#dool caps

[angelsdean]

the babiest of babygirls

#dool caps #dool

[jarchaeology]

In response to your ponder - Some DOOLs episodes were once available on YouTube but they were gradually taken down for violations of something or other. It looked as if they were recording off the television. Dutch, maybe? Not the best quality. Is it the fact that it was recorded without permission or foreign recording? Or just some lame YouTube policy?

that’s actually something i’ve been wondering! thanks. because there are a lot of screen caps with dutch subtitles. or at least what i think is dutch. and the source i got them from also has some dutch subtitles in the 2000 episodes.

also, yeah i’m not surprised they got taken down. that’s why all the dool episodes i’m putting up are unlisted. and i have them on the drive for this blog in case those are taken too.

#our fandom forefathers have done dope things #it’s funny when i pick up on a project that someone started 20 years ago cause im like hi! from the future! respect your work! #anon #asks #project dool

[amberedits-blog]

     By following the link below you’ll find 298 still icons of actress AnnaSophia Robb from her role of Carrie Bradshaw in season one, episode two of The Carrie Diaries. These icons were made by me from my original screen caps. They are sized at 220x110 and have not been edited in any way. These icons may be edited for personal use only (i.e. do not post edited icons for the purpose of distribution), but please remember to credit me when using them even if you have edited them. They can be used as RP icons or in RP posts, but please do not include them in non-roleplay posts, gif hunts, or masterlists.

     Notes: AnnaSophia is of Danish, English, Irish, Scottish, and Swedish descent and she was born in Colorado, USA. Her birthday is December 8, 1993 and she is currently 25 years old. Some icons also feature actors Austin Butler, Ellen Wong, Katie Findlay, Stefania LaVie Owen, Brendan Dooling, Freema Agyeman, Matt Letscher, and others.

     this is part two of a series of AnnaSophia Robb resources made by yours truly. find part one here and part three here.

     Dropbox link

     this is part two of a series of AnnaSophia Robb icons made by yours truly. find part one here.

     and if you like what I do, consider buying me a coffee!

#annasophia robb #annasophia robb icons #annasophia robb rp icons #annasophia robb still icons #the carrie diaries #the carrie diaries icons #rp icons #still icons #icons #mine #220x110

[blogs-of-our-lives]

I, Frankenstein is a Trash Movie

           I’ve been putting off writing this for some time now. I watched Episode 98 immediately after watching 97, and you can tell it was getting a little hazy by the end. I can vaguely remember the beginning of the episode, and that’s when my memory was at its clearest. So I may take some creative liberties and make my own plot as I go.

           Welcome to Carter’s nightmare carnival funhouse version of Days of our Lives.

           This show makes me sad. I write way way way slower than they produce episodes. As I write this review for Episode 98, they’ve already released episode 205. Granted, I have no intentions of following it every day (episode 200 has a thumbnail of Ciara passed out on the floor as an obviously fake fire consumes her house, so I’m abso-fucking-lutely reviewing that one next), but the blistering pace that this show takes is disheartening. It just goes to show that life moves fast. You blink, and kids your age are getting married. In the previous NFL draft, the Buffalo Bills selected linebacker Tremaine Edmunds in the first round, at the age of 19. He’s younger than I am. That’s ridiculous. I’m getting old, fast.

           The episode opens with John at the hospital. He looks flustered, glancing around desperately. For those who haven’t read about the previous episode, the last we saw John, he had just entered the Dimera mausoleum with Will. As the door shuts, we hear a gunshot. Shortly behind him is Paul (wearing a black leather jacket, everybody in this show is wearing a black leather jacket, it’s like the soap opera version of Sons of Anarchy).

“What have you done?” Paul asks, staring in horror at the floor.

John steps in behind him, holding a comically small gun. “The same thing I’m going to do to you,” he says. It cuts to the outside of the mausoleum, where we hear another gunshot.

I didn’t mention this last episode, but imagine if that was the last thing you heard. It was clearly not a sincere question. Paul knew what happened. Ugh. I hate that line so much. Imagine your first memories. Imagine kindergarten, first grade, all the way up to middle school and high school. Every moment of your life, every love and every regret, every moment of anger or sadness, has been leading up to an old guy in a black leather jacket with a tiny gun saying “The same thing I’m going to do to you” and then shooting you.

Anyway, we’re caught up. John is distressed, and at this point it’s kind of unclear what he’s trying to do. I can’t remember if John is trying to finish off Steve (John is a spy tasked with killing Steve, the eyepatch guy), trying to tell his wife (Will’s grandma, and just so you guys all know, there’s no coming back from murdering someone’s grandson. No amount of foot rubs and boxes of chocolate shaped like hearts can help you come back from murdering your wife’s grandson) that he’s a spy, or maybe he just had a moment of clarity and realized that Days of our Lives can only rent like three sets at one time and he truly had nowhere else to go.

I’ll just tell you all the truth. Will and Paul are alive. They both make an appearance on the thumbnail of episode 191, and unless it’s from a flashback (more on that later), they survived. Just as a good rule of thumb, if this show wants you to think somebody is dead, they’re probably alive.

Fun fact, when someone on the show says “They’re in a better place” when talking about a dead character, they’re telling the truth.

Oh god, I just realized that it doesn’t even matter. They’ve blurred the lines between life and death so much (Will returning from the dead with amnesia, the Salem Stalker victims returning to life, John dying in a car accident and somehow appearing in this episode) that there truly is no reason to believe anyone is dead. It doesn’t matter if an actual licensed doctor comes on screen and pronounces the character dead. You could probably bring back your favorite character just by emailing the producer. The email is [REDACTED BY EDITOR – You absolutely may not use my personal email address], by the way. Email that at least twice a day every day, and soon you’ll get your character back.

The scene cuts to a man and a woman standing next to each other in front of the Dimera mausoleum. The mausoleum has “DIMERA” etched into the marble, just in case the viewer has forgotten that scene from less than 24 hours earlier. It could have easily been confused with any of the thousands of mausoleums that appear in our day to day television. These two people (the woman is a former lover of Andre Dimera, the most recent Dimera to pass away – which apparently is common enough that it merits the need for a mausoleum – and the man is of absolutely no consequence and isn’t worth the number of words I’ve invested in him already) take up most of the episode, pondering Andre’s life in front of his tomb, before they will presumably enter and discover Paul and Will’s “bodies” (I have no idea what they will find there), but are also painfully boring. I’ve said before that a single Days of Our Lives episode contains very little content. Usually it has about a conversation’s worth of information. For example, the description of episode 189 is “Kate makes a huge confession to Chad.” Presumably they also talk about the confession, right? Usually not. Usually the episode breaks down in the following way: Kate sees Chad and says hello, cut to other characters, cut to commercials, Kate says she has a confession, cut to other characters, cut to commercials, Kate says the confession, cut straight to commercials, Chad looks upset, the episode ends.

This is a very long-winded way of me telling you that it takes the full 60 minutes of Days of our Lives for the two people to enter the goddamn tomb.

It’s about time I talk about the flashbacks. I don’t remember what each individual flashback contained, but there were two or three in this episode. And holy crap, they were genius. Not the content of the flashbacks, but the idea of them. Because they literally reused old Days of our Lives footage. Imagine if I could copy and paste bits of previous Blogs of our Lives episodes, label them as a flashback, and call it a day. Oh man, I am jealous of the writers. Until I remember they’re stuck in the Fields of Asphodel that is being a writer for Days of Our Lives.

Naturally, the flashbacks have slightly lower quality than the episode itself. We live in an age of progress, and in a few years, even the most recent movies will look dated. But this is just absurd. It looks like someone went frame by frame and printed out the entirety of the flashback, photocopied them, photocopied them again, and put them back in. Also the audio sucks. I don’t have anything poetic to say about it. It just sounds like the voice actors did their recordings via walkie-talkies.

Remember Gabi, the chic murderer? Well now she’s talking with a police officer in the station. He’s trying to get help her out, clearly a friend of hers. “You’re going to be home to see your daughter soon,” he said.

“That’s not likely,” a woman says, strutting into the room. She’s got a satisfied, smug smirk. “I’m pressing charges.” Ah, she must be the DA. I think? Is that how law works? The DA can just press charges? Does that mean that she just as easily could have chosen not to? For murder? I’ll give DOOL a pass because I don’t understand it myself.

And now my notes start making even less sense. The handwriting is larger and sloppier and mostly illegible.

The former lover of Andre Dimera and the man accompanying her continue on their Hamlet-style soliloquy, talking and talking and talking and just standing outside the damn mausoleum. Finally, she opens the door and gasps, before the camera fades to black, ending the episode. Which is the biggest cop out I’ve ever seen, but nothing in this show surprises me anymore. I’m not mad, just disappointed. I’m telling you guys, an hour of Days of our Lives contains about five minutes of something actually happening.

Of course, this isn’t the end of my notes. I will transcribe them below exactly as it is written:

·       GUY IS MURDRER

·       WOMAN SEES THINGS

·       PUNTS SRYNGE IN SLEVE

·       FIGHTS OF ANGELS AND ALL THAT

All of these wonderful pieces of insight culminate in a full page entry, in all caps, on the next page. SHE FINDS HIM THERE.

I don’t know. I was going to put more to that sentence, but I realized it answered every question one could possibly have about that list. Why did I forget how to spell? I don’t know. Presumably I was in a rush to get all my ideas down. Where does the syringe (or rather srynge) come in? Who is the woman that sees things? Why are the angels fighting? I don’t know.

My best guess is that John Black stole a syringe to inject Steve with poison, seeing as both were in the hospital. Which opens up the possibility that I meant to write “punts srynge in STEVE.” Somehow I doubt that, however. I assume I meant “flights of angels,” a Shakespeare reference. Who even knows. You guys can probably decipher my notes better than I can.

The other day, I was at Walmart (while procrastinating writing this, and I suppose in a way I’m still procrastinating by writing this side segment), when the $3 movie bin caught my eye. I’m drawn to it every time. I love DVDs (there’s something to be said about physical media rather than digital), I’m a cheap bastard who loves cheap-ass shit, and I love love love love love bad movies. More on that later.

I found a three movie collection of Prom Nights 1-4, starring Jaime Lee Curtis. It seemed to be some kind of an off-brand Carrie. Also, for those of you with keen eyes, it was not a mistake that the 3 movie collection contained 1-4. For whatever reason, the set contained Prom Night, Prom Night 2, and Prom Night 4. Why not Prom Night 3? Won’t I be lost without knowing what happened between Prom Night 2 and Prom Night 4?

I truly, sincerely believe I have good taste in movies. I watch a lot of good movies and can understand what makes them good and why. However, on one fateful day about three years ago, I discovered that it was far easier to enjoy a bad movie with your friends than a good one. I get upset if people talk during a good movie, and don’t care if people talk during a bad movie. We can make fun of bad movies, but not good movies. Most of all, a good movie often invokes a specific mood. It’s hard to match that mood with a group of people. A bad movie also invokes a specific mood, always laughter, which is very easy to match with a group of people.

Which is why I’ve seen Fridays the 13th Parts 1-8, Jason Goes to Hell, Jason X, Freddy vs. Jason, Nightmares on Elm Street 1-3, FACE/OFF, The Room, a lot of Scooby-Doo direct to DVD movies, Scared Shrekless (in my defense that was a gift), The Wickerman (the one with Nicholas Cage, obviously), The Gingerdead Man (starring Gary Busey), Starship Troopers (starring Gary Busey’s son), Antz, Darkman (treat yourself, it’s pretty great), Flushed Away (I enjoyed this one a little too genuinely), Birdemic: Shock and Terror, S. Darko, Jurassic Park III, Vampires Suck (not as much as that movie did), Hellraiser, Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2, Meet the Robinsons, Hannibal Rising (swapping Jodie Foster for Julianne Moore was a poor decision), Alvin and the Chipmunks, Eragon (sweet Jesus Christ, I forgot about Eragon), Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation, The Conjuring (people will try to tell you the Conjuring is a good movie… don’t let them), Ouija, The Boy, and The Visit. Honorable mention goes out to Rubber, which isn’t actually a bad movie, and one other.

I, Frankenstein.

A movie so bad its title needed to be separated so it couldn’t taint any other sentences. The worst movie I’ve ever seen. But I can save that for another post.

You’ll notice that a lot of these movies are horror. I looove horror movies, so I say this with all the love in my heart. It’s a trash genre. I’ve never seen anything like it. For every one good horror movie, there are at least fifty horrible ones. Not fifty bad ones. Fifty horrible ones. I’ll talk about horror as a genre next time, but I’ll leave you with an anecdote. My friends and I wanted to watch a horror movie, so we found a list of the Top 100 Horror Movies of All Time. We didn’t recognize a single movie until #50, and they had the movie Oculus as the 25th best horror movie of all time. That’s ridiculous. The nicest thing I have to say about Oculus was there were a lot of parts of the movie where I didn’t want to get up and leave. There were a lot of mediocre scenes, and I mean that as a compliment. I thought about this for a moment, that Oculus was ranked 25th of all time, and realized that’s about right. There are so so so few good horror movies, and just an absurd amount are terrible. I think it’s due to the fact that all horror movies are vaguely formulaic, relying on tropes for the genre. It makes them really easy to write and produce.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I’ll have the next Blogs of our Lives out much sooner than I got this one out.

Fuck I, Frankenstein.

#Days of Our Lives #blog #soap opera #movies #funny #hopefully #I'm the internet equivalent of a guy talking to himself on the bus #bad

[nbatrades]

Clippers Sign-and-Trade Marko Jaric to Minnesota for Sam Cassell and First Round Pick

On August 12th, 2005, the Los Angeles Clippers signed-and-traded guard Marko Jaric and traded Lionel Chalmers to the Minnesota Timberwolves for guard Sam Cassell and a 2012 first round draft pick (Austin Rivers).

The 2000 NBA Draft was a busy night for the Los Angeles Clippers. The team had the third overall pick and selected forward Darius Miles. The Clippers also acquired first rounders Quentin Richardson and Keyon Dooling through the draft and trade respectively. 

On top of that, Los Angeles had the number one pick of the second round. The team selected guard Marko Jaric from Serbia with the 30th overall selection. Though Jaric was a second round pick, many felt that he would’ve been a first round pick if he had not been under contract to play professionally overseas.

A 6′7″ point guard, Jaric had began playing professionally in his teens in Greece with Peristeri B.C. After two seasons, Jaric moved on to Italy where he played for Fortitudo Bologna of the Serie A2 league. Jaric had been an All-Star and won the Italian League championship with Fortitudo in 2000. 

After his two-year run with Fortitudo, Jaric moved on to play for Virtus Bologna. Jaric teamed with Manu Ginobilli and the team won the 2001 Italian League championship, Italian Cup and the Euroleague Championship. After two seasons with Fortitudo, Jaric decided to make his way to the NBA. Since the Clippers held his draft rights, they had exclusive negotiating rights to sign Jaric. The point guard signed a three-year, $5.7 million deal with the Clippers (salary total via Patricia Bender).

While the team acquired Jaric, they let starting point guard Jeff McInnis leave in free agency and traded forward Darius Miles to the Cleveland Cavaliers for point guard Andre Miller in a four-player deal. Jaric would be Miller’s backup at the point for the 2002-03 season.

After a surprisingly decent 39-43 finish during the 2001-02 season, the Clippers had expectations to continue to grow with a young core built around Elton Brand, Lamar Odom, Corey Maggette, Quentin Richardson and the new additions of Miller and Jaric.

The Clippers’ ‘02-‘03 campaign was a disappointment from the jump. The team dropped 12 of their first 18 games. Los Angeles never rebounded. After the team fell to 19-39, head coach Alvin Gentry was fired and replaced by assistant Dennis Johnson for the rest of the season. The Clippers finished up the year with a 27-55 mark.

A big part of the Clippers season falling apart was injuries. Key players Brand, Maggette, Odom, Richardson and Olowokandi all missed at least 18 games. Only starter Andre Miller managed to finish playing in at least 80 games. In his rookie season, Jaric amassed 7.4 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.9 APG and 1.5 SPG in 66 games (12 starts) and 20.9 MPG.

Going into the 2003 offseason, the Clippers had numerous free agents and had some key decisions to make. Owner Donald Sterling had maintained a track record of refusing to re-sign players to large contracts or signing free agents to huge deals. Brand, Maggette, Odom and Miller were all restricted free agents, meaning that the Clippers had the first right of refusal in free agency. Olowokandi and guard Eric Piatkowski were unrestricted free agents.

Brand and Maggette both signed offer sheets of six years and $82 million, and six years and $42 million with the Miami Heat and Utah Jazz respectively. The Clippers matched both offers. Andre Miller and Lamar Odom were given six year offer sheets from the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat respectively. The Clippers decided against matching the offer sheets for Miller and Odom. Olowokandi and Piatkowski both left in free agency as well.

Besides adding center Chris Kaman in the 2003 Draft, the Clippers made little noise in free agency. The team added coach Mike Dunleavy in the offseason. Los Angeles began the 2003-04 season on an up with a 4-2 start, but dropped nine of their next 11 games. The season would be inconsistent as the team was 24-30 after 54 games. The season went off the rails towards the end as the Clippers lost 24 of their final 28 games to finish 28-54.

The departure of Miller allowed Jaric to become the starter at point guard for the Clippers in his second season. A stress fracture in his left foot cut Jaric’s season short. Overall, he saw action in 58 contests (50 starts) and put up 8.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 4.8 APG and 1.6 SPG in 30.3 MPG.

After the ‘03-‘04 campaign, the Clippers looked to make big moves. First, they ended up with the second pick in the 2004 draft lottery and subsequently moved down to four by trading away the second pick and veteran Peja Drobnjak to the Charlotte Bobcats for the fourth overall pick and 33rd selection in the second round. The move was made to clear cap space while the Clippers honed in on a point guard with the fourth selection.

Los Angeles got their point guard, selecting Illinois high schooler Shaun Livingston. At the youthful age of 18, and standing 6′7″, Livingston was an intriguing prospect that earned comparisons to Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. The move also signified that Jaric was not viewed as a long-term option as a starter.

Lionel Chalmers was selected 33rd overall in the second round of the 2004 NBA Draft by the Clippers. The former Xavier guard was undersized and not a traditional point guard. A solid scorer and shooter in college, Chalmers had struggled as a distributor in college, posting a 1.13 assist-to-turnover rate.

The Clippers made a run at star free agent Kobe Bryant from their city rivals the Los Angeles Lakers, but failed to procure the shooting guard. After missing out on Bryant, the Clippers acquired two-guard Kerry Kittles from the New Jersey Nets for a second round pick.

Chalmers played in 2004 Summer League for the Clippers. Soon after, he signed a multi-year deal with the Clippers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but according to Patricia Bender’s salary page, the Clippers guaranteed the salary for two years and $1.13 million.

The Clippers were 10-6 in their first 16 games during the 2004-05 season. However, the losing would continue. A 3-9 February would seal the team’s fate as a non-playoff team. As a positive, the Clippers did manage to improve on their record with a 37-45 finish.

A sprained right foot and a stress fracture in the same foot kept Jaric out for a serious amount of time. He appeared in 50 games (41 starts) and compiled career-highs of 9.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 6.1 APG and 1.7 SPG in 33.1 MPG. His understudy Livingston also missed 52 games, causing the Clippers to rely heavily on journeymen point guards in Rick Brunson and Darrick Martin at times. Chalmers managed 3.1 PPG (.460 FG%), 0.9 RPG and 1.4 APG in 12.0 MPG and 36 contests in his rookie season.

In the 2005 offseason, Jaric became a restricted free agent. The Clippers tendered a qualifying offer to Jaric. Though Los Angeles wanted to keep Jaric, the Serbian point guard had found a number of teams interested in his services including the Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers.

The presence of Livingston, the newly acquired shooting guard Cuttino Mobley and Los Angeles’ constant choice to look for an upgrade had caused Jaric to look for a new home where he could run the show. Though the Clippers were interested in keeping Jaric, they were willing to deal Jaric in a sign-and-trade. Soon after, the sign-and-trade would happen with the Clippers signing Jaric to a six-year, $40 million deal and sending him to the Timberwolves for Sam Cassell and a future first round pick.

Jaric ended his run in Los Angeles with a stat line of 8.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 4.5 APG and 1.6 SPG in 174 contests. The Serbian guard posted shooting splits of 40/34/74 from the field, three and free-throw line respectively.

Sam Cassell originally became a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves after he was traded by the Milwaukee Bucks with center Ervin Johnson for Anthony Peeler and Joe Smith. A month after, the Wolves landed Latrell Sprewell in a four-team deal that saw the franchise trade center Marc Jackson and injured veteran Terrell Brandon.

The additions of Sprewell and Cassell were seen as the big name acquisitions meant to help star Kevin Garnett get the Minnesota Timberwolves past the first round. Minnesota had been stuck in what seemed like an endless loop of first round exits (seven consecutive to be exact). 

The new look Timberwolves began the season a lukewarm 9-8, but found success right after. Minnesota went 35-9 the next 44 games to wind up 44-17. Eyeing homecourt advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs, the team went 5-7 to fall to 49-24. 

Facing a three-game deficit in the loss column behind the Sacramento Kings, the Wolves won their final nine regular season games to take the top seed in the West and finish with a franchise record 58-24 mark. Cassell was an excellent addition and provided veteran guile and wisdom while posting a career-high in PER (22.8). 

Cassell (19.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 7.3 APG and 1.3 SPG in 81 games and 35.0 MPG) made the All-Star team for the first time, becoming the second-oldest player (34 years and two months) to earn his first All-Star berth ever. The veteran guard also earned his first nod on an All-NBA team, making the second team.

Coming off the best regular season in franchise history, the Timberwolves advanced to the playoffs where they faced the eighth-seeded Denver Nuggets in the opening round. The series opener saw Cassell (40 points) and Garnett (30 points and 20 rebounds) power Minnesota to a 106-92 win. The T-Wolves were comfortable, leading by as much as 22 in the game.

In the following game, Sprewell came alive with 31 points and Garnett had a triple double (20 points, 22 rebounds and 10 assists) in a 95-81 victory. Facing a 2-0 deficit, the Nuggets bounced back at home, establishing an 18-point lead in the second quarter of Game Three. Behind 24 points and 10 rebounds from rookie Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets won 107-86.

Game Four was contentious with both teams chirping back and forth. The contest was also close. The Timberwolves were in good position to win with an 81-74 lead with 3:18 left in the fourth quarter. Nuggets guard Voshon Lenard knocked down two triples in a two-minute span to bring Denver within one with 1:23 left. A Latrell Sprewell trey with 1:04 gave Minnesota some breathing room. After misses from both teams, Denver’s Nene converted on a dunk to pull the Nuggets within two with 18.7 seconds left.

Sprewell was intentionally fouled, but missed both free throws, giving Denver a chance to tie or win the game with 12.1 seconds left. Denver had two opportunities, but Miller and Lenard both missed on shot attempts and Minnesota took a commanding 3-1 series lead. 

Minnesota didn’t want to return to Denver for a possible Game Six, so they took care of business winning Game Five 102-91. Cassell had a solid series powered by strong performances in Games One and Five. He put up 20.6 PPG on 50.6% shooting, 3.4 RPG and 4.4 APG in 37.0 MPG.

The Timberwolves got the monkey off their back and won their first playoff series in franchise history. In the next round they faced the 55-27 Sacramento Kings. Cassell opened the series with a 40-point performance, but Kings guard Mike Bibby had 33 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to lead the Kings to a 104-98 win. Notably, Minnesota’s MVP Garnett struggled in the first game, going 6-for-21 from the field.

In the second contest, Garnett came alive with 28 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks and four assists. Sacramento held an 88-78 lead with 4:11 left, but Minnesota stormed back with a 16-1 run to win the game 94-89.

Roles reversed in the third game as the Kings came back from a 15-point deficit late. In a 100-87 hole with 3:45 left, the Kings made a rousing comeback, tying the game with 10.7 seconds left on a Peja Stojakovic three-pointer. Even with Cassell out after he fouled out late in the fourth quarter, the Wolves mustered up enough offense in the extra period and won Game Three 114-113 after Stojakovic missed a late three to win.

Game Four saw the Kings lead by as much as 17 points and hold on for a six-point win. Garnett and Sprewell combined for 57 points in Game Five as Minnesota experienced a comfortable 86-74 win at home. Facing elimination, the Kings blew out Minnesota 104-87 and forced a Game Seven.

The series deciding seventh contest was close and a slog. Minnesota held a one-point lead with 16.1 seconds left after a three from Kings guard Doug Christie. After two free-throws from Cassell, the Kings missed three shot attempts (two three-pointers) on their final possession as Minnesota held on for an 83-80 victory. 

Garnett had 32 points, 21 rebounds, four steals and five blocks while Cassell chipped in 23 points during the final game. In the seven-game series, Cassell produced 17.9 PPG on 46.4% shooting, 3.0 RPG, 5.4 APG and 1.1 SPG in 35.6 MPG.

The Timberwolves went on to the Conference Finals where they battled the Los Angeles Lakers. A super team with superstars in Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant and aging stars in Gary Payton and Karl Malone, the Lakers would provide a daunting task for the Wolves.

O’Neal had 27 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks in a 97-88 Lakers win in Minnesota. Cassell lasted 43 seconds in Game Two because of a hip and back injury, but the Timberwolves handled the Lakers 89-71.

Cassell returned for Game Three, but was limited by his injury. The duo of O’Neal and Bryant combined for 44 points in a 100-89 win. Cassell was limited to five minutes in Game Four and backup Darrick Martin started in his place. Los Angeles took a commanding 3-1 series lead with a 92-85 win.

Cassell missed the rest of the series after. The Timberwolves staved off elimination in Game Five with a 98-96 win, but the Lakers made their fourth trip to the Finals in five years with a 96-90 victory. Cassell was limited to 9.3 PPG in 16.0 MPG due to injury.

In the 2004 offseason, Cassell had arthroscopic surgery on his left hip. The Wolves kept much of their roster intact for the 2004-05 season. Expecting to compete for a championship once again, the Wolves got off to a solid 13-6 start. The team went 6-13 over their next 19 games to fall to 19-19. 

After 51 games, the team was a disappointing 25-26 and ninth in the Western Conference. Coach Flip Saunders was fired and replaced by vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale.

The Wolves found themselves at 33-34 and two and a half games behind the eighth-seeded Denver Nuggets after 67 games. The Wolves would turn it on late and go 11-4 in their final 15 games. Unfortunately, the Wolves would fall just one game short of a playoff spot.

Cassell’s past in the NBA had serious ramifications on his time in Minnesota. He had signed what would eventually become an extremely low six-year, $21 million contract extension with the New Jersey Nets in 1997. After a three-year extension worth about $18.2 million that he signed in Milwaukee in 2002, Cassell wanted job security and also a salary raise. It was a chance to make up for the years he had been underpaid despite being a quality starting point guard.

For Minnesota, Cassell was turning 35 during the start of the 2004-05 season and they were leery about signing Cassell to a significant deal considering his age and injury history.

Cassell’s season was a struggle individually and it contributed to some of Minnesota’s disappointing season. From the jump, Cassell got off to a slow start after he missed the beginning of media day and training camp due to his frustration over not receiving a contract extension. Cassell was not alone as fellow starter Sprewell had expressed his frustration with his contract and turned down a three-year, $21 million offer from the Wolves.

Though he started the season healthy, Cassell missed 23 games due to a nagging strained right hamstring. He also was moved to the bench at times in favor of Troy Hudson. Overall, Cassell had a weak performance by his standards. He appeared in 59 contests (23 starts) and posted 13.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 5.1 APG and  0.6 SPG in 25.8 MPG.

Cassell and Sprewell received blame for Minnesota’s first non-playoff season in nine years. Both players saw their individual statistics decline and their bickering with the franchise over their respective contract situations caused a constant blame game in the press between management and players.

It became apparent that the Wolves would make several changes in the 2005 offseason. Soon, the team hired coach Dwane Casey to take over. The team chose not to re-sign Sprewell and traded Cassell to the Clippers.

Cassell ended his time in Minnesota with a stat line of 17.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 6.4 APG and 1.0 SPG. The former Florida State product shot 48% overall, 35% from three and 87% from the free-throw line.

Chalmers was waived by the Timberwolves towards the end of 2005 training camp after posting 4.4 PPG and 2.4 APG in 10.8 MPG in five preseason appearances.

Minnesota started the 2005-06 season just 3-4, but after 18 games the team was leading the Northwest Division with a 12-6 record. The good times would not last. Minnesota went 7-15 over their next 22 games. At 19-21, the Wolves made a major trade, dealing Wally Szczerbiak, Dwayne Jones, Michael Olowokandi and a first round pick to the Boston Celtics for Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Marcus Banks, Justin Reed and two first round picks.

Minnesota went 14-28 the rest of the season. They finished 33-49 and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Jaric had the starting job at point guard, but struggled, shooting just 42% overall and 32% from three in his first 46 games/starts. 

Jaric lost his starting spot midseason to a combination of Anthony Carter and Banks. He did start for a three-game stretch late in the season, but saw a steep decline in playing time. Overall, Jaric appeared in 75 games (49 starts) and posted 7.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.9 APG and 1.4 SPG in 28.0 MPG.

In the 2006 offseason, the Wolves drafted guard Randy Foye from Villanova and signed point guard Mike James using the midlevel exception. The moves signaled a lack of confidence in Jaric as starting point guard after a subpar first season.

The Wolves began the 2006-07 season at 10-9, but they fluctuated between being several games over .500 to several games under .500. After 36 games, Minnesota was 20-16 and in the playoff hunt. The Wolves proceeded to drop their next game, falling to 20-20. At this point, coach Casey was fired and replace by lead assistant Randy Wittman. The coaching change wouldn’t help much as Minnesota went 12-30 under Wittman. The Wolves finished the year 32-50.

Jaric played exclusively as a wing throughout his second season and spent most of his time as a reserve. The 6′7″ guard appeared in 70 games (13 starts) and contributed 5.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.1 APG and 1.1 SPG in 22.2 MPG.

As the telltale signs of a franchise teardown was becoming more evident, the Wolves had to decide whether to trade superstar Kevin Garnett. After some time, the team moved Garnett to the Boston Celtics in a historic deal that netted the Timberwolves Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and two future first round picks. Also, the team dealt the disappointing James to the Houston Rockets for veteran Juwan Howard.

The departure of Garnett signified a long rebuild. Minnesota went to new lows as a team, dropping 29 of their first 33 games. Questions of whether they would break the record for the worst winning percentage in NBA history reached a high after the team was 5-34 after 39 games. A 17-26 finish to the season would keep Minnesota out of “the worst team ever” talk as they finished third worst in the NBA with a 22-60 mark.

With James traded and Foye out for more than half of the season, Jaric was given a chance to start at point guard for most of the season and excelled at times on defense. He appeared in 75 games (56 starts) and posted 8.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 4.1 APG and 1.3 SPG in 29.2 MPG.

After the season, Jaric was involved in an eight-player draft night trade between the Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies centered around 2008 lottery picks Kevin Love and O.J. Mayo. Jaric ended his time in Minnesota with 7.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.4 APG and 1.3 SPG in 220 games. He shot 41% from the field, 34% from behind the three-point line and 73% from the free-throw line. 

Though he was adequate as a perimeter defender with length who could guard multiple positions, Jaric was inconsistent as a shooter and his reluctance to shoot from the perimeter made him an offensive liability. This caused the Wolves to try him at different positions and also led to his fluctuating role from season to season with the club. The inconsistency in his role also killed Jaric’s confidence.

The disappointment of Wolves fans with Jaric would last quite some time, with the guard receiving boos in Minnesota as late as a 2012 preseason game.

Sam Cassell was reluctant to join the Clippers initially because he was still clamoring for a contract extension, which the Clippers were not interested in discussing at the time. After a conversation with new coach Mike Dunleavy, Cassell warmed to the idea of playing out the 2005-06 season with the Clippers.

The move to Los Angeles was overall a positive for Cassell and the Clippers. He would be a full-time starter and have the keys to the Clippers offense as a lead ballhandler, while mentoring young prospect Shaun Livingston as the Clippers point guard of the future.

The new look Clippers began the ‘05-‘06 season well with a 5-1 start. The team continued to play well behind a top notch season from star Elton Brand. Cassell (17.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.3 APG and 0.9 SPG in 78 games and 34.0 MPG) added quality play and late-game heroics as the Clippers finished with the fifth best record in the West at 47-35. Los Angeles qualified for the playoffs for the first time in nine years, and also had their most wins since the 1974-75 season when the team went 49-33 while playing as the Buffalo Braves in the Eastern Conference.

Due to playoff seeding rules that allowed division winners to take the top three spots, the Clippers became the sixth seed in the Western Conference. They matched up with the third-seeded Denver Nuggets. Denver (44-38) had a worse record than the Clippers but held the third seed due to winning the Northwest Division. Even with the weird seeding quirk, the Clippers had the better record, meaning that they held homecourt advantage in the first round series.

The series opener saw the Clippers lead for much of the game, building a 16-point lead late in the third quarter. Denver found a way to crawl back into the game, tying the score at 87 after an Andre Miller layup with 1:08 left in the fourth quarter. The Clippers took an 89-87 lead after Vladimir Radmanovic was fouled and made two free throws with 59.8 seconds left.

After Elton Brand blocked Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, Radmanovic was called for an offensive foul on a drive. With 24 seconds left, Anthony missed two potential game-tying shots as the Clippers held on for the two-point win.

The second game was a rout, as the Clippers led by as much as 25 points in the first half. The Nuggets would make the score respectable, but the final score was 98-87 in the Clippers’ favor. Los Angeles held a 2-0 series lead.

The third game was in Denver, and the Nuggets won after Anthony scored 24 points and the Nuggets forced the Clippers into 24 turnovers. In Game Four, the Clippers led by as much as 23 points and seven Clippers were in double figures in a 100-86 win.

Holding a 3-1 series lead, the Clippers took care of business with a comfortable 101-83 rout. During the five-game matchup, Cassell managed 14.6 PPG on 40% shooting, 3.0 RPG, 5.4 APG and 0.8 SPG in 28.9 MPG. The series win was the franchise’s first series win since 1976.

The Clippers moved on to the Semifinals where they battled the Phoenix Suns and the ‘05-‘06 NBA MVP Steve Nash. The series opener was a back and forth contest. Elton Brand had 40 points and Cassell chipped in 28 points, but the Clippers succumbed to Phoenix’s uptempo style in a 130-123 loss.

The second game saw the Clippers dominate on the offensive glass with a 19-5 offensive rebounding advantage and a 31-6 edge on second chance points. Los Angeles managed to steal homecourt advantage with a 122-97 win. Cassell had dominated in the first two games, averaging 25.5 PPG on 58% shooting while being guarded by Steve Nash.

In the third game, the Suns made the adjustment of switching forward Shawn Marion on to Cassell and hiding Nash on the offensively limited Quinton Ross. Known as a premier defender, Marion played a part in limiting Cassell to a 2-for-10 showing in a tight 94-91 Clippers loss in Game Three.

The Clippers rebounded in Game Four. They built a 13-point lead with 5:54 left in the fourth quarter. Phoenix stormed back, putting together a 12-0 run before an Elton Brand field goal with 56 seconds left. After a miss from Suns forward Tim Thomas, Cassell (28 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists) nailed a decisive three-pointer with 27.2 seconds left. Los Angeles took a six-point lead and ended up winning 114-107, tying the series 2-2.

The fifth game was an epic contest. There were 20 lead changes and 13 ties. With 39.2 seconds left and the Clippers down by three, Cassell nailed a corner three to tie the game. Neither team would score the rest of regulation, forcing overtime.

In the extra frame, the Clippers led 111-108 with 3.6 seconds left after Cassell made two free throws. Phoenix managed to tie it after Raja Bell hit a corner three with 1.1 seconds left. The Clippers turned it over on their inbounds, and Shawn Marion missed a heave at the buzzer.

The second overtime saw Marion and Leandro Barbosa take over for the Suns. The duo scored 11 of the team’s 14 points in the second overtime as Phoenix beat the Clippers 125-118. Brand had 30 points and 12 rebounds, and Corey Maggette contributed 25 points off the bench as the Clippers led by double digits most of the way in a 118-106 Game Six win.

The series finale saw Nash (29 points and 11 assists) and Marion (30 points and nine rebounds) dominate and Phoenix used a 15-0 advantage in three-point field goals made in a 127-107 rout. The seven-game series saw Cassell bring his A-game. The vet put up 20.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 6.0 APG in 37.1 MPG.

After his strong 2005-06 campaign, Cassell was offered a two-year, $15 million deal by the Atlanta Hawks. He would stay in Los Angeles however, after the Clippers gave him a two-year, $13 million deal.

For the first time in a lengthy period, the Clippers had some buzz going into the 2006-07 season. Fresh off of a series win in the 2006 playoffs and the intriguing signing of forward Tim Thomas in the offseason, the Clippers were expected to be a playoff team once again.

The team would be up and down all season. Los Angeles won five of their six games but soon dropped six of seven. The Clippers would continue their rollercoaster ride of a season. After 74 games, the Clippers were eighth in the West with a 37-37 mark. They went just 3-5 over their final five games to fall out of the playoffs with a 40-42 record. They finished just two games behind the seventh place Golden State Warriors and eighth place Los Angeles Lakers.

Cassell’s second season in Los Angeles was mired by injuries. Back spasms, groin, left foot and ankle problems cause Cassell to miss 24 games. Cassell came off the bench for parts of the season as the Clippers shifted their focus to starting the younger Livingston. 

Cassell regained his starting spot briefly after Livingston suffered a gruesome knee injury that ended his season and put his career in doubt. After starting one game, Cassell suffered a groin injury and never started again the rest of the season. For the season, Cassell managed 12.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 4.7 APG and 0.5 SPG in 58 games (30 starts) and 24.3 MPG.

After the rough injury hit season, the Clippers suffered even more bad news in the 2007 offseason. Star Elton Brand ruptured his left achilles tendon during a routine offseason workout. The injury would keep him out for all but six games of the 2007-08 season.

The Clippers got off to a surprising 4-0 start without Brand, but the reality of a losing season set in as the team dropped 23 of their next 29 games. Cassell played in 38 of the team’s first 55 games when his time in Los Angeles came to an end. The Clippers eventually agreed to a buyout with Cassell who was looking to compete for a championship. As part of the agreement, Cassell forfeited half of his remaining $1.7 million salary. Cassell eventually signed a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics.

Cassell was averaging 12.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 4.7 APG and 0.7 SPG in 25.7 MPG. The 38-year old point guard ended his run in Los Angeles with averages of 14.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 5.4 APG and 0.7 SPG in 174 games. Cassell shot 44% from the field 33% from three and 87% from the free-throw line in that time span.

The first round draft pick acquired in the deal was lottery protected all the way through 2012. Later on as Minnesota struggled, the looming pick became a major part in the criticism of the trade on Minnesota’s end. 

A lengthy playoff drought would ensue for Minnesota and they would fail to make the playoffs for over a decade. Minnesota’s lack of success — especially a stretch from 2007-2011 where the team lost at least 50 games every season — heightened the value of the first round pick when it would be conveyed in 2012.

The pick still had immense value when the Clippers dealt it to the New Orleans Hornets in a 2011 trade for superstar point guard Chris Paul. By the 2012 NBA Draft, the Timberwolves were still a lottery team, but with a slightly more respectable roster built around budding star Kevin Love, the team finished 26-40. 

That record was 10th worst in the NBA, so instead of what seemed to be a lock for a top-five pick, the Hornets ended up picking 10th in the 2012 draft. New Orleans selected Duke point guard Austin Rivers with the pick.

Sam Cassell on his meeting with Clipper head coach Mike Dunleavy (via LA Times):

“My meeting with Mike was cool, real cool. Mike Dunleavy and I are on the same page, which is what I wanted to hear, because our major goal is to win. That’s what he wants and that’s what I want, so it was... the way you want to get it started. I know what I can do, I know the talent they have on this team, and I know what I can do as a part of this team. It’s going to be good, real good.”

On how he will be used with the Clippers:

“Mike talked about how to do it, how to win, so he said he’s going to use me similar to the way [former coach] Flip Saunders used me in Minnesota. I had the ball in my hands down the stretch, and I wanted to take the shot. That’s one thing they didn’t have here last year, someone to put the ball in his hands down the stretch and take that leadership. That’s what I love to do. Mike wants to win, so he wants to have me on the court.”

On people underestimating him:

“I had a hamstring injury, and that happens to a whole lot of people. That happened, but I’m not worried about it now because I’m in great shape. The worst thing a person can do is blow his own horn, and I don’t need to do that. Just sit back and watch. And just get ready to jump on the bandwagon.”

On where the Timberwolves are headed after trading him (via Minneapolis Star Tribune):

“They’re going to be at the bottom again. I know for a fact that Kevin Garnett is disappointed. Kevin wants some guys he can go to war with.”

On Marko Jaric as his replacement:

“If they think Marko Jaric is a replacement for me, they’re out of their minds. I'm happy for him. I’m happy he got paid. But that’s not an upgrade. As players, we know.”

On Jaric’s new six-year contract:

“Six years? Forty million? Yeah, right. Yeah, right.”

On his time in Minnesota:

“Minnesota never got out of the first round until I got there. Then when I got hurt, everybody knew [my value]. I don’t take things personally. I know I was accused [of selfishness]. Spree and I came in as ‘rebels.’ But they had to blame somebody.”

What he expects to do in Los Angeles and his relationship with Wolves star Kevin Garnett:

I’m going to have a hell of a year. That’s not even my concern. I just wish it was with my main man, Kevin Garnett. We made each other better. He made me an All-Star; I made him an MVP.”

Marko Jaric on going to the Timberwolves (via LA Times):

“First of all. I’m going to a team that really likes me and respects me and, secondly, a team that I respect. I think that we have a really big chance to make really big damage in the playoff picture next year.”

On the Clippers:

“At least three or four teams wanted me more than the Clippers did, so I realized this is not the right place for me to stay.”

Los Angeles Clippers vice president of basketball operations Elgin Baylor  on the trade (via Clippers.com):

“We’re excited to bring in a veteran player like Sam [Cassell] who brings nine years of playoff experience and two championships. The addition of Sam strengthens our back court. He’s a big time scorer who is one of the best in the league when it comes to taking and making the big shot in the closing moments of a ball game.”

On Cassell (via LA Times):

“Sam likes the talent on our team, and he believes he can make an immediate impact. Coach talked to Sam about the team, how he will fit in and how we will use him. He’s a heck of a good basketball player. He has the utmost confidence in his ability, and I really believe he will make a difference.”

If talks of an extension for Cassell ever came up:

“That never came up in the conversation with him.”

Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale on acquiring Jaric and Chalmers (via Timberwolves.com):

“We’re extremely excited to have acquired Marko. He is a very versatile player who has the ability to play the one, two or three spots on the floor. With Marko, we’ve added another player who can break down the defense and is a pass first point guard. Lionel is a player that we think has some upside and will compete for a roster spot in training camp.”

How there was a need for a change after a disappointing 44-38 finish the previous season (via Minneapolis Star Tribune):

“Last year was a very disappointing year. Maybe it was time to go in another direction. It was just time for a change.”

Why the move was made:

“I just thought maybe it was time to go a little younger — Marko's 26 — and a little bigger at that position and little more multidimensional. Sammy’s a pure point. [New head coach] Dwane [Casey] wants to play a little differently. It’s not so much a point-guard-driven offense. There's more ball movement.”

Timberwolves general manager Jim Stack on Sam Cassell (via Minneapolis Star Tribune):

“Sam came in, did a great job for us and brought a lot of success to the franchise. Then last year, things didn’t work out so well. We felt Marko could help us, and we wouldn’t have been able to get a guy of his caliber if Sam wasn’t involved. It’s a tough deal. When things don’t go well, and guys are out there saying, ‘I need this, I need that’ and making tough statements, they kind of bring the microscope on themselves.”

If star Kevin Garnett was upset with the trade:

“You want your best player on board with what you’re trying to do. Kevin, generally, when things are not going the way he wants, he’s pretty vocal about it. And I have not heard anything.”

Timberwolves head coach Dwane Casey on the trade (via Timberwolves.com):

“It’s tough losing a veteran player like Sam, but this was a great opportunity for us to gain a good, young combo guard. Marko is a big guard who can see over the defense, and he can defend both the point guard and shooting guard position. We feel we’ve really upgraded our defense and our team with the addition of Marko. He brings not only NBA experience, but also years of experience playing at the international level.”

On Jaric (via Minneapolis Star Tribune):

“Marko’s a tough cookie; he has an edge to him. He takes a lot of pride in his game. He caught my attention as the point guard on the Yugoslavian team that beat the U.S. in Indianapolis [2002] and wound up winning the gold medal.”

Cassell’s agent Charles Tucker on the trade (via Minneapolis Star Tribune):

“[Cassell] figured they were going to move him. He wanted to be moved if he’s not in their plans. It’s just part of the business. They must have really wanted the other kid [Jaric]; they wanted him enough to pay him 40 [million dollars].”

On Cassell wanting to know where Cassell stands with the Clippers (via LA Times):

“Sam is an All-NBA player, and you want a player of that caliber to be happy. I’m not saying that he’s unhappy [about the trade], but Sam just wants some understanding about what’s going on and what’s going to happen. If you’re going to have that type of player in your program, why wouldn’t you want him to come there happy?”

What it would take to make Cassell happy:

“Well. I’m sure we're going to have some conversations with them about that in the next day or two.”

On Cassell joining the Clippers (via LA Times):

“Yeah, he’s going to go. We really have no major problems with [the Clippers], we just want to know what the trade is about, because he’s no average player. Like I’ve said, ‘You want a player like Sam to be happy.’”

How the Clippers situation has to be right for Cassell:

“If the situation is good for us, fine, but if the situation is not good for us, then I don’t want Sam to be there. It needs to be a good marriage for the Clippers and us.”

Why Cassell was willing to play for the Clippers (via LA Times):

“With Mike Dunleavy here, Sam is coming. He wants to win.”

Jaric’s agent Bill Duffy on the trade from Jaric’s perspective (via LA Times):

“It’s a win-win.”

Image Credit:

Sam Cassell: via Getty Images/Sporting News Archive

Marko Jaric: via Getty Images/David Sherman

#Marko Jaric #Sam Cassell #Lionel Chalmers #Austin Rivers #Clippers #Timberwolves #2005 #2005*06 Season

[patricksilvrrozartistry]

Current Music Obsessions: May 17 - 31, 2017

It’s time for the obsessions to be listed! I have quite a few honorable mentions this time round since I went through and purged my watch later list (and still am), they are!

Pyramaze - Star Men Requiem in White - The Sleep Visions of Atlantis - Last Shuy of You Eyes Mend - Prism Blue Rising - Metamorphosis Your Screaming Silence - You Don't Care Enemy of Reality - Reflected feat. Fabio Lione End My Sorrow - Broken Tying Tiffany - Drownin' Tristania - Libre Vandroya - Maya Stratovarius - My Eternal Dream Moutaineer - Good Night Trisha Paytas - Freaky Bare Infinity - Orion's Light feat. Sarah Wolf Esoterik - Spirits Light the Way Luna Obscura - Away Awolnation - Jailbreak Twilight Guardians - Through the Stars Wishmasters - Murder Born of Osiris - M∆chine Lana Del Rey - Coachella-Woodtock in My Mind Lacuna Coil - You Love Me 'Cause I Hate You Zayde Wolf - Walk Through the Fire feat. Ruelle Angelwngs - Lilith Mizantropia - Black Idol Golem - The Tower Orbiter - Winds of Change Dool - She Goat Kari Rueslatten - Chasing Rivers Whyzdom - Where are the Angels Mildrage - Armeria

Now let’s move onto the real obsessions.

1) Voyager - Ghost Mile

This is the second track that Voyager have released off their upcoming album of the same title and I am so hyped for it. So far these tracks have been going in a more atmospheric direction and I am LOVING it! This song has an awesome escalation near the end and it's weird how both atmospheric and aggressive it is. Definitely give this track a listen.

2) Autumn - Even Now

I discovered this track through a video Angela Benedict posted where she talked about this song, so I gave it a listen and fell in love. It's so lovely and pretty. It's like a blend of trad goth and shoegaze and is wonderful to chill to.

3) Skies Collide - Come Alive

I've been following this band for a while, and of all of the tracks I've heard from them, this one definitely stands out. It has more of an alternative metal feel than some of their other songs and is also more atmospheric. Such a great song to just chill to.

4) Freia - Call My Name

I discovered this song through a person's post on instagram showing a screen cap of the video, so I decided to check it out and I am so glad I did. It's a nice, upbeat track that's also great to chill to. I'm starting to notice that a lot of the songs I listened to in this half of the month were great chill songs.

5) Involvers - Lights

I came across this song while looking for another song that was stuck in my head that I thought was on Spaceuntravel's channel. It was definitely a happy accident kind of song that I wound up falling in love with. Again, another great chill track, but this one feels a bit more emotive than the other ones I've mentioned.

6) End My Sorrow - Broken

I discovered these guys near the end of April/early May and decided to check out another song from them and I came across this song. They're a really interesting progressive metal band that have definitely caught my attention. This track is a bit softer from the first song I heard from them, but is still absolutely wonderful and I can't wait to hear more.

7) Erika Jayne - XXPEN$IVE

I learned about this song through a SNL skit that I saw floating on Facebook about some dudes who were obsessing over Drag Race and they had a lip sync for your life to this song. It's just a fun pop song that really grabbed my attention because of just how fun it is. Everyone needs a fun jam every now and then, and this one was mine.

8) Divitius - Ereshkigal

I've become pretty obsessed with this aggressive female fronted djent band from the States. This is their debut music video and the song is probably one of their biggest ball busters they've released. I can't wait to finally get around to listening to their debut album that they released recently.

9) Soulspell Metal Opera - Dungeons and Dragons

This is power metal at its finest. It features four different singers, and of the four, I only know two: Fabio Lione (ex-Rhapsody of Fire) and Dasia Munhoz (Vandroya). This track is some good power metal that is just fun to jam out to. I'm extremely picky when it comes to male singers within power metal and classic styled heavy metal, so I'm not sure if I'll enjoy the new Soulspell Metal Opera album that much, but I'm definitely gonna give it a listen.

10) Lana Del Rey - Lust for Life feat. The Weeknd

This song man. It's so lovely. I LOVE the low synths in it. It's such a different direction for Lana, but at the same time it stays very true to her brand of keeping an old school sound. Her and The Weeknd's voices blend so beautifully together. Such a beautiful song. I can't wait for the album to be released.

11) Cyclocosmia - Little Girl Lost

Cyclocosmia is a progressive doom metal band that I discovered through Tumblr one day last year and decided to listen to their debut album afterwards. This song is definitely my favorite off of Deadwood. It's so haunting, dark, melancholy and oh, so beautiful. It starts off really soft and ambient, but then it begins to pick up and gets so raw. Highly recommend this.

12) Visions of Atlantis - Memento

I came across this song when a friend shared it on Facebook and immediately became obsessed and in love with it. I haven't dabbled to deeply into Visions of Atlantis, but this song is making me want to change that. This song is absolutely GORGEOUS. Yes. So much yes.

13) Sigur Ros - Sæglópur

I heard this song on Sense8 when I was watching the season 1 finale with my sister (I got her hooked on it, and we haven't finished the second season and are PISSED it got cancelled) and decided to look it up because I enjoyed it. It's such a lovely track. It's kind of shoegazey and ambient and I just love it. Another wonderful track to chill to.

14) Anthology - Last Weep

This is symphonic power/thrash metal at its finest. So good, so fast and so epic. If you are wanting a new fast song to jam out to, definitely give this a listen. Of all the songs they've released from their new album, this one is definitely my favorite. It's just so fun and epic.

15) The White Swan - Lions

I discovered these guys one day through Kittie's Facebook page earlier this year from them promoting them since their drummer, Mercedes, is the front woman of this band. This is some epic psychedelic sludge right here. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing the new EP. Just pop in some headphones, turn up the volume and just veg out. So good.

16) Draconian - Elysian Night

I came across this song on Pandora one day and liked and forgot to search it afterwards until recently. I fell in love with it and became obsessed IMMEDIATELY. It's so dark, melancholy and beautiful. It's now my second favorite song of theirs from Lisa's era with the band. Gothic doom metal at its purest and darkest form.

That is it for the month of May! I was jamming out to a lot of softer, ambient, chill, atmospheric and doomy tracks throughout the later parts of the month, but who cares, it’s great music! See you in a few weeks with the first half of June!

#me #blogger #metalhead #music #Current Music Obsessions #Voyager #progressive metal #Autumn #shoegaze #Skies Collide #alternative metal #Freia #pop #Involvers #atmospheric rock #End My Sorrow #metal #Erika Jayne #Divitius #djent #Soulspell #Soulspell Metal Opera #power metal #Lana Del Rey #The Weeknd #indie #Cyclocosmia #doom metal #Visions of Atlantis #symphonic metal

[angelsdean]

liddol

#that grey sweater day (im assuming it's all from the same day) is full of cute moments #these are all from pinterest. i NEED to get back into watching dool so i can take my own screencaps #i know i'll just find thee cutest ones #anyways. these are all young dean 2 me #the pool table one especially !!! stanford era dean turning up the charm. (he's so lonely :( just wants to connect w/ someone) #stanford era dean #young dean #jensen #dool #dool caps

[tamboradventure]

TravelCon: Speakers, Talks, and More News!

Posted: 11/14/2019 | November 14th, 2019

We’re now a little more than 6 months from TravelCon 2020! (Where does the time go?)

Today, I wanted to give you a little update on what we are doing with the event. As I mentioned last time, we’re making a lot of changes to the event:

We’re adding in a second lunch!

We’re doing a scavenger hunt through the city!

We’re adding in pre- and post-conference tours of the city and region!

We’re adding longer breaks between sessions.

We’re adding longer niche meet-ups so you can hang out with people more!

And a whole lot more changes that will be talking about soon

There’s a lot of exciting stuff happening. Moreover, we’re flushing out our speaker list a lot more and, while we still have some more to go, we’ve confirmed some new speakers for you:

Annemarie Dooling

Wall Street Journal

Nora Dunn

The Professional Hobo

Lawrence Ferber

Writer

Rainer Jenss

Family Travel Association

Christine Kaaloa

GRRRLTRAVELER

Rachelle Lucas

The Travel Bite

Sol Orwell

Examine.com

Charu Suri

Writer

Somto Ugwueze

Somto Seeks

(For a full list of speakers, check out this page!)

Moreover, we’ve worked on our schedule more and I’m happy to announce that some of the talks you’ll find this year will include:

Ethics in travel writing

How to succeed as a freelancer

How to become a travel agent

How to gain clients as a travel agent

How to effectively build you network

How to create A/B tests

Writing sales pages

Tax and business issues

How to protect your IP

How to hire the right team

More talks on RV travel

More talks on LGBTQ travel

More talks on Instagram, incuding monetization, community, and photography

I mean we’ve got a lot more talks than that but those are some of the new ones we’re adding this year!

Additionally, while I can’t give specifics in this email (the ink isn’t dry yet), we’ve lined up 20 confirmed sponsors so far, including a lot of new DMOs we haven’t had before! I’m really excited about that as we’re continuing to expand and grow the event! (If you’re interested in sponsoring, check out this page!).

We’re really excited about next year’s event. Over the next few months, we’ll be nailing down our firm party, fam trips, and other plans and will be sharing them again in the new year!

If you want to attend the event, tickets to this year’s TravelCon are $349 until 12/31, when prices will go up to $399.

We’re capping our ticket sales at 800 again this year. We’ve currently sold 300 tickets to next year’s event and expect to sell out again so don’t wait to get a ticket.

That’s it for today’s update! I hope to see you at this year’s event! If you have questions, ask in the comments and I’ll answer them.

– Matt

Book Your Trip to New Orleans: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too!

Want More Information on the United States? Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on the United States for even more planning tips!

The post TravelCon: Speakers, Talks, and More News! appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

from Nomadic Matt's Travel Site https://ift.tt/2CFv0zd via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Nomadic Matt's Travel Site

[goldeagleprice]

Mostly Copper

by Donald Dool

During the Napoleonic Wars the northern Italian city of Mantua was besieged twice. In 1797 the French laid siege and in 1799 they were the besieged.

The first siege began on June 4, 1796 as a move against Austria, who had joined the First Coalition against France. Austrian and Russian attempts to break the siege failed, but the French forces were spread so thin that the siege was abandoned on July 31. The French resumed the siege on Aug. 24 and in early February 1797, the city surrendered and the region came under French administration. Two years later the city was again under siege. This siege was a four-month effort by the Austrian army to regain a presence in northern Italy having been excluded from that region by the French through the successful French Siege of Mantua in 1797.

This siege of Mantua coin was cast from bell metal. The obverse has ASSEDIOD-I MANTOVA A7R. (Siege of Mantova, seventh year of the [French] revolution). The Liberty Cap atop the fasces divides DI. The reverse is rotated 90°.On the reverse UN│SOLDO │DI│MILAN°in the field. The attributions are Eklund 210, KM 275 and Neumann I 918. It weighs 15.60 gram with a diameter of 27.49 mm.

In April 1799, the Austrians placed a military blockade around Mantua as part of the War of the Second Coalition with the intent of withering the French by attrition. The fortress, which was in poor shape, was commanded by viscount lieutenant general François-Philippe de Foissac-Latour.

Foissac-Latour, an engineer, was convinced that the fortress would be indefensible in any serious siege. At first the Austrians simply blockaded the fortress. With artillery duels and occasional skirmishes the Austrians were winning the siege by attrition. While the diminishing food supplies and losses weakened the French army, the Austrians received reinforcements and attacked on July 4, 1799. By the end of the month, the French agreed to surrender.

Under the terms of surrender most of the French soldiers were to be released, the officers after three months and the troops had to pledge not to take up arms until they were exchanged for Austrian prisoners. The Polish Legion and Austrians who had fought with the French were treated differently. The Poles were either forced to enlist in the Austrian army or be deported to a partitioned Poland. The Austrians demanded full sovereignty over deserters from the Austrian army or former Austrian soldiers serving in the Cisalpine Republic Army. When the French and allied troops left the fortress they were split into French and non-French units, the Austrian soldiers observing the marching non-French garrison troops were given permission to physically assault those recognized as deserters and most of them were eventually arrested.

Since my last trip to South America was in 2015, my medal collections have been stagnant. There was a San Martin medal on eBay for three or four years listed by a dealer in Italy. It was way over priced and I repeatedly advised the dealer that there was only one collector of San Martin medals on eBay –me- and that he needed to lower the price. Finally it became almost reasonable, so I finally bought it. I might not have found this one on a South American trip as it commemorates the San Martin monument in Rome although I do have three Spanish medals, one French medal, one Canadian and one United States San Martin inaugural medal that I acquired in Argentina.

    The obverse has a view of the monument standing on OPERA DI SILVIO OLIVO ROMA. Below is MONASSI INCISE. The perimeter has the legend INAUGURAZIONE MONUMENTO AL GEN. JOSE DE SAN MARTIN 24 OTTOBRE 1956.

The reverse has DONO DEGLI ITALIANI RESIDENTI IN ARGENTINA ALLA CITTA’DI ROMA on the perimeter. The medal weighs 46.95 gram and has a diameter of 51.12 mm. If I ever finish my reference work on San Martin medals, it will have an attribution.

                        Contact Don Dool with questions, corrections and comments at [email protected]

  This article was originally printed in World Coin News. >> Subscribe today.

The post Mostly Copper appeared first on Numismatic News.

#Precious Metals

[chibicrow]

what an ugly screencap of yuusei,,, where is the dool //hit

I don't have that Yusei cap in my 5D's cap collection. sorry pal.

[angelsdean]

#idk why these four pics specifically are in my drafts but. #babyboy #stanford era dean #dool caps

[angelsdean]

a very expressive baby

#the faces he makes #important 2 me and my interests #dool caps

[angelsdean]

shh he is deep in thought 

#dool caps

[angelsdean]

he’s looking at a shirtless man btw. if you even care 

#his little smile is very cute tho im endeared #also hilarious that his sibling in this (that girl right there) is also named sammy. spelt different but still #dool caps

[angelsdean]

he is 3 pixels but i am obsessed w him @jarchaeology

#jarch said take screencaps of eric brady. what am i to do but comply ? #also. finaaally a different outfit i was getting tired of that red jacket #soaps will make one (1) day span 4 whole episodes #dool caps #< filter if you don't care abt days of our lives screencaps

[angelsdean]

did i spend a ridiculous amount of time de-yellowing this screencap and giving him disney princess eyes? yes.

#this is so silly #he's like a barbie doll to me #he's like those makeover doll heads #this all started bc i wanted to make his lips pink and then i was like. well i need to de-yellow this whole image #idk what to tag this as lmao #dool caps #myedits