup is just too much George Lucas Baseball Name. Given what the Mets do to deface this game every damn day, have you chosen to adopt another team?

David Raposa: I'm just loving the game as a whole, maaaaan. As long as SNY keeps their broadcasters, though, the Mets will always be that annoying dirtbag friend I can't help but like.

David Roth: I would like to, say, adopt the Brewers, provided broadcasts could still come with Keith Hernandez free-associating about Badfinger records and sighing. Or I guess the Diamondbacks, but if they didn't have Tactical Uniforms and play in Arizona. And if staying up late to watch them play wouldn't lead me to embarrass myself with weird questions at Senate hearings. Although I guess this explains why Sen. McCain kept asking James Comey about Chris Owings on Thursday.

David Raposa: I'm sure he thinks the Dansby Swanson trade was the result of a Russian hack.

David Roth: Staying up late into the night to watch the Diamondbacks and Padres is honestly the most maverick-y thing McCain has ever done. Cursing in front of journalists isn't Maverick. An octogenarian staying up until 1:30 in the morning to watch Fernando Rodney face Manuel Margot is fucking Maverick.

David Raposa: Whom among us...

Yakkin' About Baseball: A Team Made Entirely Out Of Beards published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv