#totally not forgot to post this 5 consecutive times

[den-kunn]

Drawing Armageddon Roster

Pt. 11: Sareena

Previous Parts.

[8flix]

Before you go. Any comments on byler? 🎤

Ah, yes. The byler predicament. Allow me to muddy the waters even more.

But first, a disclaimer: to be clear, I have no conclusive/confirmed information about season 5. What I know are inferences made from previous leaks, combined with what we now know as fact.

A little more on that before I get to Byler:

The leak came from outside of Netflix; a third-party private company that offers closed captioning services (as confirmed by Forbes, then eventually Netflix). The leaked videos of Heartstopper Se3 and Arcane Se2 are low resolution (640x266 / 640x480) encodes of unlocked edits (ie: edits that are subject to change at the network's discretion), and devoid of VFX. If you're a fan of either show, don't waste your time because it will only spoil the finished product.

That being said, I doubt that there is any video of ST5 episodes 1 through 3, as purported by the so-called "hacker" (I use that in "quotes" because any schlub with an email address could have accessed the server without restriction -- the login app had no restrictions to the inhouse videos).

So, aside from the fact that Netflix will aggressively pursue civil and criminal charges against the source (if they ever find the person) -- a threat that any legit hacker would certainly ignore (unauthorized access to a computer network is already a federal crime, regardless of whether or not something was "taken" and/or released publicly) -- I think there won't be any video of ST5 leaked because it doesn't exist.

A legit hacker would have released it already, defying both Netflix and the FBI, and in such away that would make tracking them down impossible. What is there to lose? Nothing for a legit "hacker." And let's be honest: this wasn't a "hack" of top-secret government documents. And the "hack" will not cause long-term financial damage to a publicly traded company like Netflix. In an election year, the Feds have more important cyber criminals to go after than a scriptkiddy looking for notoriety in the Fortnight Discord app.

Realistically, it's doubtful more than a cease-and-desist letter from Netflix to that Twitter influencer dude, and perhaps firing the IT guy who forgot to flick the privacy toggle on the login app at the closed-captioning company, will come to fruition. And like I said, a legit hacker has zero fucks to give, so threats of a civil lawsuit or prison time would mean nothing to them because their OPSEC would be 100%.

Also, it's my belief that no videos of ST5 will come out because of how TV series are made. Principal photography of ST5 is around 12 months (December 2023 - December 2024). That's a 5-day work week, 16-hours per day. Not including holidays, reshoots, and unforeseen delays, about 48 - 50 weeks in total -- so, about 250 - 300 days of shooting (a movie is often 30 - 120 shooting days). Post production -- which includes editing, music, VFX rendering, ADR, etc. -- will take at least 6 months. For a $200 million series like ST5, 4 - 6 weeks of per-episode-editing is not unheard of. Stranger Things is arguably a Netflix legacy. It's not only going to be protected, but perfected.

Season 5 is being released in two-parts. Part 2 will likely still be in post-production when Part 1 is released. To give you an idea of how close producers come to hard deadlines for series: I watched (legit) screeners of Locke & Key Se2 -- the final two episodes -- before they were complete -- 2 weeks before the world premiere. It's that close.

ST5 shoots chronologically, with some exceptions. Meaning, they film in order of episode. (Movies, on the other hand, film according to scene and schedule -- scenes that take place in the same location, but spread throughout the movie and take place on different days, are shot consecutively). The leak happened in late June (apparently), which would mean that episodes 1 through 3 would have been shot and edited by May. That's not realistic. Like, at all. If I were a betting man, I'd say that episode 1 is still being edited as I write this. There is still 4 months of principal photography remaining.

My expectation is to see trailer #1 during the Super Bowl in February. And October 31, 2025 as a release date for Part 1.

My expectation is a December release for Part 2.

Hardcore hype and teasing for 10 months.

This is my guess; based on personal experience with shows and movies that are not Netflix properties.

Okay, so, Byler...

If you believe the 2022 "definitely not leaked Se4 scripts" are definitely real... then Will is "fully resigned to knowing that he’s just ripped off the Band-Aid." #Byler, as we know it, will never come to be and #Mileven is endgame.

Or, if you believe the "definitely not leaked Se4 scripts" are definitely cap, then Byler is, in fact, the real endgame.

Given the circumstances, I am obviously the former. And, as much as I hate to say it, Will and Mike will never be a couple. 99% confident about that one.

Whichever side you take, in the words of Dr. Emmet Brown, "You're not thinking fourth dimensionally." (hint)

Will Will find love? No. There are bigger plans for Will. Conversely, there are plans for El that go way beyond teenage love. Again, if you believe the fake scripts to be real, then it will become apparent in ST5 that Will and El share a unique connection. My inference is that they are related. If not in the current timeline, then in the alternate timeline and reality (that will be revealed in Se5). "Young versions" of "Will, El, Mike, and the others," have already been cast to appear in Se5. But, IMAO, they're not the "young versions," but the alternate timeline/reality versions. Back to the Future, and Terminator are huge influences. As is the JJ Abrams movie "Super 8" (watch the movie, there are so many similarities with it, and Stranger Things).

I'll also add that there were scenes filmed in 2020/2021 that were meant to be included in season 5. I think -- if memory serves -- it's in or at a church and touches on the theme of "occult murders". So, I wouldn't be surprised if Eddie Munson makes an appearance.

In my professional opinion as a writer (excluding what I may or may not know about ST5): regardless of what scripts you've read -- official, unofficial, fake, real -- the series endgame has already been revealed on screen. I'll explain:

In general terms, for any television series with a definitive finale, and a pre-determined ending, writers follow a blueprint: specific plot points that must revealed along the way so that the story makes sense to viewers -- even to those with conflicting opinions.

If the writing is done correctly, then (for example) when something is revealed in episode 25, viewers will experience a lightbulb moment: "Oh yeah, I remember the references during episodes 2, 5, and 15."

So, using the Byler vs Mileven plotlines, it's plausible that either outcome is still possible. That's the brilliance of Stranger Things' writers' room (I say that sincerely).

Clues have been dropping since episode 101. Spoken dialogue, secondary dialogue, music selection (read the lyrics), character names, specific dates, shooting locations, pop culture references, carefully choreographed shots and scenes, numbers, dates, background props... Everything contains a piece of a puzzle that reinforces what is already known, and reveal what will soon become obvious.

Seriously, I don't know the ending of ST. And honestly, in my experience, it's more likely than not that only the Duffers and a small handful of Netflix/21 Laps execs know the real ending. For a series as big as Stranger Things (with an estimated season 5 budget surpassing $200 million), don't be surprised if more than one ending is filmed. Certainly, more than one has been written. It's not uncommon to leak misleading (but highly plausible) information on purpose. Netflix marketing peeps are top in their field, and outside-the-box thinkers.

What I do know is that the endgame -- be it canonical or other -- will completely blow you away and go down in history as Netflix's most watched finale.

Or, it will be the biggest let down since The Sopranos ending -- the first one AND the do-over.

[onceuponatimewithhaleigh]

Time to catch up!

I'm so sorry I kinda vanished! Well, I didn't kind of vanish. I straight poofed. So I'm going to catch you guys up on what's happened since the start of August. Quite a lot has gone on, and I needed to kinda - I don't really know? Mentally I was just gone. Like August happened? I don't remember it. But anyhow here we go!

My Skin Spot:

Not cancer! My doctor so politely told me "Sometimes spots just pop up as we... get older." So. Guess I'm just gonna have some serious blemishes the older I get. Haha! I mean, not going to lie, I'm salty about it. But I'd rather be 'getting old' than have cancer. So that's all good!

Meeting with Dr. Lak:

Doctor Lak is my future surgeon for my gastric bypass. She's really really nice. Super friendly and super supportive. She got me all setup - so I have a slue of appointments made. Due to my insurance, I have to see a dietitian for six months consecutively before I can have the surgery. I also have to pass a nicotine test. So - I have to quit smoking ASAP. Which, I need to anyhow. (more on my smoking at the end lol) but overall she was absolutely fantastic!

College(Part One):

Before classes started I talked to my amazing Academic Advisor, Kathrine - and I told her some of my interests and my plans for after college. And we both kinda poked around at my minoring in Photography. To me, that wasn't really enough, so I am now a double major!

OBGYN:

I haven't said anything here, but I have plans in becoming a mother as soon as my health permits. Now I am not in a relationship, nor do I plan to be. I want to be a single mother. Some people think I'm absolutely bat-shit crazy for that. But I think, for me that is the best thing. I have an extremely supportive family, and I have zero doubt in my mind that my child will be loved as much and so much more than they'd ever possibly need! The issue here was A. my weight. B. my family has a history of fertility issues. C. I have PCOS. D. I don't have a partner haha, Kinda need two to tango ;) That all being said, I had mentioned this to my OBGYN, who retired randomly on me in March(with no notice - canceled pre-existing appointments, and with no doctors accepting new patients). I had been telling him about bad pains I'd been having for a while, and he never really listened to me or made any move to investigate. I did my own research, as well as spoke to people about it - and thought I may have Endometriosis. I brought my thoughts to him. He shrugged and said "That's probably it." and made Z E R O effort to figure it out. After three months of pain being horrible to the point sometimes when I was driving, I'd have a flare-up and I'd have to pull over because the pain was so bad I couldn't breathe or see. Then he retired. Then there were no doctors accepting anyone new. So. FINALLY - August 10th I get into a new OBGYN, Dr. Curtis. The first impression was "dudes young and super hip this is gonna be weird..." I'm weird when it comes to doctors, but doctors messing around down there I'm even weirder LOL. I feel like if my OB was a woman there's some weird competition 'Mines prettier...' I have no idea don't judge me xD I told him my wants and things and he told me sadly some older doctors just don't care. they're very black and white. And he was spot on. He told me I probably don't have endometriosis. Put me back on birth control, told me to have the gastric surgery, and then he'd get me in for an exam, and he'd get me to a fertility clinic. He supported me 100% in wanting to become a single mother. He did say that I was the youngest he'd ever seen himself, but he had no issues moving forward with me doing that. Told me a year after surgery, he'd get me to a clinic and we'd get me a baby xD

Dietitian:

My dietitian's name is Andrea, and guys, I love her. She is so goofy as scatterbrained it makes me giggle! I learned a lot during that call though! (all my appointments with gastric have been on the computer/phone) So, this hospital does post-surgery stuff differently than any others in the area, and they've found it's got the best results. So after surgery, I'd usually be on a liquid diet for 6 weeks. Which is standard. Nope! Not here! After surgery, I'll be on a pure protein diet. Not shakes- PUREAED MEAT. How gross right? Meat slushie anyone? Gag lol She goes "Everyone seems to love the pureed eggs" and I literally gagged in the call xD This is gonna be the death of me. Another thing that had me completely shook was that with a stomach the size of an EGG after surgery, I still have to drink 64oz of water a day. She said I can only drink 2oz at a time. So I basically have to take a shot of water every 10 minutes ALL DAY LONG. But! I can't drink anything at all for 30 minutes BEFORE I eat, I can't drink WHILE EATING(which I have to eat 3/4 a cup over 45 minutes-_-), and I can't drink shit for 30 minutes AFTER I eat. So. This shit's gonna be wild man. I'm excited but anxious as hell. And for the rest of my life, I'll be taking vitamin supplements.

Weight:

Currently, my weight is 417lbs

College(Part Two):

So. Friday(Aug. 28th) before the term starts, I have a massive breakdown. That Monday the first week the course was available to look at. We could submit anything, but we could go in and do the work and submit it later. Well. I got in there in my Introduction to Liberal Arts(IDS-100), and boooyyy did I overreact. :) I freaked out. I got overwhelmed because my IDS-100 professor is a very longwinded man. The email I had gotten made everything seem way way more complicated than necessary. And I basically went into spiral mode. 

'is a college education reallllyyyy that important?'

'What's the point?'

'I'm gonna fail anyhow, so why try?'

'My family will think I'm a failure...'

'I shouldn't even try, so I don't fail.'

A whole slue of shit thoughts went through my head, and I took it, man. That little demon in my brain just bitching "Never good enough. Not smart enough! Failure." And I sat there and took it like a little bitch. I got so bad I called my advisor, Good ole Kathrine, and LUCKY FOR ME; she was busy and didn't answer. I had the ability to talk to another advisor, but I didn't wanna sob into a stranger's ear so LOL. I called my dad when I was balls deep into a panic attack, and he came down and talked me out of it, and then told me he'd sit with me when I do classwork so he can help if I need it. Which, It's not really that I need help, I was worried about my comprehension of the information I read in class. Because I'm a very visual learner and one of those that talks shit out. And being online, I'm alone in my room so uh lol But yeah. He talked me down, got me all calmed down. Then the next day, my advisor called and asked why I'd called and she apologized for not being available and I laughed and told her straight "It's better you were busy, Cause I'd have dropped out." and she was shocked. Told her all of what happened and what was going on in my head and she told me she was gonna set up weekly appointments with me after each module opens. a new module opens every Monday. and she said she was gonna call me every Tuesday. I went on a spiel about how I feel ridiculous cause I'm being a burden. And she squashed that thought hella fast. So long story short. I am so blessed to have a support system between my dad and my wonderful advisor Kathrine. Lol

Boooo:

I gained a new allergy and lost an old one. I have no idea how that worked. But. No longer allergic to Soy. But now have a TERRIBLE reaction to all dairy products... Which fuckin blows because I live in Wisconsin, and I L O V E cheese. -_- Cheese hates me. :(BYE GUYS!

Whoops!

Forgot about the smoking bit, this is an Edit lmao Basically - TOTALLY thought I could drop smoking cold turkey cause that's how I'd done it every time I'd quit smoking before. Welp. Not this time :) I was a raging bitch, and a HORRIBLE migraine that was so bad I couldn't do ANYTHING. And to top it all off, I had a panic attack lol So. It's the time of year I usually start to quit anyhow. I'm so weird. I'm a seasonal smoker. Living in Wisconsin I am NOT keen on smoking in below zero temperatures in winter. I'd like to keep my fingers. This year I started smoking earlier than usual because I was out of state where freezing winter temperatures were a minimum of like, 37*F and I'm like *cackles in Wisconsinite* CHILDS PLAY!!! So, I started smoking again in December lol Anyway, now- my dad's in control of my smokes. He gives me my daily allowance in a ziplock bag which made me laugh so fucking hard because just like I actually said to him "I feel like you're my dealer and I'm sneaking something naughty!" lol Right now I'm aloud 10 a day. Which is probably 3-5 less than I usually smoke a day. So. I'm kinda feeling it. But my dads controlling them. So this should be fun. :) That's all! Bye guys!

[foxqueen-katarian]

shadowreader2013 replied to your post “Because I decided to go back through all of the Fanart of the Week...”

Hm, I wonder if it’s about frequency? Like, is a character featured prominently (in group and singles) back to back for the contest before a new character takes over? Like a timeline about which pieces won. I haven’t watched Talks since C2 started, so I’m curious if people simply FEEL like Caleb is featured more often or if a timeline could show a clearer picture about who was featured when. But I think you mentioned that events in the game can affect fan art like Yasha/Ashley returning

@shadowreader2013​

I am officially mathed out for the day, however I did go back and fill in the first 20 episodes that were missing from the data I had (also September and October of this years winners’ which aren’t on the CritRole site that I somehow managed to overlook both times I went through those galleries).

Total overall counts ended at:

Beau: 6 single and 23 group, total of 29

Caduceus: 5 single and 13 group, total of 18

Caleb: 6 single and 23 group, 29 total

Fjord: 9 single and 21 group, 30 total

Jester: 2 single and 21 group, 23 total 

Nott: 6 single and 24 groups, 30 total

Molly: 3 single and 14 groups, 17 total

Yasha: 9 single and 15 groups, 24 total.

Nott and Fjord are tied for most combined features, with Beau and Caleb one feature behind them. Fjord and Yasha are tied for most single features, Jester still only has two. Nott is in the most group features, and Caduceus is in the least.

Edit: I knew I was brained out but I didn’t realize it was this bad. 17+18=35 not 25. Caduceus and Molly combined are tied with Nott and Fjord for most features. Caduceus and Molly combined have one more feature then Yasha (However they appear in five pieces together which means Talisen’s characters collectively have the least number of features).

And then I made very bad graphs because I’m not good at that part of mathing. ( I don’t know what tumblr did to the clarity on these, but they look okay on mobile.)

(Forgot to title second graph, it’s group features)

The lines show where a particular character was featured in consecutive weeks, there are only dots on episodes where a character was featured in that weeks win. (Every character has a dot on 86 to show what their total was)

[racingtoaredlight]

College Football 2020 Season Week 12 TV Watch Em Ups: this is really still way too much football

Would you believe that I am not good at conveying accurate information? I know, it came as a shock to me, too! But it turns out this is week 12 of the college football season. Somebody else can leaf back through these posts but I’m not sure from this distance that I even made it as far as week 1 with the number listed correctly. But I’ve gotta trust what’s in front of me.

It doesn’t matter anyway. The long game for me has always been waiting for the season to be called off entirely and it’s becoming more and more clear that some version of this grotesquerie is going to make its way to the very bloody end of the playoffs. So even in my safest gambling prognostications I am utterly useless and wrong. (Maybe two consecutive days without my pills was a bad idea...) Here’s where things stand at postin’ time:

Saturday, November 21

Matchup                                             Time (ET)                       TV/Mobile

Georgia Southern at Army                12:00pm                        CBSSN

What a miserable way to open a post. Let’s skip this one.

Illinois at Nebraska                            12:00pm                           FS1

Still loling at Penn State. A great capper to Nebraska hanging on to beat Penn State last week would be to turn around and earn Lovie Smith another chance to win four more games in 2021.

LSU at Arkansas                                12:00pm                         SECN

This appears to be a mistake as LSU suspended their football program for the 2020 season.

6 Florida at Vanderbilt                       12:00pm                          ESPN

Florida hasn’t had a complete fuck up yet in 2020. Something seems really off about that.

9 Indiana at 3 Ohio State                   12:00pm                          FOX

Indiana has been the feel good story of 2020 college football so far. Maybe the only feel good story. They’re going to lose this game but show enough pluck and fight and courage to stick pretty close to the top 10 before taking a soul shattering dive at home against Maryland next week. Or they’ll just lose to tOSU by 60.

4 Clemson at Florida State                12:00pm                          ABC

Bobby Bowden built Florida State into a powerhouse by taking road matchups against anybody dumb enough to take that win for granted. There is a whole “sod graveyard” at FSU commemorating the biggest of those wins. So there’s a decent chance the +35.5 line for this game (or +36.5 depending on where you bet) is the most anybody has ever been favored as a road team in Tallahassee. I’ve mentioned before in these posts that FSU is maybe at the lowest point of any of Florida’s big three programs in my lifetime. There is actually no maybe. This program is a total shambles right now.

East Carolina at Temple                     12:00pm                            ESPN+

Eh, sure. Fine.

Arkansas State at Texas State           12:00pm                           ESPNU

Not sure if any of you caught the whole Farhad Manjoo controversy on twitter yesterday but basically he wrote an article for the New York Times about how many people he’s been exposed to in terms of COVID risk lately and how dangerous it could be for him to now fly home to his parents house for Thanksgiving. After going through all of the math and demonstrating pretty well what a horrible idea it would be for him to celebrate Thanksgiving with his parents he concludes by saying that he’s going to go ahead and celebrate Thanksgiving with his parents anyway. This game here, Arkansas State at Texas State, is about the same level of completely worthless risk of death and it’s still going to be played. I might start referencing that dumb Farhad Manjoo article/idea more regularly in watch em up posts.

Appalachian State at 15 Coastal Carolina         12:00pm           ESPN2

Coastal Carolina is going to win a national championship against BYU because every other program is too close to an 100% infection rate to keep playing. BYU doesn’t believe in shit like COVID and Coastal Carolina used up all of their budget fielding a team in the first place.

Stephen F. Austin at Memphis             12:00pm                          ESPN+

There it is, the 100th game to kick off at noon this Saturday! Congratulations, everybody!

Rice at North Texas                               2:00pm                            ESPN3

Rice has had a football program for a really long time for some reason.

FIU at WKU                                            2:00pm                             ESPN3

...

North Alabama at 8 BYU                      3:00pm                        BYUtv/ESPN3

One of sports great rivalry games.

UTSA at Southern Miss                        3:00pm                            ESPN+

Mmm, another classic.

Western Carolina at Eastern Kentucky        3:00pm                   ESPN3

Thank god this one isn’t cancelled.

UCLA at 11 Oregon                               3:30pm                            ESPN2

Chip Kelly is still at UCLA, right? It would be kind of funny if he beat Oregon but also might go more or less unnoticed. Oregon has to be the least hyped team in the country to feature maybe four 2021 first round picks and a clear path to a conference title. The Pac-12 came so close to actually doing the right thing and not playing this year.

Iowa at Penn State                                3:30pm                              BTN

When I said that Indiana is the feel good story of the season so far I forgot that Penn State hasn’t won yet. Rockeye Chalkeye Hawkeyes or whatever Iowa’s chant is. Let’s keep it fucking going.

California at Oregon State                    3:30pm                              FS1

Not a single feeling.

10 Wisconsin at 19 Northwestern         3:30pm                             ABC

For my money this is close to as unappealing as a top 20 matchup is liable to ever be. That’s only partially explained by the sham quality of this season overall.

San Diego State at Nevada                    3:30pm                             CBS

This is good stuff normally but I might just skip this entire day of watching.

Middle Tennessee at Troy                       3:30pm                           ESPN3

{URGE TO DO LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE INTENSIFYING}

Georgia State at South Alabama            3:30pm                           ESPNU

I am boiling over with apathy at the thought of this one.

7 Cincinnati at UCF                                  3:30pm                            ESPN

The people’s champs are not particularly great this year but maybe they can do us all a solid and derail the train that is Ohio State, Jr. The line isn’t crazily tilted towards the Bearcats (-5)  so maybe it’s a real possibility?

Virginia Tech at Pitt                                  4:00pm                            ACCN

Don’t let anybody convince you that the players aren’t wearing masks on the field during game action here. You’ve just gotta believe.

Kansas State at 17 Iowa State                4:00pm                            FOX

I should be interested in this one and yet...

Kentucky at 1 Alabama                            4:00pm                            SECN

For the record I agree that Mac Jones is really good and I also put him at about the 15th best player on the Tide this year. So, no, he wouldn’t be in the lead for RTARLsman 2020 if that were happening.

Abilene Christian at Virginia                     4:00pm                       RSN/ESPN3

UVA is completely inscrutable this year. Even more than usual. But they have been an absolute pleasure to watch in short bursts because their uniform game has been exceptionally sharp.

 Tennessee at 23 Auburn                            7:00pm                           ESPN

Missouri at South Carolina                            7:30pm                   SECN Alt.

The SEC is putting their messiest foot forward in primetime this week.

Michigan at Rutgers                                        7:30pm                     BTN

Great conference matchup between two programs that peaked in the 19th century and will never be national champions again.

21 Liberty at NC State                                     7:30pm              RSN/ESPN3

This Liberty being ranked thing is hilarious but I’ll be pretty happy if NC State wrecks them.

14 Oklahoma State at 18 Oklahoma              7:30pm                     ABC

Bedlam, baby! In primetime! Why!

Mississippi State at 13 Georgia                     7:30pm                     SECN

I don’t root for the UGAs often but I’ll be deeply in their corner this week. I want Mike Leach out of a job by the end of next season.

Arizona at Washington                                    8:00pm                      FOX

Pretty sweet uniform matchup, if nothing else. It is nothing else.

20 USC at Utah                                                10:30pm                    ESPN

I should really want to watch this game but I really don’t.

Boise State at Hawaii                                      11:00pm                  CBSSN

Maybe Boise will be tired from travel but they have no business winning by less than 20. Hawaii is not running that GoGo shit and they deserve to burn for it.

GAMES OF THE WEEK

Charlotte at 15 Marshall                                  Postponed

Wake Forest at Duke                                       Postponed

ULM vs. Louisiana Tech (in Shreveport, LA)    Canceled

Ole Miss at 5 Texas A&M                                 Postponed

Central Arkansas at 24 Louisiana                   Canceled

Michigan State at Maryland                            Canceled

San Jose State at Fresno State                      Canceled

UNLV at Colorado State                                  Canceled

Arizona State at Colorado                              Canceled

Washington State at Stanford                        Canceled

Navy at USF                                                      Canceled

[livingwellpage]

I Tried Planking for 5 Minutes Every Day for a Month

Call me a masochist, but I love a good plank.

Bodyweight exercises, like the good old plank, are simple to work into your fitness routine in that they require no extra gear. But in recent months, I lost sight of the obvious benefits of planking, so we went on hiatus. I would usually throw in a few plank holds after some post-run squats and crunches, but one day I was running late for a meeting and thought, "I'll skip them just this once." And, of course, I never planked again that entire season.

That's what happens. You think these movements are so small they don't matter, but guess what? They totally do. I realized my core felt like a loaf of sourdough bread and my back ached like I was 90. So I told myself it's time to re-plank my way to fitness. (A good place to start: The Ultimate 30-Day Plank Challenge for Your Strongest Core Ever)

One proven way to start a new habit (and stay committed to it) is by setting a monthly goal, so I gave myself the target of planking five minutes a day for an entire month. The five minutes didn't have to be consecutive, but the amount of work needed to add up to that. I ended up learning much more—about my routines, my feelings about exercise, and why sprinting toward a finish line might not always work.

Before starting, I asked Steph Creaturo, yoga teacher, run coach, and planking fiend, what I should keep in mind during every plank. Engaging your transverse abdominis—the deep core muscle that's responsible for flattening your abs and stabilizing your core from front to back—while you plank is key, she says. "It takes stress off the low back and brings all the other key plank muscles—hamstrings, butt, quads—to the party in spades."

With that, I set some ground rules: Five minutes total, can be divided however I like, and plank variations are welcome. Then I got started.

Day 1: It's the first minute of my first plank and there's nothing but me, my living room floor, dead silence, and the timer on my iPhone. One timer dings. I move from a forearm plank to a side plank. Great! Ding. Another side plank. Three tiny beads of sweat form on my forehead. I take a little break then eke my way through the other planks and have one thought: "Twenty-nine more days?"

Day 2: Instead of conquering my five minutes' worth of planks all in a row, I decide to separate them between sprints of work. Ideally, this would force me to get up from my desk and use the rest of my body for 60 seconds at a time. Not so ideal: I do two plank holds, forget about the rest until after dinner, and am forced to do the remaining minutes on a full stomach. I do not recommend this.

Day 3: Yep, more planks. Forearm planks, side planks, and straight-arm planks are my sweet spot, but I flirt with the idea of planks with leg lifts until—nope, yeah, gonna have to work up to that.

Day 4: Oops, forgot to plank today, but I think I've discovered the problem. Habits get locked in when they're instituted by a trigger action. (Changing into pajamas signals it's time to brush your teeth, etc.) I haven't found a trigger for my planking, and what doesn't get scheduled doesn't get done.

Day 5: Aha! Here's my trigger action—running. I do my two sets of five-minute planks (making up for yesterday) right after a nighttime run and my other core exercises. They're getting slightly easier.

Day 6: Since I don't have plans to run today, I try to knock out my quota in the morning. Sleepy arms don't like planks, but I do find one new trick. Instead of setting a one-minute alarm five times, I download a timer app, which can be programmed to automatically reset a one-minute timer. No breaks, but I'm finished much faster.

Day 7: Now I'm really getting creative. Full plank, forearm plank, side planks, and a bicycle plank. (OK, maybe I made this exercise up, but I felt like moving my legs.)

Day 8: Time to check up on proper plank form. I realize my back and hips are dipping, so I focus on engaging my core like I'm about to get punched in the stomach—and whaddya know, the planks become both easier (I feel much more solid) and harder (all the other muscles I was ignoring begin to activate).

Day 9: I turn on a short YouTube workout video to watch instead of my timer and it helps the seconds tick by. And then 20 minutes pass and I realize I'm still lying on the floor watching YouTube in my workout clothes.

Day 10: Five solid planks before showering in the morning. Boom.

Day 11: I'm so busy with work and deadlines that exercise is the last thing on my mind. I forget to plank.

Day 12: I forget to plank again. I think about how finding time for exercise can feel like a luxury. In the hierarchy of daily priorities, something's always gotta give.

Day 13: I remember to plank, but don't feel like it. Not going to lie, I feel pretty guilty.

Day 14: Why do we self-sabotage our exercise habits? This is a real question. There are 1,440 minutes in a day, and this activity only takes up five. Instead of planking, I probably spent a half hour telling myself "don't forget" and another five minutes lying in bed thinking "you forgot." I fall asleep.

Day 15: Determined to make up for my failures, I resolve that this is going to happen. I get down on the floor, set my timer, and planking is hard again. I feel like I've gone backward, and the struggle is real.

Day 16: I don't...feel...like…planking. Period.

Day 17: I don't plank, and in the process, I learn something new about myself. When I feel forced to do something, I can quickly grow to resent it. And right now doing five minutes of planks no longer feels like a choice. It feels like a chore.

Day 18: Planking today feels like doing the dishes or remembering to take out the trash. I wonder if I'd feel differently if I tweaked my goal, such as increasing my time by planking longer instead of doing the same one-minute rounds five times every day. I decide to stick to my original plan and opt for that challenge another day.

Day 19: Suddenly, another big problem with this challenge dawns on me. Toward the beginning of the 30-day sprint, I got injured and stopped my marathon training. Running was the anchor to all my other exercise—strength training was a complement to my running, so when there's no running, everything else kind of falls away. I tell myself that I need to reframe these planks as something that's necessary to keep me healthy so when I do run again, I'm healthier and stronger because of them.

Day 20: Feeling positive, I do a plank with a leg lift. Then, a high plank with a shoulder touch and a high plank with an arm raise. I'm a planking machine!

Day 21: After a busy day of meetings and deadlines, I forget to plank again. $#@$#.

Day 22: Planks done.

Day 23: Done again!

Day 24: Today they're easier than ever, and I feel stronger.

Day 25: I'm lying in bed, about to drift off, and realize—yup, I forgot. Or rather, I avoided. But this time, I crawl out of bed, get down on the floor, and plank my tired heart out. It feels good. I think I dream of planks.

Day 26: Looking at the calendar makes me a little sad to think I'll soon be finished with this 30-day challenge, yet also grateful that I won't have them hanging over my head. While challenges are extraordinarily useful in keeping up regular progress, it occurs to me that I didn't have anything to hold me accountable (besides writing this story, of course). If I had roped in an unsuspecting friend to do them with me, we could have supported and pushed each other. I was missing that motivation.

Day 27: I try to do a plank with a push-up. They're fun but hard. I miss running, but I remember this will help me run.

Day 28: The five minutes go by so quickly that I decide to throw in one more plank for good measure.

Day 29: Done. Done. Done. Done. Done. I feel like I'm going to miss the little patch of living room rug I've stared at (almost) every day for the past month.

Day 30: I have planked my way to victory!

Not every day was successful. I forgot some days, I dodged some others, and I fell asleep a few times, but that's the biggest lesson I've learned this past month—things happen. Treating each day like a short chance to accomplish micro goals was helpful. Fail one day? No biggie, just try again the next. The point wasn't to get a six-pack after a month (although that would have been nice) or to compete in the World Championships of Planking (that should be a thing). The point was to challenge myself mentally and physically and to get out of my comfort zone (like running without the planking). And now my biceps are a little more toned, and my back doesn't hurt anymore, so you know what? I might try again tomorrow.

This article originally appeared on Shape.com.

I Tried Planking for 5 Minutes Every Day for a Month published first on your-t1-blog-url

[anneedmonds]

Life Update: What Have I Done?

I’ve had a slightly longer break from work than anticipated; but don’t worry, there’s nothing sinister afoot. I’m not ill, the dog didn’t die, I’ve not had a drastic facelift that meant I needed to hide behind bandages for a month. I was just absolutely shattered before Christmas and then the school holidays (aka “the great relentless abyss of no childcare”) completely finished me off.

I won’t harp on about Christmas not being a holiday – you can read this post from the same time last year and just update the kids’ ages – but it’s safe to say that having a four and two year old is as much work (possibly more) than having a three and a one year old. At least toddlers (generally) haven’t discovered eye-rolling and chat-back. At least toddlers are vaguely amused by wrapping paper, empty boxes and the jangly bell from a Lindt bunny tied to the end of a piece of ribbon. Fast-forward a year and the children now want painting games on the iPad and festive biscuit-decorating sessions.

Anyway, to cut a long and fairly pedestrian story short, I decided to take a few casual days off when school started back last week so that I actually had more than twenty seconds to myself. It was great. On the first of the two child-free days (there were four school days in total but Ted only goes to nursery part time) I stayed in bed looking for second hand velvet sofas on eBay and browsing for vintage rugs on Vinterior. On the second child-free day, which – alas – wasn’t consecutive – I went to Bath in the morning with Mr AMR, had some lunch and then sorted out the shoes and boots in the utility room. Bliss.

So that covers the two days last week when I actually had some proper time off: what of the rest of the “holiday”? What an earth have I been up to, seeing as though I’ve been on a self-imposed social media ban which theoretically should free up about nine hours a day? Here’s a run-down: brace positions, people, it’s a wild ride.

I learnt how to use the scanner thing at Sainsbury’s. Have you used these supermarket handheld beepy scanner things? I’m not talking about the self checkout tills, which are so useless and stress-inducing they make me want to chew off my own feet, I’m referring to the handsets that you pick up at the start of your shop and take around with you, zapping barcodes as you go, so that at the end of your shop you can just pay and go.

No unloading the trolley at the till only to pack it up again and then unload it into the boot of your car.  (Sounds such a ridiculous waste of time when you write it down.) No watching helplessly as your bottle of Malbec slowly rolls along the conveyor belt, straight off the end and then smashes on the floor. No performance anxiety as you try to pack your bags in front of the people waiting in the queue behind you – the pressure as you feel them judging your packing speed and dexterity! The shame as you fumble to retrieve your bag-for-life from the floor! The panic as a loose lime you’ve reached for rolls away, escaping your grasp. You can feel your audience’s eyes trained upon you – they wince as you pack heavy potatoes on top of squishy cherry tomatoes, they breathe an audible sigh of relief when you realise that the milk is leaking and ask if someone could possibly get you another.

“JANET! JANET! Six litres of full fat on checkout nine! The woman’s got a leaky one!”

None of that when you use the handheld scanner. Utter genius, it is. Although I have to say, don’t let your kids mess about with it. I almost paid for eight giant boxes of dishwasher tablets and a “Pressure King” pressure cooker.

I saved over £290 on curtain tie-backs. Yes, you heard me – £290! The one from Samuel & Sons that matched my tasselled curtain (photo above) would have been £300 inc VAT and I managed to get an (admittedly much plainer) version without the tassel but with all the same tying-back abilities in the Laura Ashley sale. Eight quid! The fact that it took me around ninety-five man hours to research alternative tie-backs is by the by. I’m pretty sure my labour costs were more than the original tie-back…

I made Yorkshire Puddings properly for the first time and they were immense. Quite literally. I put a bit too much batter into each tin and they rose to just about fill the top oven. I think one of them was almost ten inches tall. Who cares, though – more is more when it comes to Yorkshire Puddings, surely? It’s the only part of a roast dinner I’m actually bothered about. Next year at Christmas I might just make myself a giant Yorkshire and fill it with gravy. Bit of al dente broccoli. Scrap of turkey and a dollop of cranberry and I’m done.

I took the stair gate off and now Mr Bear the cat is an omnipresent menace. Honestly, life was easier when he was confined to the ground floor. Now that he has free run of the house he sneaks up on you when you’re in the shower, jumps onto your back when you’re sitting on the loo and pounces on the kids’ feet in bed. He’s having an absolute whale of a time. Although I caught him pointing his claws in the direction of my velvet upholstered Soho Home bed the other day and so the gate might have to be resurrected. It’s been so nice without it though – just walking down the stairs, freely, without having to wrestle with the lock and then risk breaking my neck tripping over the frame. We could have taken it down about a year ago if it wasn’t for the cat and his penchant for creeping about the place and using furniture to sharpen his nails…

I did a self-imposed social media ban. Which I’ve already mentioned, but it’s worth saying again: I didn’t look at any social media from the 21st of December until the other day. Amazingly, my screen time didn’t go down, but that’s because I used all of the social media time trawling the internet for furniture bargains. I reckon if you squished all of the time together, I spent a full day and night searching for stuff on Vinterior – the scrolling started to make me feel seasick! (By the way, if you want to get £50 off your first order with them use RUTH CRILLY in the code box. This isn’t a special affiliate setup – anyone who orders with them can get a code.)

Why the social media ban? I just wanted a quiet and relaxing Christmas (HA!) and to properly stop thinking about work for a couple of weeks. The thing is that I have a perpetual internal monologue as I go about my day – I almost narrate my own existence – and because of this I’m always tempted to write down every thought that I’ve had, or record every action. Quite often little things I’ve done can form the basis for a post here on A Model Recommends, or I’ll jot down a thought that will then become a bigger idea which then requires a longer sit-down with pen and paper to elaborate, and unless I absolutely switch off, one hundred percent, the temptation is always there to quickly write a caption or draft a blog post.

So I moved all of my social media apps to a different page of the iPhone menu so that they weren’t staring me in the face when I opened my phone and then I just sort of forgot about them. I can highly recommend it, at least every once in a while. I actually think I have an OK relationship with social media – I’m definitely not addicted and can easily detach myself – but still. A digital cleanse felt pretty good!

Now I’m finding it quite hard to get back to work, however – I’m dragging myself very slowly into 2020, like a giant, jumper-wearing slug. I have been setting myself absurdly basic tasks so that my brain doesn’t go into shock;

email the sofa-fixing man about fixing the sofa, ask him to fix the sofa and how much it would be to fix the sofa. Can he even fix the sofa?

How are you finding the New Year? Did you set any resolutions or do you have a masterplan for 2020? Mine is to try and be more organised with work so that I don’t feel so stressed – plan my content and commitments in advance so that I know what I need to get done, rather than just fitting in tasks at the last minute or late at night. 2020 is the year of the new, streamlined me!

The post Life Update: What Have I Done? appeared first on A Model Recommends.

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[suitcasetales]

The Ice Cream Chronicles

It wasn’t supposed to happen this year. It was supposed to be biennial. It first happened in 2016. And again in 2018. But now, in 2019 it has happened.

What is “it?” you ask? “It” is Sue visiting us during the Richmond Folk Festival season thus proving that once the Richmond Folk Festival grabs ahold of you, even the most disciplined person cannot escape its grip.

And so she came early enough to have a little fun before it, help with “Site Set-Up“, work hard during the Festival weekend and then have some fun afterwards. I looked at our Facebook posts over the last two and a half weeks and it looks like all we did was have cocktails [well, Janet and Sue did anyway!], eat delicious meals and try out ice cream joints. And that we did. But there was more.

Sue has been to visit us several times so we try to always find things to do that will be new to her and sometimes, even new to us. We kick started this quest with a visit to the rooftop bar at Quirk. 

As we anticipated visiting the galleries during First Friday Artwalk, the Inwood sisters enjoyed cocktails and we ate burgers (beef and salmon) and took in the views. We left enough time before the fire dancers of Gallery 5 street performance to patronize Stoplight Gelato Cafe.

The next day, we went to what we consider our home park, Pocahontas State Park, and hiked about 5 miles. (If you are local and haven’t been to PSP lately, finally after miles and miles of exciting new mountain bike trails, there is a new “no bikes allowed” trail that runs alongside the northern bank of the reservoir and can easily be broken down to shorter loop hikes.) We had dinner at Savory Grain before an evening of laughter and entertainment at VaRep with a performance of “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder.” And dessert? Ice cream at Charm School!

Way back in March, we attended the Folk Festival Team Leader kick-off meeting. That sounds pretty impressive until you consider how much work had already been done on the festival by that time. For those of us who oversee the different volunteer “jobs,” it as a time we began strategizing and brainstorming on how we can fill the 1300 volunteer shifts needed to successfully run and support the Folk Festival. Since then, we attended several more meetings and helped recruit volunteers at the Squirrels All-Star weekend event, the Watermelon Festival and the Pride Festival…..and anytime anyone brought up the Festival.

One of the most interesting volunteer positions is to be part of the Site Set-Up team. Seeing the behind-the-scenes work is fascinating and will make you appreciate the Festival even more....if that is even possible. (You should see the pages and pages of blueprints!) The three of us volunteered Sunday morningfor Site Set-Up and Janet and Sue did another shift Thursday morning. There are plenty of tasks to accomplish, no matter what your skill or strength level.

Beyond Site Set-Up shifts, our week prior to the RFF included attending the always delectable Folk Feast (where one of the dessert selections was Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches).

On Wednesday, the final Team Leader meeting is always held on site. At this meeting, we receive our credentials, gather for a Team Leader photo and receive our final instructions and pep talk from Festival Director, Stephen Lecky. I would say it is the calm before the storm but it is usually a pretty intense time as we all have our collective fingers crossed for good weather and a safe and successful weekend and we see how much is left to do on the site. Lastly, on Thursday night, ever since we became Team Leaders, it has been our tradition to bake Pumpkin Cookies which we take to the Festival Operations office on Saturday morning.

The 15th Annual Richmond Folk Festival was a success on every level. Besides a little rain late Sunday afternoon, the weather was perfect. Records were set in donations and beverage sales. We had, by far, the most successful turnout of our volunteers. We are humbled by the faithfulness of returning volunteers and over joyed with the number of new volunteers who showed up, worked hard and said they would be back next year! And three days at the Festival meant three days of ice-cream: two trips to the Gelati Celesti’s truck [grab the pumpkin ginger snap while it is available!] and a visit to a King of Pops cart.

Sue & Ricardo, one of the Bucket Brigade Team Leaders.

Sue was interviewed by WTVR and part of her interview aired.

After an exhausting weekend buoyed by the high of the Festival, I had to work Monday and Tuesday. Monday evening, my Aunt Carol hosted a family dinner with twelve of us enjoying Uncle Ray’s cheesesteaks and lemon pie (not ice cream!) for dessert. It was very nice that everyone adjusted their busy schedules to fit ours and it is always a treat to be in their lovely home in Ashland.

After work Tuesday, with Sue all packed up, we headed east to Virginia Beach. On the way, we stopped for dinner at Pierce’s Pitt Bar-B-Que, introducing Sue to the longstanding tradition of many generations of families headed to Tidewater. By nightfall, we had settled in to a First Landing State Park cabin which would be our home for the next three days.

The forecast was gloomy for Wednesday but we were able to get in a morning hike on the 2.5 mile Osmanthus Trail. It is one of my favorites because it goes through and over swampy areas with cypress and pine trees, cypress knees and atmospheric Spanish Moss. Due to the drought, the swamps were pretty low and besides squirrels, the only wildlife we saw was a small mud snake which Sue spotted (and photographed).

Once we finished our hike, it wasn’t too long before the rain arrived in full force. Our only choice, ha ha, was to go for lunch and a look around at The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club. Completed in 1927, it underwent a major renovation and reopened in 2018. The lunch prices are very reasonable and we freely walked around the hotel, admiring the lobby, the lounge, the pool and the distillery down in the basement. We valet parked for free and attendants escorted us with umbrellas to and from our vehicle and were tipped accordingly!

A shared dessert at Becca in The Cavalier:

We drove down to Rudee’s Inlet, showing Sue the heart of Virginia Beach (albeit in the rain so we couldn’t walk the Boardwalk or along the beach), and spent some time at First Landing viewing the displays at the Nature and Trail Center and talking with a naturalist there. Back at the cabin, we relaxed a little, showered before meeting friends for dinner at 6.

We first met Carol and Barbara back in the glory days of University of Virginia women’s basketball. We had begun following the team especially to watch Dawn Staley play. We traveled often to Charlottesville, a lot to away games and to the ACC tournament which is how we got to know them and other Wahoo fans. They live in Greene County and are avid birdwatchers and just generally good souls. We dined with them at Hot Tuna but sadly didn’t have time to patronize the ice-cream shop in the same shopping center because we had to hustle to their hotel room to watch Survivor. We were recording it at home but Sue was anxious to see her third consecutive episode. We are pretty certain it was the first time Carol and Barbara had ever watched it!

We woke to bright sunshine Thursday morning but high winds and I worried about the effect the latter would have on our plans for the day. We drove over to the Bay and walked on the beach for half an hour in very stiff winds. We met Barbara and Carol at 10am to take advantage of their skill, passion and expertise to birdwatch along part of the Cape Henry trail. 

(Below) Carol and Sue

Tall trees and moderate foliage protected us from the wind and although the sound of the fighter jets training overhead disrupted our conversations at times, the birds seemed to not be bothered by the noises or have learned to adapt to it along with all the residents, human and animal. We saw many more birds than we would have on one of our hikes and loved having B&C there to actually identify them for us. We also came upon a beautifully constructed bald face hornet nest. After a couple of hours, we headed back to our cabin for lunch and for Carol to mark our official bird list.

(Above) A hairy woodpecker. (Below) A bald faced hornet nest.

We bid C&B a fond farewell and then took advantage of the warm sunshine and took a protected hike in First Landing. We were supposed to do a loop trail, combining two rather long trails, including one that was especially nice as it skirted along the shore of Long Creek. However, when we got to where that trail split off, there was a sign stating it was closed. Mad as heck because it had also been closed 18 months ago when we were there, and not wanting to back-track, we kept walking until we could loop back on a more interior trail back to the Trail Center, a total of a little over 8 miles!

After all that exercise, we figured we could have anything we wanted for dinner! We went to Bay Local Eatery not far from the Park and Janet and I both had broiled seafood platters and Sue had Shrimp & Grits (she said it would be her last chance until next year to eat grits!). No ice cream was on the offer but the waitress sold us on the homemade Key lime pie so we split a piece of it and it indeed was delicious.

After a trip to Target for “swimming costumes” since Janet and I both forgot ours, we were back at the Cabin, prepping for and planning our getaway the next morning. We had places to go…..and maybe, if we were lucky, more ice-cream to eat!

[auburnfamilynews]

Marlon Davidson took it away early. (Todd Van Emst.)

     War Eagle everybody! It’s time now for the Acid Reign Report on Auburn’s big road win over the Arkansas Razorbacks. Much was made this week of the “Arkansas early game curse,” and not without reason. This time, Auburn started fast, and Arkansas would be out of the game in less than 5 minutes down 14-0. Arkansas won the toss, and on 3rd down Marlon Davidson stripped the ball out of Arkansas quarterback Ben Hicks’ hand and was able to recover the fumble at the Arkansas 21 yard line. It took just 3 plays for Auburn to score, and the game already felt out of hand.

     The offense appeared to come out with some well-scripted plays to gain an early lead, then Arkansas tightened up nearly every defender into the box, and dared Auburn to throw. At that point, Bo Nix and his receivers had several missed communication issues, and Auburn managed just a handful of 2nd quarter yards, but had a 17-0 lead at the half.

     The 3rd quarter began poorly for the Tigers. Auburn received the opening kickoff, then apparently forgot to call a first play or to set up which players were going to be in on that first snap. A delay of game flag was thrown on the Tigers, leading to a quick 3 and out. Arkansas went on their longest drive of the day, with some interesting switches on their run blocking, and multiple defensive penalties on Auburn. Tigers finally tightened up and forced a field goal, and still held a 17-3 lead.

     Arkansas had eaten the 3rd quarter clock down to 5:53 by the time the Auburn offense got a second chance. Auburn cracked out a couple of first downs behind hard-nosed running by D. J. Williams, then a first down touchdown bomb from Bo Nix to Seth Williams essentially iced the game. From that point, the Auburn offense exploded for 4 more touchdowns in the last 20 minutes of the game.

     On defense, Auburn had as big a mismatch up front as I have ever seen against an SEC offensive line. Arkansas tried everything, but they could not effectively protect the quarterback nor open up running lanes very often. Auburn had a few errors in the back seven, but Arkansas did not manage to get into the end zone till late in the 3rd quarter, when reserves were being added to the rotation in increasing numbers.

     Special teams were mostly decent on the day, and Auburn certainly won the battle over Arkansas in all phases. Auburn broke the consecutive made extra point record with 304 straight, before missing one in the 4th quarter.

Unit grades after the jump!

Defensive Line: A+. Auburn held Arkansas to just 52 rushing yards for the game, and Auburn linemen caused havoc frequently for the Razorbacks. The line totaled 19 tackles, including 5 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks. There was also a forced fumble and recover, plus a couple of passes batted down at the line. Marlon Davidson had a whale of a game, and Arkansas had to try to avoid his side of the field after a while.

Linebackers: B+. I counted off a bit for a starting linebacker blowing a coverage and allowing an Arkansas tight end get away for a big touchdown reception. Also there were a few missed tackles. However, overall this unit played well, especially against the run. The linebackers contributed 9 tackles and a sack.

Secondary: B+. I counted off for a couple of coverage penalties, and for safeties getting the top blown off the defense on a late touchdown. However, these guys also made a bunch of plays, and continue to tackle well. They had to this game, as Arkansas attempted 40 passes on the day, completing just 19. The secondary held the Razorbacks to just 4.5 yards per pass. That offensive performance won’t result in many drives, completing less than half the time. The secondary made 27 total tackles and were credited with 6 pass breakups.

Punting: A. Auburn punted just twice in this one, and Arryn Siposs averaged 47.0 yards per, and Auburn did not allow a return.

Punt Returns: B-. I gave this grade due to 5 fair catches on 6 Razorback punts. On the other hand, Auburn prevented any field position due to rolling, and there were no punts dropped on the ground this week. Arkansas was punting high and short in this one, with only a 39 yard average.

Kick Returns: A- I would have liked to have seen a little better blocking, but I felt like all 3 Auburn men who returned kickoffs made some good runs and decisions. Noah Igbinoghene had 1 for just 15 yards, but it looked like at least 7 or 8 coverage guys had broken through the protection. Arkansas tried to bounce a squib kick at Auburn, and Spencer Nigh not only corralled the loose ball at the 25 yard line, but then rammed forward through defenders for 11 yards. Matthew Hill caught a 2nd half kickoff at the ten, and looked pretty good stretching it for 22 yards.

Place Kicking: B. Daniel Carlson hit 5 touchbacks on 9 kickoffs, but it should be noted that Arkansas brought a couple of them out of the end zone. The Razorbacks paid the price for that, managing only 18 yards per return and not getting any of those 3 returns out to the 25 yard line. I did not count off for a field goal miss from 48 yards. That’s a coin-flip chance or worse. I did count off a letter grade for a missed extra point. It did not significantly affect the outcome of the game.

Offensive Line: A-. First off, Arkansas really sent the house after the first couple of Auburn drives, and 5 linemen can’t block all 8 or 9 defenders that were coming. Looking at measurables, Auburn allowed only 2 sacks and 3 tackles for loss, and had no line penalties. On a day when 8 different ball carriers rolled up 298 rushing yards, you have to figure the line did a pretty good job.

Running Backs: A. I loved the committee look this week. However, it is maddening to see Auburn line up 4 wide receivers and then try to run it up the middle over and over again with a big numbers disadvantage inside. What was shocking is that it actually was working in the 4th quarter, against a tired Razorback D. Ball security was good, and Auburn guys did a good job of getting the tough yards after contact.

Receivers: B+. My main issue this week with the receivers was a few of those “communication errors” where the receiver would run a route one way, and the quarterback would throw it the other. Not knowing what routes were called, I can’t assign blame specifically where it belongs. It is probably a case of both ends of the equation at fault at different times, hence a hit on each unit’s grades. Also there were a couple of passes not caught, but those weren’t thrown great, either.

Quarterback: B+. We saw some more scrambles that might not have been necessary and some errant throws in the 2nd quarter. Both Bo Nix and Joey Gatewood were great in the second half. For the game, Auburn threw 19 passes, and completed 68 percent of them for a gaudy 10.2 yards per pass average. Auburn had 4 touchdown passes and no turnovers at the QB position, plus 43 more rushing yards and another touchdown on the ground. Not a bad day against a defense that was throwing the kitchen sink at the pass rush.

     I would like to make a complaint at this juncture. Auburn’s short yardage package continues to come up short at critical occasions. I’m against shotgun snaps on these things, but head coach Gus Malzahn seems to love them. I’d rather see an I-formation heavy set, with maybe some jet motion across. There are lots of options, including a couple of really hard to anticipate quick hitter play calls that would prevent the linebackers and safeties from getting a running start at the man that ends up with the ball. Under center you’d have options including a quick quarterback sneak, a backside belly handoff to the fullback, A give to the tailback on power, or a sweep. The quarterback could fake the handoff and roll out on the back side, with the option to throw to a tight end. You’d make the defense cover so much ground. Some of those deeper plays would be great to use on 2nd and short, or 3rd and short when you know it is 4-down territory. Against Arkansas, when Gatewood came in the game on short yardage, Arkansas knew he was keeping it, and sent everybody through the gaps.

     Next weekend, Auburn travels to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for a titanic tilt against the LSU Tigers. Auburn has not won in Baton Rouge since 1999, although the team has had chances multiple times. The game is the CBS headliner at 2:30 PM. While Auburn folks are grateful that the game is not at night at LSU, 2:30 is late enough in the afternoon for liquored-up fans to be in abundance, and really loud. LSU is one of the SEC stadiums that is now allowing alcohol sales, as well. Auburn should expect a hostile environment and a lot of noise. Let’s hope the chaos is handled better by the Auburn brain trust than it was at Florida.

     A concern about LSU this year is that they look like the New Orleans Saints offense with lots of talent at the skill positions, and the most accurate passer in the nation right now, Joe Burrow. The Auburn defense is going to have their work cut out for them. LSU has given up some points and yards this season, but yesterday only allowed Mississippi State 7 points. The defense may be getting its act together at a tough time for Auburn. Here’s hoping Auburn goes down to the bayou and gives their best effort!

The post Tigers Blast the Razorbacks! (Grading Auburn’s 51-10 win at Arkansas.) appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.

from Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog http://trackemtigers.com/tigers-blast-the-razorbacks-grading-auburns-51-10-win-at-arkansas/

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Canes Clinch, Pietrangelo, Pearson, Byfuglien, Friday Picks, and more… (Apr 5)

The interactive playoff draft list is ready for download now! Don’t wait until five minutes before your draft or deadline to purchase it. If you haven’t already preordered it, get yours today! If you have already purchased it, jump right in. It’s available in the Downloads section on the Dobber website (login required for the site, not the forum).

Once you purchase the draft list, please take a moment to get familiar with it before your draft. Read the Instructions tab before you begin using it. The Excel spreadsheet file is interactive (macro-enabled) and not just a “list.” The point total projections depend on which teams you set to advance, or you could go with Dobber’s picks if you’re really not sure. I’m not trying to make it sound super complicated or anything, but it’s better to be prepared. Hey, we just want you to win your league!

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Thursday was all about teams trying to clinch playoff spots and teams trying to jockey for position. This doesn’t matter to fantasy teams that happen to still be active (like me in my roto league), but it certainly matters to those who are preparing for playoff pools. Even though almost all of the playoff teams are set, hopefully you don’t have to commit to choosing players right now.

When you’re the Carolina Hurricanes, clinching a playoff spot is a momentous occasion.  

The last time the #Canes clinched a playoff berth was April 4th, 2009

Ten years ago to the day, WE'RE BACK

Read More » https://t.co/hmxKvfXOSB pic.twitter.com/V49Bk3w4gG

— x – Carolina Hurricanes (@NHLCanes) April 5, 2019

Yes, the “bunch of jerks” punched their 2019 playoff ticket with a 3-1 win over New Jersey. Even though the Canes won’t be providing any victory celebrations after any home playoff wins, I have a feeling that they’ll be a popular underdog to pull for.  

Petr Mrazek stopped 36 of 37 shots to earn the victory. Mrazek has had quite a run recently, posting an 11-2-0 record with a 1.68 GAA and a .944 SV% since mid-February. Both he and Curtis McElhinney will be UFAs at the end of the season. Since the Canes are a top-10 team in goaltending, I would have to believe they would bring back at least one of these goalies next season and maybe even both. If you need to pick a Canes’ goalie for your playoff pool, it’s probably Mrazek, although he and McElhinney have basically been splitting starts for the past few weeks.

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The Hurricanes’ victory combined with the Montreal Canadiens’ loss to Washington means that the Habs’ playoff hopes take a significant hit. The Canadiens have the same number of points as the Columbus Blue Jackets, but the Jackets have a game in hand. The Jackets’ last two games are against relatively beatable opponents in the Rangers and Senators, but nothing is guaranteed of course.   

The Habs had their chances (Max Domi and Artturi Lehkonen each took six shots), but Braden Holtby was up to the task in stopping 33 of 34 shots in the Capitals’ 2-1 win. Holtby has been getting it done for fantasy owners at the tail end of the season, reeling off five consecutive wins. Check out his splits this season (from his Frozen Pool profile):

Qtr         GP          W            L              OTL        GAA       SV%       QUAL    QUAL%

1              13           5              5              2              3.24        0.900     4              30.8

2              16           11           5              0              2.61        0.918     10           62.5

3              15           5              6              2              3.35        0.903     7              46.7

4              15           11           3              1              2.20        0.921     10           66.7

The defending Stanley Cup champions have now clinched the Metropolitan Division and should be considered the favorite to represent the division in the Eastern Conference Final.

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Whatever the opposite of a revenge game is this is it pic.twitter.com/WQNQox405t

— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) April 5, 2019

All I can say is thank heaven I dropped Brian Elliott yesterday because I was about to run out of goaltending starts and still had plenty of forward starts. That was Elliott’s night, all in a span of less than seven minutes. Hopefully you didn’t fall victim though.

Alex Steen inflicted the most damage for the Blues in their 7-4 win over the Flyers, scoring two goals and adding an assist with a plus-3. You can’t be blamed if you completely ignored Steen, as he had been held without a point in his previous five games.  

Alex Pietrangelo recorded three assists for the Blues. The father of triplets has now reached the 40-point mark for the third consecutive season and fifth time in six seasons. Obviously this is a dip from last season, which Dobber (who is a father himself) warned you about before the season. Pietrangelo’s second-half production (27 points in in 42 games, 0.64 Pts/GP) has been noticeably better than his first-half production (13 points in 28 games, 0.46 Pts/GP), which may be related to the Blues’ remarkable second-half surge. Or maybe it’s because he’s adjusted to life as a busy dad.

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The Canucks might have nothing left to play for, but don’t tell Tanner Pearson. The recently acquired left winger scored another goal and added an assist, which gives him four goals in his past five games and eight goals in 18 games as a Canuck. The Canucks are dying for top-6 forwards that can play alongside their big three of Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Bo Horvat. Pearson might be proving that he can at least be that guy beside second-line center Horvat.

Just to get you excited for next season, Quinn Hughes assisted on both Canucks’ goals, giving him three points in four games as a Canuck. Between Cam Robinson and me, there’s a disproportionate amount of Canucks’ highlights on here. With that in mind, here’s one more of one of Hughes’ assists.  

Quinn Hughes — the real deal in Vancouver.

What a pass. pic.twitter.com/4kiesNKDQu

— NHL (@NHL) April 5, 2019

We’ll have all summer to debate whether he will start next season on the Canucks’ PP1. The Canucks use Alex Edler a ton, so I wouldn’t quite pencil Hughes in yet. But it’ll be a matter of time.

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Jaroslav Halak stopped all 26 shots he faced in the Bruins’ 3-0 win over Minnesota. That’s five shutouts this season for Halak, which is not bad for a backup goalie. Halak’s ratios (2.34 GAA, .922 SV%) are among the top 10 among goalies who played at least 30 games. Halak is signed for another season in Boston, which might be something to think about when valuing Tuukka Rask next season. Rask has won 27 games and played in just 45 games this season, which are his lowest totals in six seasons.

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The Colorado Avalanche were another team that clinched a playoff spot on Thursday, thanks to a 3-2 overtime win over Winnipeg. Philipp Grubauer stopped 34 of 36 shots he faced in the win, which gives him a 7-0-2 record over his last nine starts. He has posted a 1.63 GAA and a .953 SV% over that span, which should cement him as the Avs’ starting goalie to start the playoffs and into next season.

The Avs clinched a playoff spot in spite of missing Mikko Rantanen, who has missed the past seven games with an upper-body injury. Alex Kerfoot has been subbing for Rantanen on the Avs’ top line. Although Kerfoot was held without a point on Thursday, Kerfoot had been taking advantage of the situation with eight points in his last six games.

Dustin Byfuglien might have been angrier than you were that he didn’t receive much power-play time on Thursday.  

Dustin Byfuglien just slammed his stick in anger on the #NHLJets bench, breaking it, after not getting a second of power play time. Jacob Trouba stayed out for the entire 2-minute man-advantage. That's…not good. On several levels. #wfp

— Mike McIntyre (@mikemcintyrewpg) April 5, 2019

So once all was said and done, Jacob Trouba logged over five minutes of power-play time, while Byfuglien logged just 36 seconds. It’s not as if Big Buff was stapled to the bench in this one, as he took on over 25 minutes of overall icetime. Trouba is an RFA this offseason and rumors have constantly been swirling that the Jets will trade him. However, Trouba potentially sticking around and the presence of Josh Morrissey could result in a changing of the guard for Winnipeg’s PP1. By the way Big Buff has just two points in his last nine games, and that’s even with an assist on Thursday.

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Not that there should have been much doubt, but the Pittsburgh Penguins also clinched their playoff spot on Thursday. Phil Kessel and Sidney Crosby each recorded three points with each taking five shots on goal. Kessel has now reached 80 points for the second consecutive season, while Crosby has a chance to reach 100 points for the first time in five seasons if he can record two points on Saturday against the Rangers.

If you’re trying to plan playoff matchups in the Eastern Conference, this might help:  

Looks like Penguins vs Islanders in first round as long as Pens get home point vs Rangers Saturday. And of course Maple Leafs vs Bruins. Hurricanes will get Capitals or Lightning. I’m gonna say Tampa. Columbus vs Caps.

— Bucci Mane (@Buccigross) April 5, 2019

  With Nikita Kucherov's 40th goal of the season, the Lightning are the first team to boast three 40-goal scorers (also Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point) since the 1995-96 Penguins. 

Almost forgot to mention: Jake Gardiner returned to the Leafs' lineup on Thursday, although he was held without a point in just under 17 minutes of icetime. 

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Leon Draisaitl scored twice on Thursday, which gives him 49 goals on the season. These were his first goals in four games. The Battle of Alberta on Saturday night might be a mean-nothing game in the standings, but it will at least be worth watching to see if Draisaitl can become the second player to reach 50 goals, following Alex Ovechkin. The only other player with a snowball’s chance in hell at reaching 50 is John Tavares, who would need to record a hat trick on Saturday to reach that mark.

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Chances are that you’ll have more than enough options for Saturday, even with players potentially sitting out to get some extra rest before the playoffs. So Friday is the day to load up on players who will play on a light schedule (just three games). I mentioned both of the Strome brothers on Twitter, since the Rangers and Blackhawks are among the teams that play.

Some more players to consider (if you can still add them for Friday):

Oliver Bjorkstrand – Eight goals in his last eight games, also 30 shots in his last six games

Anton Khudobin – Confirmed starter on Friday (see Goalie Post for more goalie starts). Won three of his past four games, with the other game a shootout loss. Posted a 1.94 GAA and .943 SV% over that span.

Kevin Shattenkirk – No points in his last six games, but still receiving first-unit power-play time

Tony DeAngelo – If Shattenkirk isn’t available, or you could pick him over Shattenkirk outright

Alexandar Georgiev – Also a confirmed starter for Friday. He seems to alternate between good and bad starts, but the pressure is completely off as he and the Rangers get to play spoiler against the Blue Jackets.

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For more fantasy hockey information, or to reach out to me directly, you can follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding.

  from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-canes-clinch-pietrangelo-pearson-byfuglien-friday-picks-and-more-apr-5/

[apsbicepstraining]

Bradley Wright-Phillips’ brand-new evidence; and Frank Lampard hems into relevance

Plus: the Rapids triumphing move dissolves hurriedly; Torontos better is back to his best; and Jason Kreiss triumphant return

A record-setting darknes started in atypical pattern for Bradley Wright-Phillips.

The Red Bulls striker expended most of the parallel in solitude, unable to get a clear touch in a dangerous situate, thanks in part to a choking Chicago Fire defense. But as has been the case since he joined the team in 2013, a bit of room was all he needed to show his form.

And on Sunday, it served to break records.

Wright-Phillips extra-time equalizer was his 63 rd as a Red Bull player, putting him past Juan Pablo Angel as the all-time dealership destination scoring leader.

Of course, I wont lie I like to break records, right holders of MLSs single-season goal scoring record said after the competitor. I try not to think about it, but when you say these kind of things, it obligates me proud.

A streaky striker by nature, Wright-Phillips has once again were beginning to warm up, scoring three goals in his last two pairs, break-dance the double digit goalscoring threshold for the third season in a row. But regardless of Sundays record, it is the nature of his latest point that has Red Bulls boss Jesse Marsch excited.

Ive been defying him to see more gamblings belatedly in video games. They did a good job of being hard on him. Every team we play knows Bradley is important. They focus in on him and Sacha, and Brad still manages to find ways to get objectives, Marsch said.

As good as Brad is, we are trying to encourage him to have a cut-throat attitude, that even if he doesnt have a lot of contacts in the game, he exactly necessity one to make a difference.

On Sunday, thats all it took for the Red Bulls to salvage a time from near cataclysm in the unfriendly confines of Toyota Park. I set a lot of work into what I do, Wright-Phillips said. And when you can make an accomplishment like that, it makes me happy and proud.

Welcome back to Major League Soccer, Jason Kreis

The two-time MLS Cup win and former NYC FC boss rejoined the challenger after a short incantation away from video games. His honor? A 3-1 succes in Orlando against the New England Revolution.

In some modes, Kreis astounded with his approach to the equal. In others, “hes having” stayed the same. The trademark of a Kreis side the diamond midfield was shunned for the conventional 4-2-3-1 that Orlando has employed for most of the season. His decision to start Antonio Nocerino and Servando Carrasco over Darwin Ceren and Cristian Higuita was surprising, as was his choice to start Brek Shea on the bench. All starting decisions, he said, were based on word in training.

But most of his lineup decisions followed recent precedent. The back four remained intact. Molino, who has lined up across every midfield place during Orlandos recent gauntlet of fixture congestion, noticed a residence on the left. Kaka reverted centrally behind Larin, with Hadji Barry making his third consecutive start of its first year on the right.

New England searched poised to participate spoiler, putting in an superb superhighway exertion through the opening 45 minutes. Kei Kamara “re opening the” scoring, waltzing his road past the Orlando defense and detecting the net simply 18 instants in.

But Orlando saw their formation in the second half. It took Larin less than a minute to score, hitting Bobby Shuttleworth at the far pole with a calm finish. Second half sub Shea communicated in a cross in the 63 rd, spotting Kevin Molino to redouble the make. Molino capped off the darknes with a brace.

But the nighttime belonged to Jason Kreis, who managed to reignite a sleepy Orlando side to their first win since June 26 th.

Obviously[ Im] very, very happy, Kreis said after the competition. I visualize the week of handiwork that the players and staff have put in was excellent. One of best available weeks Ive ever been involved with. To see that work terminate in a really strong execution realizes me extremely happy.

Frank Lampard hems into relevant for NYC FC

Frank Lampard is the worst Designated Player sign in Major League Soccer biography: that was the narrative six short a few weeks ago. And with good reason. After all, his sketchy stay with New York City FC has been tainted by false starts, contractual distraction, fitness issues and questionable hurt concerns.

But his action on Saturday against the Colorado Rapids introduced an exclaiming differentiate on one of the most remarkable comeback stories of the MLS season.

Since reverting from a calf trauma, Lampard has been on fire. Donning the chieftains armband in place of the suspended David Villa, the Chelsea great revived his past form, scoring the first hat-trick in NYC FC history en route to a 5-1 win over the Colorado Rapids.

This was no small feat for Lampard or NYC FC. The Rapid were undefeated in 15 competitors foreman into Saturdays encounter an enormous achievement within the frameworks of the parity-laden MLS. Their protection allowed a paltry 14 purposes through 20 pairs leader into the weekend, the best preserve in the conference. Eight of their first 20 parallels ended in shutouts. Likewise , no squad has been able to score three against the Rapids backline all season long with or without Tim Howard.

And no single musician has tallied more than two aims against them, either. Until Lampard broke the working party. The Englishman, who has been the top scorer in MLS since his revert as a starter on 18 June, opened the scoring in what was initially a drab affair.

Lightning immediately introduced a pause to the match, but NYC FC accompanied batch of electricity on the restart. A second wayward foul from Michael Azira applied the Rapids down a human in the 37 th time. With Colorado reeling, Tony Taylor redoubled the pas before the half, and Steven Mendoza constructed it three shortly after the second. But “its been” Lampard who induced an unforgettable curtain call. First he curled a shot past Howard and then completed his hat-trick with fines and penalties. He is now among the top-1 0 goalscorers in the league.

Not bad for a presumed has-been, right?

He showed true-blue leadership today, team-mate Jack Harrison said. He was a true-life skipper at Chelsea and he proved it today. He substantiated everyone incorrect is demonstrating that we do need him and hes a key part of our success.

An abrupt death to a good thing

The Colorado Rapids forgot ugly against NYC FC – and that is putting it mildly.

We shot ourselves in the foot, said Howard. Its a small tar, its easy to get around, easy to defend properly and we didnt do that as a group today. Once the red-faced placard happened, the game was finished.

Despite the result, the Rapids should still be proud of what they have accomplished this season. After all, they continue to second in the West with one of the stingiest defenses in the league.

Now makes thrown their achievements in situation. Compare the teams current success to their woes in 2015. They have already overshadowed their win total last year with 10 wins in 2016 compared to nine in 2015. Their defense is actually comparable this year: in 2015 they allowed exactly 22 points through 21 coincides as opposed to their current 19 permitted. Their offensive wasnt all that different either, with the 2016 Rapids tallying 24 aims, compared to the 19 through 21 tallied last-place season.

So whats certain differences? For starters, Colorado are tallying first and accommodating on to wins a determining factor for any contender. Last-place season, they managed to tally first in eight of their opening 21 competitors. That was key to their momentary success on the year( 4-1-3 ). This year, it has been the bedrock of all the teams success, with the Rapids running a solid 10 -0- 3 when find that first point. Only NYC FC have opened the tallying more frequently( 14 of 21 matches ).

The team have also learned how to use dwelling domain to their advantage, running undefeated at DSG Park (8 -0- 3 ). That wasnt the instance last-place season as Colorado disappeared 3-4-4 in the same time frame.

Jermaine Jones has certainly been a part of their success. The squad is undefeated when the midfielder starts( 4-0-3 ). But Pablo Mastroeni has been a key catalyst as well. Continuity and identity is already foreign terms for the Rapids under Mastroeni. Now, key offseason acquisitions have bolstered the fraternity, and Mastroeni has effectively molded his high press arrangement to his players persuasiveness, may be required for his young roster to victimize antagonists on turnovers in the attacking third.

The result has been unfettered success and no single loss can take that away from them.

Torontos best is back to his best

No team in Major League Soccer travel their fates on the back of a single musician quite like Toronto FC and their golden goose, Sebastian Giovinco.

On Sunday evening, the Italian striker acquired the maestro label from countryman Andrea Pirlo, orchestrating and executing on each of Torontos destinations in a 3-0 shutout of the Columbus Crew.

It took all of eight minutes for him to show his form. A long-range blare ricocheted off the back of team-mate Tsubasa Endoh, vanquishing Crew keeper Steve Clark for the early precede. Endoh was credited for the goal – but Giovinco established it happen.

Just 16 a few minutes later, the Toronto offense inaugurated weaving their route through the Crew defense, finishing on a relinquish and depart between Jay Chapman and Giovinco. The former Juventus star took a curling kill on the outside of his foot to double Torontos advantage.

And he wasnt done there. Giovinco thrust Steve Clark into a diving save in the 55 th time. One instant eventually, a hazardous assaulting string assured Giovinco smack the same post not once, but twice, just missing on his possibility for a strengthen. Unable to find two seconds objective, the Italian striker reverted back to the role of distributor, this time connecting with Jozy Altidore for the end goal of the match.

His 12 th goal of the season introduces him merely one behind tournament lead David Villa. His two expedites on the night wreaking his season total to nine as well, tying him for second league wide. Those stats are all the more impressive when you weigh his nine-match scoreless shortage.

Weve said it before and we will say it again: the success of Toronto follows the success of Giovinco. Toronto are 5-1-2 when Giovinco scores. When he doesnt? An humiliating 3-6-4. Its recent, highly circulated nine-match tallying drought resulted in a paltry 2-3-4 evidence for the believed playoff hopefuls. With last weeks hat-trick and the coming week creation, the team have now strung together two prevails for the first time since April, putting them four degrees clear of the crimson line.

The Seattle Sounders can tell you the dangers of relying on a single outstanding representation to move the societies lucks. Two thirds of the channel into this season, and they are still trying to find a solution for the loss of Obafemi Martins.

Toronto may find themselves in a similar discern. But for now, Giovincos brilliance continues to mercy the Great White North and they will follow his contribute, for better or for worse.

The post Bradley Wright-Phillips’ brand-new evidence; and Frank Lampard hems into relevance appeared first on apsbicepstraining.com.

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[shirgiguere]

Infrared Inspection – Your Due Diligence Before You Buy A House

The idea of finally having your own home is exciting. Not only do you a place to call your own, but it also contributes significantly to your assets. Instead of paying rent into oblivion, getting a house, even on mortgage, is a great way to invest your money for the long haul. However, you need to ensure that the home you buy is in good condition. One important matter to check is that the house is free from moisture, leaks and black mold. This is possible through infrared inspection.

On the surface, it may not sound like a little moisture within the house is such a bad thing. However, in the same way that a small leak can sink a great ship, moisture can end up destroying an entire house. It could also render it uninhabitable if black mold is present. The following post explains this in detail:

THE TRUTH BEHIND THE DANGERS OF BLACK MOLD IN YOUR HOME

Black mold has a nasty reputation and for good reason. It’s also known as stachybotrys chartarum, which is the most common type of toxic mold. This fungus breeds and lives off moisture. If your home has ever experienced flooding or pipe leakage, black mold is probably alive and hiding in your walls or floors around the area of the water damage.

Black mold grows in materials high in cellulose and low in nitrogen. Typically black mold is found in:

Wood

Walls

Ceilings

Floors

So, what exactly makes black mold so dangerous? Toxic black mold carries spores called Trichothecene Mycotoxins. These particular spores are incredibly dangerous when inhaled.  Read more at Octagon Cleaning and Restoration…

Black mold thrives in moist conditions, so you need to find out whether it is present in a prospective house you are thinking of buying. That way, you can decide whether you can bear the responsibility of ridding the house of the black mold if it is found.

The first step in this process is to establish where the moisture is coming from. As such, you need to find out whether there are leaks in the critical areas of the house. The following post explains how you can do this:

For existing buildings being considered for a reroofing program, conducting a roof survey to determine the location and extent of wet substrates is essential to making fiscally responsible decisions related to the program’s extent…

Other technologies, such as electronic leak testing, can detect leaks with far more reliability than flood-testing. Some electronic leak-testing methods include:

electrical capacitance/impedance testing;

infrared thermography;

nuclear hydrogen detection;

low-voltage electrical conductance testing; and

high-voltage spark testing. Read more at AEC Forensics…

The infrared thermography method is very accurate in detecting where the leaks are located. It also shows the extent of damage even if it can’t be seen on the surface. This is exactly what you need.

An infrared inspection is something else you should consider before closing on your new home. The following post explains more about it:

Infrared imaging will identify where moisture is intruding into your roof system. These moisture leaks usually occur where the waterproofing layers have torn or degraded over time. This causes moisture to become trapped underneath.

What this moisture ends up doing is two-fold. First, because the insulation in your roof has become wet, it no longer works as effectively. This means increased energy costs for your home. Because heat rises, this is particularly bad during the colder months of the year.

Secondly, and more importantly, trapped moisture can intrude into your roof deck, causing wood to rot and any metal components to rust. This can end up causing extensive damage that will cost a lot to repair later. Read more at US Infrared Inspections…

It is best to avoid any problems while you can. Regret is bad enough when you end up in a home that’s not in good condition. Having to incur extra costs to correct the issues is even worse.

If you are looking for a roofing contractor that can perform an infrared inspection or roof repair in Leesburg VA on the house you hope to make your home, we are here for you. Our years of experience in residential roof repair, roof replacement and roof inspection, and excellent service delivery, earned us, for the 6th consecutive year, the Customer Satisfaction Award in the 2017 Talk of the Town Awards. Call us on (703)303-8546.

Infrared Inspection – Your Due Diligence Before You Buy A House appeared first on Roof.net blog.

from Virginia Roof Repair Contractor | (703) 303-8546 | Roof.net http://roof.net/repair/infrared-inspection/

from WordPress https://shirleyegiguere.wordpress.com/2017/09/27/infrared-inspection-your-due-diligence-before-you-buy-a-house/

[auburnfamilynews]

Auburn receivers had a spectacularly bad day. (Photo by Albert Cesare, AP)

     War Eagle, everybody. It’s time now for the Acid Reign Report on Auburn’s 27-23 loss to LSU. On a hot afternoon in Baton Rouge, dreams of playing for any championships all but went up in smoke, as LSU recovered from a 20-0 second quarter deficit, to take the game away from an Auburn team that was rolling.

     In the last 3 quarters of play, there were letdowns in nearly every facet of the game, but the difference in this game really centered on catching the football. For Auburn, there were at least a dozen times that the ball hit the receiver in the hands, only to flutter harmlessly to the turf. Meanwhile, when LSU needed to convert a 3rd and long, LSU receivers would go up and get the ball. It really was the difference in the game. Without any threat to actually catch the ball, LSU was able to clog running lanes and take away what Auburn does best.

     Seven games into this season, Auburn appears to be a wounded football team. A significant number of starters missed part, or all of this game. With defensive leaders Tre’ Williams and Tray Matthews out, as well as Auburn’s fastest cover corner Javaris Davis hobbled, LSU was able to pick Auburn apart with simple lob passes, and speed sweeps. Auburn’s vaunted ability to tackle in the secondary disappeared.

     On offense, everything starts up front. Thanks to injuries, first to Darius James a few weeks ago, then Mike Horton last week, and in this game to Casey Dunn, Auburn struggled a bit up front. Auburn had a nice scheme early on, showing a 4 receiver look, only to bring a guy in motion, often tight end Jalen Harris, to give Auburn a blocking numbers advantage. Unfortunately, by the mid second quarter, LSU had figured it out, and realized that Auburn wasn’t going to do any damage through the air. LSU basically went man-free, and slowed down the Auburn rushing game. Auburn certainly helped LSU out with predictable play calling. At one point, Auburn ran the ball on 17 consecutive first down plays.

     Even Auburn’s normally good special teams had a bad moment in this one. There is a reason for all those 35-40 yard dribbly punts Auburn has become known for the past few years. Those are hard to chase down and corral. This game, Aiden Marshall was booming them away, and it cost the Tigers late. A 50 yard boot gave LSU return man DJ Chark room, and he took advantage of an Auburn coverage unit that forgot everything it knew about angles and solid tackling. Prior to that return, Auburn had a 9 point lead, and was going to make LSU have to score twice. Instead, Auburn gave up all but a 2 point lead on a punt return.

     I’m not going to spend too much time bashing individual units. There was bad play to go around to most units, but I fault the coaches for really poor play calling from the 2nd quarter on, and not teaching our receivers to catch the ball. Grades after the jump!

Defensive Line: B. For the most part, these guys filled gaps and took running lanes away, but failed to set the edge on speed sweeps a number of times. Auburn did finish the game credited with 3 sacks, but they also had trouble getting LSU quarterback Danny Etling to the ground. The home statistician only credits Auburn with a couple of quarterback hurries, but I remember several times Etling being in the grasp, only remain standing and sling the ball out for another first down. This defense needs a Nick Fairley-type who can reliably get the quarterback to the ground. As a unit, the line totaled 24 tackles, and held vaunted runner Darius Guice to 71 rushing yards, and only 3.5 yards per carry.

Linebackers: C. The linebackers in this game totalled only 21 tackles, being outplayed by the line in front of them. Most notable was the lack of pursuit on speed sweeps. Frankly, I didn’t think LSU called enough of those plays. Auburn never stopped them.

Secondary: B. This unit had 29 tackles, but a lot of them were way downfield, either after a successful sweep, or yet another LSU reception. Prior to this game, Auburn was doing a great job of limiting teams to mostly short passes. This game, Auburn was often unable to keep covered receivers from catching the ball anyway.

Punting: D+. Auburn punted 6 times for 40.0 yards, but consistency was a big problem. There were some long rain makers, but one of them Auburn didn’t cover well. Then there were a couple off the side of the foot, including one that happened right after Auburn declined to go for it on 4th and 1. On 6 punts, Auburn was unable to pin LSU inside their 20.

Punt Returns: C+. On 6 punts, Stephen Roberts had 1 return for 4 yards, and a couple of fair catches. Near the end of the game, Auburn was badly whipped by LSU’s gunners, and an LSU coverage man was actually able to field the punt in the air, killing the ball dead at Auburn’s 2 yard line.

Kick Returns: C. Auburn had a couple of kick returns by Noah Igbinoghene, who averaged 19.5 yards per return, which is pretty pedestrian. LSU covered well.

Place Kicking: A+. I have nothing to complain about, here. Daniel Carlson hit all of his placekicks, and had 5 touchbacks on 6 kickoffs. On the one ball LSU could return, they only got 20 yards.

Offensive Line: C+. Technically, Jarrett Stidham was sacked 3 times, and hurried 3 more times, which isn’t too bad against a defense like LSU’s. On the ground, LSU held Auburn to 4.3 yards per carry, but honestly this mediocre average isn’t on the line. They blocked decently for the most part. Auburn’s lack of production was thanks to painfully predictable play calling, the last 3 quarters.

Running Backs: A. Auburn had no turnovers, Kerryon Johnson ran hard, and blitz pickup was good with maybe one exception.

Receivers: F. Auburn finished this game with only 4 worthwhile catches. There was the Hastings touchdown on the post over the top, there was a big screen to Ryan Davis, and a 25 yard fade catch by Darius Slayton. I also give a nod to a one-handed 7 yard grab by Sal Cannella. Auburn threw the ball 26 times, hitting the receiver in the hands most of the time, and only had 4 plays of note. This might be the most dropped balls I’ve ever seen in an Auburn game.

Quarterback: B. It’s hard to fault quarterback Jarrett Stidham too much in this one. Perhaps he could have thrown guys open a little better, but the run-run-pass on 3rd and long strategy in this game certainly did not help Stidham out. For the most part, Stidham put the ball on the receivers’ hands. He also again played turnover free.

     In coming weeks, Auburn HAS to catch the ball better, or more losses are coming. Auburn gets a bleeding Razorback team in Arkansas next weekend, then a much-needed bye week. I vote for the receivers to have to face the jugs machine for several hours each day! In November, Auburn will face Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama. All of those teams have covered receivers decently or better, in recent weeks. Auburn is going to HAVE to make some contested catches, to have any chance in those ball games.

     As bad as the LSU loss was, Auburn is still in the SEC West title race, hanging on by a thread. Auburn needs LSU to drop a game, but Alabama is likely to do us that favor. To win the division, Auburn needs to sweep Arkansas and Texas A&M on the road, and Georgia and Alabama at home. It doesn’t seem terribly likely, but the game is not played on paper. If this team will pull together and execute, and the coaches stop handicapping the team with poor play-calling, it’s still possible.

The post Auburn Drops Another One at LSU. (Grading Auburn’s 27-23 loss to LSU.) appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.

from Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog http://bit.ly/2yjAuPx

[angelasolomon]

OPPO F1S: Day In The Life

And we're down to the last 11 days of the first month of the new year! Can someone please stop the time from running so fast??? 😱

So I stayed up late again last night because I couldn't say no to my friends' invitation for a quick midnight snack at Shakey's Marcos Highway, even if I was still full from dinner. Boy, that's gluttony! :p I felt a bit guilty leaving my husband while he's busy working with his backlogs but I thought I'd regret not hanging out with them so I went on. I've missed them so much! We don't go out often anymore since I got married and it's totally understandable, so if there's a chance, I take it. I enjoyed the food and the company, as always.😊 The waiter was kind enough to take a photo of us before we indulged in our food.

On the left: Me, Fr. Al. On the right: Kuya Ron, Pipo and preggy May.

After several alarms, I got to start my day at 6:00 this morning and hooray! I still made it at 8:12 in the office. I've mastered the art of moving fast! It's just so hard to get up in the morning these days! Blame the chilly weather for my lazy being. My husband and I left our bedroom window open again for the 3rd consecutive night as we wanted to experience this "summer night in Baguio" breeze. So lovin' it.❤️

Lucky to have a light day in the office today. I forgot to bring coffee so I just bought a 20-peso cup of taho from the kuya outside our office building to get me started. I'm glad it wasn't a toxic Friday because everything that's going on in my mind is vacation, friends, booze, beaches, infinity pools and the likes. I've forgotten to allot enough space for actual work.😁 Probably because it's almost summer and I have a few trips to plan for the next 4 or 5 months with different set of friends so I'm really excited! I've also been waiting for weekend; I have a quick date with hubby tonight at SM Marikina! Well, it wasn't really a date, but we had to buy storage boxes for our Christmas decors and other stuff for our home. At least for a few hours, maso-solo ko naman yung asawa ko ng walang kaagaw na trabaho! 😅

After we finished our errands, it’s time for dinner. I was only hoping we’d have it in Greenwich, Bonchon, Tokyo Tokyo where we usually go. He looks tired but he said he wanted to go to Truck Park or Lilac so we can try a new place. Uyyy, masipag pa mag-drive. I suggested Miguel & Maria. It’s intriguing to see a long queue outside their restaurant whenever we pass by so I thought it’s our chance to try it.

There were a lot available seats. Luckily, we got the couch seat. They have a really cozy interior. I love the warm lighting.

We did not have heavy merienda so we’re really hungry. We ordered their “specials”.

Miguel & Maria’s Buffalo Wings, Php220. A sure fire favorite. Deep fried chicken wings tossed in our very own buffalo wings sauce. Served with Miguel & Maria’s blue cheese dip.

Baby Back Ribs, Php265. A generous slab of back ribs, marinated in our homemade rib sauce, grilled to perfection. Served with a side of coleslaw and java rice.

Stuffed Pork Chops Ham & Cheese, Php 250. Filled with mozzarella cheese and sweet ham. Your ultimate comfort food served with garlic parsley rice.

Blue Lemonade, Php45. He got the Home Brewed Iced Tea, same price.

Man, the food was really great! The serving was pretty big, we got no room for desserts anymore. Haha! Everything’s worth the price.👌🏼 Will definitely come back and try different food next time!

It was our 9th wedding monthsary last Wednesday, so it's like a post celebration. Little moments like this in between our very busy lives are really important to us. As much as possible, we want to have something to keep the memories alive so we document it by taking pictures of the food we eat, the places where we go, the things we do and of course, ourselves, and posting it on our online journal---Facebook and Instagram. That's when you'd appreciate to have a smartphone, like the OPPO F1S, that can let you do it with really good quality. It has a 13-megapixel rear camera and a whopping 16-megapixel front camera.😮 I. NEED. THIS. PHONE. We usually go out at night after work so it's good to have a phone that produces natural-looking selfies even in low-light conditions. God knows how much I love pictures!

Hopefully, next year, we can finally have our biggest blessing joining us in our selfies...👶🏼 We are patiently waiting and praying.

Have a great weekend, everyone! ⭐️

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Schneider Wins! Plus Thoughts on Schenn, Matthews, and more…

Before we get into Friday’s games, some follow up from comments from Friday’s Ramblings:

After Auston Matthews scored his 100th goal, there were many mentions from various media about how few games he was able to complete that milestone in (187). However, does Matthews become a Band-Aid Boy Trainee this offseason? He lost 20 games to injury last season and 14 this season after playing a full 82 games in his first season. He’s got a long ways to go before he’s as notorious for injuries as Evgeni Malkin, but I’ll acknowledge that it’s something to keep an eye on.

Back to the other side of the coin: Since his rookie 2016-17 season, Matthews has the fifth-highest goal total (101) among all players. Among the four players ahead of him, only Alex Ovechkin has a higher goals-per-game total than Matthews, and the margin is miniscule. Matthews’ fantasy value will be elite if he can stay healthy.

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Brayden Schenn has zero shots on goal in his last four games. That may appear to be cause for concern when you consider who his linemates are. However, Schenn has four assists over his last four games, so he’s obviously passing the puck to Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly. As mentioned yesterday, Schenn has ten points in last eight games playing on the Tarasenko/O’Reilly line. Moreover, Tarasenko has nearly double the amount of shots (196) that Schenn has (103). Tarasenko averages nearly 300 shots per season while Schenn has taken over 200 shots in a season just once. The last four games might be an extreme example, but this might tell you what to expect from Schenn if he stays on that line.

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Good news about John Klingberg, after he left Thursday’s game against Tampa Bay after blocking a shot with his left leg:  

John Klingberg is good to go for Saturday in Carolina after missing last 14 mins of game in Tampa and having x-rays after blocking shot

— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) February 15, 2019

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Jeff Skinner scored his 35th and 36th goals of the season, which turned out to be the Sabres’ only two goals in a 6-2 loss to the Rangers. In just 57 games played, Skinner is just one goal shy of his career high of 37 goals, and he figures to surpass that career high while in a Sabres’ uniform. According to Pierre LeBrun, the Sabres and Skinner are focused on agreeing to a contract extension. Skinner also has a full no-move, so at this point it seems unlikely that he is traded before the deadline.

In a winning cause, Vladislav Namestnikov scored two goals and added an assist with a plus-3 for the Blueshirts. Vlad was held without a point in his last 10 games and recorded just a single point (an assist) in his last 20 games. His fantasy value has taken a huge nosedive since being traded from Tampa Bay to New York, which are teams that are at opposite ends of the scale when it comes to offense. However, that could also change for the better if Namestnikov is traded again at the deadline. Speaking of which, you can check out our Trade Tracker for a list of trades made over the past month.

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Curtis McElhinney stopped 40 of 41 shots he faced in the Hurricanes’ 3-1 win over the Oilers. McElhinney has now won four consecutive games while allowing seven goals over that span (five in one game). Who knew that a 35-year-old career backup could be such a strong fantasy asset, but when he’s been healthy McElhinney has been a must-start in fantasy leagues. In limited action as Toronto’s backup (18 GP) last season, McElhinney posted standout numbers (2.14 GAA, .934 SV%), so maybe this is less of a surprise than we thought.

Nino Niederreiter scored another two goals on Friday, giving him eight goals and 12 points in 12 games since joining the Hurricanes. El Nino had scored just nine goals in 46 games for the Wild before that. A regression will come, but sometimes a trade can perform wonders for a player’s value. Having a playmaker as skilled as Sebastian Aho has helped, as Niederreiter’s shots-per-game total has doubled since the trade (3.83 SOG/GP in Carolina vs. 1.76 SOG/GP in Minnesota).  

Leon Draisaitl scored again, giving him 34 goals on the season. Only the aforementioned Skinner and Ovechkin have a higher goal total. He’s scored ten goals over his last nine games. In fact, he’s the only hot goal scorer on the Oilers at the moment.  

Oilers last 5 1/3 games:

Leon Draisaitl: 7 goals Entire rest of team: 6 goals

— Bruce McCurdy (@BruceMcCurdy) February 16, 2019

The latest on Jesse Puljujarvi, who was held to less than 10 minutes of icetime on Friday:  

Another soul-crushing night passed for Jesse Puljujarvi, untrusted, unused and unimproved.@SportsnetSpec has the story:https://t.co/FZvKsLeyve

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 16, 2019

My takeaway after reading this is that Puljujarvi will be playing in a city other than Edmonton very soon, one way or another. We know he could very well be traded soon, which would be a trade that the Oilers are destined to lose for a variety of reasons. So the Oilers’ better option would be to send him back down to their AHL team, which is performing amazingly well right now. Young players need playing time, and if the Oilers can’t trust him enough in their so-called push for the playoffs, then rebuild his confidence down on the farm.

BREAKING NEWS, at least as I type this: The Flyers and Oilers have made a goalie swap, with the Flyers acquiring Cam Talbot from the Oilers for Anthony Stolarz. I’ll cover this in a fantasy take article shortly – I just have to get through this Ramblings first. Okay?

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When two of my goalies face each other, my strategy is to start them both, even though I have an idea of which goalie is more likely to earn a win. I do this to hedge against making the wrong pick while usually guaranteeing myself a win. Usually. That didn’t happen on Friday, when I started both Devan Dubnyk and Keith Kinkaid (who lately I’ve been keeping on my bench, but started for this reason).

Sure enough, Kinkaid was pulled in the second period after allowing four goals on 17 shots. At that point, the Wild had a 4-1 lead, but they coughed up that lead and eventually lost in overtime. Cory Schneider, who came on in relief, stopped all 15 shots he faced to earn the win. Yes, this was his first win since December 27, 2017 (0-17-4 since then), and in a game that he didn’t even start. Good for Schneider, though. Maybe he’ll start to turn things around now that he’s got that monkey off his back. He’ll be given every opportunity to do that, since he’s the goalie with the long-term contract in Jersey.

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Could the Bruins’ goalie situation be a timeshare again? Well… they have played three back-to-backs in the past week and a half, but Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak have alternated over the last six games. Halak got the job done on Friday, stopping all 30 shots he faced on Friday against a lackluster Ducks’ squad. Not to worry, Rask owners, as there will be Tuukka time on Saturday night against the Kings. For more goalie starts, don’t forget to check out Goalie Post.  

Speaking of the Ducks, I forgot to mention this during my Randy Carlyle eulogy. One contract that Bob Murray probably wishes he could have back is Ryan Kesler. He’s got three more seasons after this one at nearly $7 million per, and he has put up an anemic six points in 49 games. Kesler already had a ton of wear and tear when he signed that extension with the Ducks, and they managed to get one good year out of that contract (two good years with the Ducks before that). I can’t see this contract lasting until the end.

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For more fantasy hockey information, you can follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding.

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-schneider-wins-plus-thoughts-on-schenn-matthews-and-more/

[apsbicepstraining]

Bradley Wright-Phillips’ brand-new evidence; and Frank Lampard hems into relevance

Plus: the Rapids triumphing move dissolves hurriedly; Torontos better is back to his best; and Jason Kreiss triumphant return

A record-setting darknes started in atypical pattern for Bradley Wright-Phillips.

The Red Bulls striker expended most of the parallel in solitude, unable to get a clear touch in a dangerous situate, thanks in part to a choking Chicago Fire defense. But as has been the case since he joined the team in 2013, a bit of room was all he needed to show his form.

And on Sunday, it served to break records.

Wright-Phillips extra-time equalizer was his 63 rd as a Red Bull player, putting him past Juan Pablo Angel as the all-time dealership destination scoring leader.

Of course, I wont lie I like to break records, right holders of MLSs single-season goal scoring record said after the competitor. I try not to think about it, but when you say these kind of things, it obligates me proud.

A streaky striker by nature, Wright-Phillips has once again were beginning to warm up, scoring three goals in his last two pairs, break-dance the double digit goalscoring threshold for the third season in a row. But regardless of Sundays record, it is the nature of his latest point that has Red Bulls boss Jesse Marsch excited.

Ive been defying him to see more gamblings belatedly in video games. They did a good job of being hard on him. Every team we play knows Bradley is important. They focus in on him and Sacha, and Brad still manages to find ways to get objectives, Marsch said.

As good as Brad is, we are trying to encourage him to have a cut-throat attitude, that even if he doesnt have a lot of contacts in the game, he exactly necessity one to make a difference.

On Sunday, thats all it took for the Red Bulls to salvage a time from near cataclysm in the unfriendly confines of Toyota Park. I set a lot of work into what I do, Wright-Phillips said. And when you can make an accomplishment like that, it makes me happy and proud.

Welcome back to Major League Soccer, Jason Kreis

The two-time MLS Cup win and former NYC FC boss rejoined the challenger after a short incantation away from video games. His honor? A 3-1 succes in Orlando against the New England Revolution.

In some modes, Kreis astounded with his approach to the equal. In others, “hes having” stayed the same. The trademark of a Kreis side the diamond midfield was shunned for the conventional 4-2-3-1 that Orlando has employed for most of the season. His decision to start Antonio Nocerino and Servando Carrasco over Darwin Ceren and Cristian Higuita was surprising, as was his choice to start Brek Shea on the bench. All starting decisions, he said, were based on word in training.

But most of his lineup decisions followed recent precedent. The back four remained intact. Molino, who has lined up across every midfield place during Orlandos recent gauntlet of fixture congestion, noticed a residence on the left. Kaka reverted centrally behind Larin, with Hadji Barry making his third consecutive start of its first year on the right.

New England searched poised to participate spoiler, putting in an superb superhighway exertion through the opening 45 minutes. Kei Kamara “re opening the” scoring, waltzing his road past the Orlando defense and detecting the net simply 18 instants in.

But Orlando saw their formation in the second half. It took Larin less than a minute to score, hitting Bobby Shuttleworth at the far pole with a calm finish. Second half sub Shea communicated in a cross in the 63 rd, spotting Kevin Molino to redouble the make. Molino capped off the darknes with a brace.

But the nighttime belonged to Jason Kreis, who managed to reignite a sleepy Orlando side to their first win since June 26 th.

Obviously[ Im] very, very happy, Kreis said after the competition. I visualize the week of handiwork that the players and staff have put in was excellent. One of best available weeks Ive ever been involved with. To see that work terminate in a really strong execution realizes me extremely happy.

Frank Lampard hems into relevant for NYC FC

Frank Lampard is the worst Designated Player sign in Major League Soccer biography: that was the narrative six short a few weeks ago. And with good reason. After all, his sketchy stay with New York City FC has been tainted by false starts, contractual distraction, fitness issues and questionable hurt concerns.

But his action on Saturday against the Colorado Rapids introduced an exclaiming differentiate on one of the most remarkable comeback stories of the MLS season.

Since reverting from a calf trauma, Lampard has been on fire. Donning the chieftains armband in place of the suspended David Villa, the Chelsea great revived his past form, scoring the first hat-trick in NYC FC history en route to a 5-1 win over the Colorado Rapids.

This was no small feat for Lampard or NYC FC. The Rapid were undefeated in 15 competitors foreman into Saturdays encounter an enormous achievement within the frameworks of the parity-laden MLS. Their protection allowed a paltry 14 purposes through 20 pairs leader into the weekend, the best preserve in the conference. Eight of their first 20 parallels ended in shutouts. Likewise , no squad has been able to score three against the Rapids backline all season long with or without Tim Howard.

And no single musician has tallied more than two aims against them, either. Until Lampard broke the working party. The Englishman, who has been the top scorer in MLS since his revert as a starter on 18 June, opened the scoring in what was initially a drab affair.

Lightning immediately introduced a pause to the match, but NYC FC accompanied batch of electricity on the restart. A second wayward foul from Michael Azira applied the Rapids down a human in the 37 th time. With Colorado reeling, Tony Taylor redoubled the pas before the half, and Steven Mendoza constructed it three shortly after the second. But “its been” Lampard who induced an unforgettable curtain call. First he curled a shot past Howard and then completed his hat-trick with fines and penalties. He is now among the top-1 0 goalscorers in the league.

Not bad for a presumed has-been, right?

He showed true-blue leadership today, team-mate Jack Harrison said. He was a true-life skipper at Chelsea and he proved it today. He substantiated everyone incorrect is demonstrating that we do need him and hes a key part of our success.

An abrupt death to a good thing

The Colorado Rapids forgot ugly against NYC FC – and that is putting it mildly.

We shot ourselves in the foot, said Howard. Its a small tar, its easy to get around, easy to defend properly and we didnt do that as a group today. Once the red-faced placard happened, the game was finished.

Despite the result, the Rapids should still be proud of what they have accomplished this season. After all, they continue to second in the West with one of the stingiest defenses in the league.

Now makes thrown their achievements in situation. Compare the teams current success to their woes in 2015. They have already overshadowed their win total last year with 10 wins in 2016 compared to nine in 2015. Their defense is actually comparable this year: in 2015 they allowed exactly 22 points through 21 coincides as opposed to their current 19 permitted. Their offensive wasnt all that different either, with the 2016 Rapids tallying 24 aims, compared to the 19 through 21 tallied last-place season.

So whats certain differences? For starters, Colorado are tallying first and accommodating on to wins a determining factor for any contender. Last-place season, they managed to tally first in eight of their opening 21 competitors. That was key to their momentary success on the year( 4-1-3 ). This year, it has been the bedrock of all the teams success, with the Rapids running a solid 10 -0- 3 when find that first point. Only NYC FC have opened the tallying more frequently( 14 of 21 matches ).

The team have also learned how to use dwelling domain to their advantage, running undefeated at DSG Park (8 -0- 3 ). That wasnt the instance last-place season as Colorado disappeared 3-4-4 in the same time frame.

Jermaine Jones has certainly been a part of their success. The squad is undefeated when the midfielder starts( 4-0-3 ). But Pablo Mastroeni has been a key catalyst as well. Continuity and identity is already foreign terms for the Rapids under Mastroeni. Now, key offseason acquisitions have bolstered the fraternity, and Mastroeni has effectively molded his high press arrangement to his players persuasiveness, may be required for his young roster to victimize antagonists on turnovers in the attacking third.

The result has been unfettered success and no single loss can take that away from them.

Torontos best is back to his best

No team in Major League Soccer travel their fates on the back of a single musician quite like Toronto FC and their golden goose, Sebastian Giovinco.

On Sunday evening, the Italian striker acquired the maestro label from countryman Andrea Pirlo, orchestrating and executing on each of Torontos destinations in a 3-0 shutout of the Columbus Crew.

It took all of eight minutes for him to show his form. A long-range blare ricocheted off the back of team-mate Tsubasa Endoh, vanquishing Crew keeper Steve Clark for the early precede. Endoh was credited for the goal – but Giovinco established it happen.

Just 16 a few minutes later, the Toronto offense inaugurated weaving their route through the Crew defense, finishing on a relinquish and depart between Jay Chapman and Giovinco. The former Juventus star took a curling kill on the outside of his foot to double Torontos advantage.

And he wasnt done there. Giovinco thrust Steve Clark into a diving save in the 55 th time. One instant eventually, a hazardous assaulting string assured Giovinco smack the same post not once, but twice, just missing on his possibility for a strengthen. Unable to find two seconds objective, the Italian striker reverted back to the role of distributor, this time connecting with Jozy Altidore for the end goal of the match.

His 12 th goal of the season introduces him merely one behind tournament lead David Villa. His two expedites on the night wreaking his season total to nine as well, tying him for second league wide. Those stats are all the more impressive when you weigh his nine-match scoreless shortage.

Weve said it before and we will say it again: the success of Toronto follows the success of Giovinco. Toronto are 5-1-2 when Giovinco scores. When he doesnt? An humiliating 3-6-4. Its recent, highly circulated nine-match tallying drought resulted in a paltry 2-3-4 evidence for the believed playoff hopefuls. With last weeks hat-trick and the coming week creation, the team have now strung together two prevails for the first time since April, putting them four degrees clear of the crimson line.

The Seattle Sounders can tell you the dangers of relying on a single outstanding representation to move the societies lucks. Two thirds of the channel into this season, and they are still trying to find a solution for the loss of Obafemi Martins.

Toronto may find themselves in a similar discern. But for now, Giovincos brilliance continues to mercy the Great White North and they will follow his contribute, for better or for worse.

The post Bradley Wright-Phillips’ brand-new evidence; and Frank Lampard hems into relevance appeared first on apsbicepstraining.com.

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